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THE   AMERICAN   TURF 


AN   HISTORICAL  ACCOUNT  OF 
RACING  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 


WITH 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  OF  TURF  CELEBRITIES 


M-DCCC-XC-VIII 


THE    HISTORICAL    COMPANY 
NEW  YORK 


Copyright,    1898,  by 
The   Historical   Company 


NICOLL    &    ROY    COMPANY 
PRINTERS,   NEW  YORK 


PREFACE 


WITHIN  the  lifetime  of  the  present  generation  racing 
has  attained  the  highest  importance  and  popularity 
of  any  sport  in  the  United  States,  while  the  blood  horse  has 
taken  a  position  in  public  estimation  only  second  to  that 
held  by  his  compeers  of  Great  Britain,  the  native  home 
of  his  race.  It  is  true  that  love  of  the  horse  and  interest 
in  his  capabilities  have  never  at  any  time  in  our  history 
been  lacking  on  the  part  of  Americans.  In  this  respect, 
indeed,  our  countrymen  have  frankly  confessed  their 
origin,  and  have  been  true  to  one  of  the  principal 
traits  of  character  that  distinguish  the  English  speaking 
people.  Nevertheless,  despite  the  attention  that  was 
early  given  to  the  running  turf  in  this  country,  the  com- 
plete development  of  this  sport  and  a  full  recognition  of 
the  importance  of  the  thoroughbred  horse  have  been  of 
comparatively  recent  growth.  It  is  almost  within  the 
remembrance  of  those  now  living  when  racing  was  con- 
fined to  particular  sections,  when  breeding  the  noble 
animals  who  minister  to  the  highest  of  sports  was  con- 
ducted on  a  small  scale,  and  when  their  perform- 
ances on  the  track  awakened,  outside  of  the  circle 
especially  devoted  to  racing,  only  a  very  limited  popular 
interest. 

It  is  our  privilege  to  live  at  a  time  when  this  condition 
of  affairs  has  passed  away  almost  completely  and,  it  is 
confidently  hoped,  permanently.  Discouragement  now 
no  longer  confronts  the  sportsman  whose  intelligent 
efforts  are  directed  toward  the  improvement  of  the  horse 
or  the  demonstration  of  his  powers.  Instead  there  is 
even  exhibited  a  liberal  and  increasing  degree  of  public 
appreciation  of  the  benefit  which  is  thus  conferred  upon 
the  community  at  large,  apart  from  the  mere  relaxation 
which  the  sport  affords  its  patrons. 

Racing  has  also  helped  to  break  down  the  sectional 
barriers  which  formerly  existed  between  the  various 
divisions  of  our  country.  While  the  turf  owes  so  much 
of  its  present  popularity  and  success  to  unselfish  devotion 
and  unstinted  expenditure  on  the  part  of  men  of  wealth, 
it  remains  a  truly  democratic  sport,  the  legitimate  pleas- 
ures of  which  can  be  shared  by  all  classes,  and  which  is 
therefore  eminently  suited  to  the  spirit  that  animates  our 
national  life.  The  widespread  interest  that  is  shown  in 
it  is  no  longer  limited  by  any  sectional  considerations. 
It  furthermore  creates  fuller  general  knowledge  of  the 
capabilities  of  all  parts  of  the  land  and  arouses  the  spirit 
of  national  pride,  demonstrating  as  it  does  the  wonderful 
diversity  of  natural  conditions  within  the  limits  of  the 
United  States.  These  things  are  conspicuously  displayed 
in  the  animals  that  the  different  sections  produce  and  the 


modification  and  improvement  of  horseflesh  that  results 
under  variations  of  soil  and  climate. 

Moreover,  the  popularity  of  the  turf  with  the  very  class 
whose  presence  is  most  needed  to  insure  its  continued 
existence  and  healthy  devolpment  is  fully  assured.  Its 
honors  are,  as  they  should  be,  sufficient  to  draw  into 
the  ranks  of  its  active  supporters  those  who  are  foremost 
in  our  social  and  business  life.  Men  of  the  highest 
standing  and  greatest  wealth  are  numbered  among  its 
most  active  participants.  As  already  intimated,  they 
have  taken  the  lead  in  raising  the  standard  of  the  Amer- 
ican horse.  Their  private  breeding  establishments, 
conducted  on  a  scale  unequaled  in  any  part  of  the  world, 
have  given  the  most  successful  and  remarkable  evidence 
of  the  science  and  skill  that  can  be  devoted  to  the  pro- 
duction of  perfect  animals,  and  the  appreciation  which 
their  efforts  call  forth  is  a  powerful  inducement  to  others 
to  follow  their  example.  At  the  same  time  it  is  to 
gentlemen  of  such  character  that  the  patrons  of  the  turf 
look  for  the  regulation  of  its  affairs  upon  the  basis  which 
alone  can  render  it  a  sport  worthy  of  public  confidence. 
In  this  respect,  too,  there  is  every  reason  for  congratu- 
lation on  the  part  of  all  lovers  of  the  horse. 

Considerations  such  as  these  have  led  to  the  prepara- 
tion of  this  volume.  A  demand  has  often  been  expressed 
by  the  general  public  and  the  turf  world  for  a  publication 
such  as  it  has  been  the  aim  of  both  the  editors  and  the 
publishers  to  make  this  book.  Interest  in  the  subject 
which  is  treated  in  the  following  pages  has  never  been 
fully  satisfied.  It  has  been  our  object  to  present  an 
accurate  account  of  the  development  and  conditions  of 
racing  and  of  the  thoroughbred  horse  in  America,  in  a 
form  which,  while  rendering  the  volume  authoritative 
and  accurate,  may  increase  popular  knowledge  of  the 
turf,  past  and  present. 

Commencing  with  an  historical  account  of  the  running 
turf  of  this  country  at  its  inception  in  colonial  days,  the 
book  thence  pursues  the  subject  through  the  golden  age 
of  racing  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and 
also  reviews  the  developments  of  more  recent  times  by 
which  contemporaneous  racing  has  been  elevated  to  its 
present  condition  of  importance  and  dignity.  The  story 
is  told  of  some  of  the  most  famous  racing  events  known 
to  the  American  turf  from  the  time  of  the  great  four-mile 
contests  down  to  the  Suburbans  and  Futurities  of  to-day 
and  concise  histories  of  a  few  of  the  great  thorough- 
breds that  have  distinguished  the  American  turf  are  also 
presented,  with  an  account  of  the  ventures  of  American 
horsemen  on  the  English  turf, 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


The  extraordinary  advancement  of  racing  in  the  pres- 
ent generation  has,  however,  rendered  the  subject  too 
large  to  be  treated  entirely  in  the  historical  form  that  has 
just  been  indicated.  It  is  a  complex  theme  and  necessi- 
tates detailed  reference  to  the  racing  careers  of  innumer- 
able individuals  and  descriptions,  historical  and  otherwise, 
of  many  organizations  and  properties  devoted  in  one  way 
or  another  to  the  purposes  of  the  sport.  A  biographical 
form  was,  therefore,  after  mature  consideration,  adopted 
as  the  most  satisfactory  method  of  setting  forth  the  many 
interesting  details  concerning  the  individual  components 
of  our  racing  world  of  to-day.  Its  organizers  and 
leaders,  with  the  official  heads  of  the  various  bodies 
connected  with  it,  command  the  first  attention,  almost 
equaling  whom  in  interest  are  the  leading  breeders  of 
the  country  and  their  establishments.  The  owners  and 
trainers  involving,  as  their  turf  histories  do,  the  records 
and  performances  of  their  horses,  past  and  present,  are 
next  in  order,  following  whom  are  the  jockeys  of  the 
past  and  the  present,  a  body  about  whose  achievements 
there  is  always  a  large  and  legitimate  amount  of  public 
curiosity.  The  large  interests  now  involved  in  book- 
making  and  the  individual  representatives  of  that  pro- 
fession are  next  treated,  while  finally,  attention  is 
directed  to  the  racing  associations  and  their  tracks. 

Our  task  has  been  both  novel  and  difficult,  and  was 
undertaken  and  has  been  carried  out  with  due  recogni- 
tion of  this  fact,  as  well  as  of  the  requirements  of  accu- 
racy and  of  devotion  to  the  true  interests  of  the  turf.  It 
is  believed  that  nothing  has  been  presented  in  its  pages 
that  does  not  conform  to  those  purposes.  The  labors 
incident  to  the  preparation  of  the  volume  have  been  ex- 
acting and  sometimes  discouraging,  but,  on  the  whole, 
have  been  pleasurable  and  satisfactory.  The  total 
absence  of  reliable  information  relating  to  the  early  years 
of  the  American  turf  has  been  the  one  serious  obstacle  in 
the  way  of  a  comprehensive  and  reliable  story  of  that 
interesting  period,  but  it  is  believed  that  what  is  set 
forth  in  the  chapters  devoted  to  those  years  is  more 
complete,  and  will  be  found  more  valuable,  than  any- 
thing of  the  kind  ever  printed  before. 

A  work  of  this  character,  essentially  a  compilation, 
must  depend  for  much  of  its  subject-matter  upon  pre- 
vious publications  that  have  treated  with  more  or  less 
fulness  different  phases  of  American  turf  history.  We 
have  drawn  freely  from  those  sources  of  information, 
as  well  as  from  the  personal  recollections  of  prominent 


turfmen,  and  from  many  original  records  and  private 
papers.  In  some  instances  due  credit  has  been  given  to 
the  authorities  upon  whom  we  have  relied,  but  it  has 
not  been  possible  to  do  that  in  every  case.  We  desire, 
however,  to  make  here  a  general  acknowledgment  of 
our  indebtedness  to  many  gentlemen,  and  especially  to 
some  of  the  more  important  publications,  to  whom  we 
have  freely  placed  ourselves  under  obligations.  Those 
well-known  sporting  journals,  The  Spirit  of  the  Times 
and  The  Turf,  Field  and  Farm,  are  so  well  recognized  as 
mines  of  information  regarding  turf  matters,  that  it 
seems  quite  superfluous  to  say  that  any  one  attempting 
to  compile  a  work  of  this  character  must  almost  of 
necessity  make  a  very  generous  use  of  their  columns. 
The  daily  newspapers  of  the  last  half  century,  and  occa- 
sionally some  of  our  leading  magazines,  especially  Out- 
ing, Harper's  and  The  Century,  have  also  contributed 
much  general  information  on  the  subject.  Outing  in 
particular  has  published  within  the  last  few  years  many 
articles  in  relation  to  the  thoroughbred  and  racing  that 
are  well  nigh  invaluable. 

Of  the  older  period  of  the  American  turf,  probably 
nothing  can  surpass  in  interest  and  in  value  Frank 
Forester's  Horse  and  Horsemanship  of  the  United  States 
and  British  Provinces  of  North  America.  The  historian 
of  those  early  years  finds  himself,  to  a  very  surprising 
degree,  dependent  upon  this  volume,  which,  although 
not  wholly  accurate  or  reliable,  still  remains  the  best 
authority  that  we  possess  upon  the  subject.  Special 
attention  must  be  called  in  this  connection  to  The  Horse 
of  America  in  His  Derivation,  History  and  Development, 
by  Mr.  John  H.  Wallace,  the  eminent  turf  writer  and  ex- 
pert, a  book  that  was  published  in  1897.  Although  Mr. 
Wallace  has  devoted  himself  in  this  volume  almost 
entirely  to  the  trotting  horse  with  whom  he  has  been  so 
conspicuously  identified  throughout  his  life,  he  gives 
much  valuable  information  in  regard  to  the  early  history 
of  the  American  thoroughbred.  His  researches  into  the 
history  of  the  horse  in  the  colonial  period  have  been 
exhaustive,  and  have  thrown  great  light  upon  those 
hitherto  neglected  times.  His  original  discoveries  from 
old  records  and  newspapers  are  of  a  valuable  character, 
and  it  is  no  less  a  pleasure  than  a  duty  for  the  editor  of 
this  volume  to  acknowledge  particular  indebtedness  to 
his  book  in  these  respects. 

LYMAN  HORACE  WEEKS 
Editor 


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AN    HISTORICAL  ACCOUNT 

OF   RACING 

IN   THE   UNITED   STATES 


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1 

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INTRODUCTION  OF  THE  HORSE  INTO  AMERICA 

Origin  and  Early  History  of  thk  English  Thoroughbred — First  Colonial  Importations   of  Stallions 

AND  Mares  and  their  Produce — Primitive  Racing  in  New  York, 

New  England  and  the  South. 


<"'  HAT  an  historical  review  of  the  American  turf 
-^  would  be  manifestly  incomplete  did  it  not  pre- 
sent some  general  consideration  of  the  origin 
and  career  of  this  "sport  of  kings"  among 
our  forefathers  in  England  must  be  fully  apparent  to  any 
one  who  has  even  moderate  acquaintance  with  the  sub- 
ject. It  is  quite  without  the  scope  that  is  proposed  for 
this  volume,  and,  indeed,  needless  for  our  purpose,  to 
trace  fully  the  genesis  of  the  thoroughbred  horse.  That 
is  a  task  that  has  been  done  so  often  and  so  thoroughly 
by  other  pens  as  to  call  for  no  repetition  in  this  connec- 
tion. Nevertheless,  from  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  it 
is  impossible  to  have  a  comprehensive  or  intelligent 
understanding  of  the  American  thoroughbred  without  at 
least  some  general  reference  to  his  progenitors  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  thoroughbred  is  a  horse  that  has  been  developed 
for  the  special  use  of  the  running  turf.  He  is  of  mixed 
origin,  tracing  his  pedigree  back  to  ancestors  of  many 
divergent  races.  But  he  breeds  so  true  at  the  present 
stage  of  his  development  and  his  family  is  confined 
within  such  well  defined  limits  as  to  give  full  justification 
for  his  title.  Although  since  its  inception,  nearly  four 
centuries  ago,  his  race  has  multiplied  and  spread  its  like- 
ness over  all  the  world,  maintaining  a  superiority  in 
every  clime  wherein  it  has  been  reproduced,  England 
was  the  cradle  in  which  he  was  nurtured  and  has  been 
the  scene  of  his  great  successes.  He  is  commonly 
spoken  of  as  being  of  purely  Arabian  origin,  but  the 
historical  accuracy  of  that  ascription  has  been  forcibly 
denied  by  many  authorities,  who  have  pointed  out  that 
other  strains  of  blood,  even  more  important  and  more 
powerful  than  the  traditional  Arabian,  have  contributed 
to  his  perfection.  Without  venturing  upon  a  considera- 
tion of  these  disputed  points  at  this  time  it  is  wholly 
sufficient  for  our  present  purpose  to  start  with  the  undis- 
puted historic  fact  that  the  modern  thoroughbred  in  the 
beginning  was  developed  to  his  present  stately  size  and 
form  by  careful  selection  and  breeding  under  the  excep- 
tionally favorable  climatic  influences  of  Great  Britain. 
Both  for  speed  and  endurance  the  English  blood  horse  is 
the  most  perfect  animal  of  his  race  that  has  ever  been 
produced  since  the  world  began.  The  American  thor- 
oughbred traces  directly  without  mixture  to  English  and 
still  further  back,  through  the  English,  to  the  original 


parentage,  be  that  Turkish,  Arabian,  Spanish  or  other. 
Hence  it  is  that  we  are  brought  face  to  face  with  the 
absolute  necessity  of  reverting  to  the  creation  of  the 
English  variety  in  order  to  come  at  the  pedigree,  to  fol- 
low the  history  and  to  analyze  the  characteristics  of  the 
American  horse  of  this  class. 

Should  we  undertake  to  trace  to  its  primal  origin  the 
utilization  of  the  horse  in  contests  of  speed,  as  distin- 
guished from  his  use  as  a  draught  animal  or  a  war  steed, 
we  should  find  ourselves  in  the  course  of  this  investiga- 
tion, traveling  far  back  beyond  modern  times.  Horse 
racing  in  one  form  or  other  was  a  popular  indulgence 
among  the  most  ancient  historic  peoples  of  whom  any 
record  has  been  handed  down  to  us,  while  centuries 
before  the  modern  thoroughbred  had  ever  been  dreamed 
of,  breeding  and  training  were  scientifically  practiced. 
The  early  Assyrians  and  Egyptians,  as  well  as  other 
Eastern  nations,  learned  to  value  the  horse,  not  alone  for 
his  practical  usefulness,  but  also  for  his  racing  prowess. 

The  horse  played  a  prominent  part  in  the  ancient  life 
of  Greece,  and  perhaps  the  earliest  example  of  racing 
recorded  in  literature  is  that  in  Homer's  Iliad,  where  the 
various  incidents  of  the  chariot  race  at  the  funeral  games 
held  in  honor  of  Patroclus,  are  detailed  with  much  vivid- 
ness. The  Greeks  spared  neither  pains  nor  expense  in 
order  to  arrive  at  excellence  in  speed,  endurance  and 
condition.  Chariot  races  were  introduced  into  the 
Olympic  games  as  early  as  the  year  680  B.  C,  the 
twenty-fifth  Olympiad.  Four-horse  chariot  races,  two- 
horse  chariot  races,  racing  with  mounted  horses,  loose 
horse  races,  mule  races  and  special  races  for  under-aged 
horses  early  became  established  features  of  these  games. 
In  all  the  other  national  games  of  Greece  similar  contests 
had  prominent  place.  To  such  a  height  did  the  passion 
for  horse  racing  attain  among  the  Greeks  that  the  Boeo- 
tians named  one  of  the  months  of  the  year  Hippodromius 
or  horse  racing  month.  Alcibiades,  the  Athenian,  at 
one  time  had  no  less  than  seven  four-horse  chariots  in 
the  Olympic  games  and  carried  off  three  prizes.  Aris- 
tophanes speaks  of  the  horse  breeding  mania  among  the 
noble  youths  of  Athens,  a  pursuit  that  often  brought 
them  to  impoverishment.  The  Romans  followed  the 
Greeks  in  their  enthusiasm  for  this  sport,  and  to  own 
a  large  and  valuable  stable  was  a  mark  of  high  dis- 
tinction among  the  wealthy  patricians. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Although  it  has  remained  for  the  English  people  to 
develop  this  sport  to  the  highest  degree  and  to  make  a 
distinct  science  of  breeding  and  training,  there  exists 
comparatively  little  historical  evidence  to  show  that  the 
ancient  Britons  were  at  all  interested  in  any  form  of  the 
amusement.  The  few  native  horses  that  they  possessed 
were  probably  devoted  exclusively  to  domestic  and  to 
war  purposes.  Among  some  of  the  Germanic  tribes, 
however,  horse  racing  was  a  feature  of  religious  festivals 
from  the  very  earliest  historic  period,  and,  that  animals 
from  this  breed  were  introduced  into  Great  Britain  from 
Gaul  and  chariot  races  established  there  long  before  the 
Christian  era,  seems  to  be  unquestionable.  The  invasion 
of  the  island  by  the  Romans  introduced  a  new  infusion  of 
blood,  for  the  native  horse  was  crossed  to  a  considerable 
extent  by  the  horses  that  came  with  the  conquerors. 
After  the  Romans  had  departed  and  the  country  was 
brought  under  the  domination  of  the  Saxons,  consider- 
able attention  began  to  be  paid  to  the  purely  English 
breed,  and  racing  took  on  something  of  a  tentative 
character. 

It  is  difficult,  however,  to  trace  with  any  degree  of 
confidence  back  to  its  inception  the  history  of  horse 
racing  in  England.  That  it  went  beyond  the  time  of  the 
Roman  invasion  is  probably  true,  and  the  Romans 
established  many  race  courses  in  the  country.  The  first 
definite  mention  of  the  sport  is  made  by  Malmesbury, 
who  speaks  of  certain  running  horses  that  were  sent  in 
the  ninth  century  by  Hugh  Capet,  founder  of  the  royal 
house  of  France,  as  a  present  to  King  Athelstane,  to 
whose  sister,  Ethelswitha,  he  was  paying  court.  Very 
soon  the  people  began  to  manifest  a  desire  to  preserve  a 
monopoly  of  the  breed  that  had  been  introduced  among 
them  and  that  had  evidently  been  improved  by  crossing 
with  the  native  breed.  In  the  year  930  a  law  was  passed 
prohibiting  the  exportation  of  horses  of  any  description. 
It  was  also  in  Athelstane's  reign  that  many  Spanish 
horses  were  imported,  and  these  undoubtedly  had  a 
strong  influence  upon  the  thoroughbred  stock  that  was 
to  come  upon  the  scene  some  seven  centuries  later. 

During  the  reign  of  William  the  Conqueror  many 
fine  animals  were  brought  into  the  country  from  Nor- 
mandy, Flanders  and  Spain  and  about  the  same  time 
Roger  de  Belesmy,  Earl  of  Shrewsbury,  introduced  sev- 
eral Spanish  stallions  into  his  Welsh  dominions  in  order 
to  improve  the  stock  then  existing.  The  first  Arab 
horse  ever  imported  into  Great  Britain  came  in  the  reign 
of  Henry  I.,  1100-35.  Alexander  I.,  King  of  Scotland, 
presented  the  animal  to  the  Church  of  St.  Andrews,  but 
the  progeny  of  this  steed,  if  any  there  were,  has  never 
been  recorded.  In  the  early  part  of  the  twelfth  century, 
a  regular  race  course  was  established  in  London,  the 
celebrated  Smithfield,  at  once  horse  market  and  race 
course.     The  description  of  this  affair,  appearing  in  an 


account  of  the  horse  market  held  at  Smithfield  Plain, 
was  written  by  William  Fitz-Stephen  and  is  the  earliest 
printed  account  of  English  horse  racing.  The  author 
says: 

"  When  a  race  is  to  be  run  by  such  horses  as  these, 
and  perhaps  by  others  which,  in  like  manner,  according 
to  their  breed,  are  strong  for  carriage  and  vigorous  for 
the  course,  the  people  raise  a  shout  and  order  the  com- 
mon horses  to  be  withdrawn  to  another  part  of  the  field. 
The  jockeys,  who  are  boys  expert  in  the  management 
of  horses,  which  they  regulate  by  means  of  curb  bridles, 
sometimes  by  threes  and  sometimes  by  twos,  as  the 
match  is  made,  prepare  themselves  for  the  contest. 
Their  chief  aim  is  to  prevent  a  competitor  from  getting 
before  them.  The  horses,  too,  after  their  manner,  are 
eager  for  the  race;  their  limbs  tremble,  and,  impatient  of 
delay  they  cannot  stand  still;  upon  the  signal  being 
given  they  stretch  out  their  limbs,  hurry  on  the  course, 
and  are  borne  along  with  unremitting  speed.  The 
riders,  inspired  with  the  love  of  praise  and  the  hope  of 
victory,  clap  spurs  to  their  flying  horses,  lashing  them 
with  whips  and  inciting  them  by  their  shouts." 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  same  century,  about  the  time 
that  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  was  reigning,  the  nobility 
indulged  themselves  in  running  their  horses  at  certain 
seasons  of  the  year  and  especially  in  the  Easter  and 
Whitsuntide  holidays.  In  the  old  metrical  romance  of 
Sir  Bevis  of  South  Hampton  it  is  said: 

"  In  summer  at  Whitsuntide, 
When  Knights  must  on  horse  ride, 
A  course  let  them  make  on  a  day, 
Steedes  and  Palfraye  for  to  assaye, 
Which  horse  that  best  may  ren. 
Three  miles  in  the  course  was  then. 
Who  that  might  ryde  him  shoulde 
Have  forty  pounds  of  ready  golde." 

It  has  been  pointed  out  that  here  we  have  an  authen- 
tic record  of  something  nearly  resembling  a  real  race 
with  a  limited  course  and  a  valuable  prize,  the  Smith- 
field  runnings,  described  by  Malmesbury,  seeming  to 
savor  more  of  horse  dealers'  displays  in  order  to  sell, 
than  of  real  races.  Running  horses  are  mentioned  in 
the  register  of  royal  expenditures  in  the  reign  of  King 
John,  who  succeeded  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion.  The  Ed- 
wards, II.,  III.  and  IV.,  were  breeders  of  horses  and 
Henry  VIII.  also  imported  running  horses  from  the  East. 
Public  races  were  established  at  Chester  as  early  as  15 12, 
and,  some  thirty  years  after,  silver  bells,  denominated  St. 
George's  bells,  were  offered  as  prizes.  Horse  racing 
came  very  considerably  in  vogue  in  the  closing  years  of 
the  sixteenth  century  and  during  the  reign  of  James  I., 
1603-25,  it  seems  to  have  been  finally  permanently  es- 
tablished in  public  favor.  In  this  period  private  matches 
between  gentlemen  who  were  their  own  jockeys  be- 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF. 


came  very  common  and  at  the  same  time  the  first  public 
race  meetings  were  established. 

King  James  made  special  efforts  to  improve  the  breed 
of  native  horses  by  importations  and  thenceforth  breed- 
ing was  constantly  and  progressively  attended  to.  The 
King  in  person  imported  Markham's  Arabian,  for  which 
he  paid  ^soo,  but  the  horse  was  not  a  success,  being 
frequently  defeated,  so  that  the  Turkish  and  Spanish 
Barbs  and  the  native  race  horses  still  continued  to  be 
held  in  preference.  From  this  time  on  very  many  Ara- 
bian, Turkish  and  Barbary  stallions  and  mares  were 
brought  into  England  and  their  progeny,  with  some  in- 
fusion of  the  heavier  built  horses  native  to  the  country, 
resulted  in  a  breed  of  animals  possessing  at  once  more 
graceful  outline,  more  rapid  action  and  superior  bottom 
and  endurance,  than  had  been  exhibited  in  any  that  had 
preceded  them.  In  support  of  the  contention  that  the 
Arabian  had  less  to  do  with  the  origin  of  the  modern 
English  thoroughbred  than  is  popularly  believed,  the  list 
of  the  earliest  imported  horses  found  recorded  in  the 
English  Stud  Book  is  called  in  evidence.  This  list  gives 
the  name  of  twenty-five  different  animals,  of  which  four 
were  unquestioned  Arabians,  four  were  called  Arabians, 
while  the  others  were  Turks  and  Barbs. 

Race  meetings  were  regularly  held  at  Newmarket  and 
elsewhere  during  the  reign  of  King  James,  and  upon  the 
advent  of  Charles  I.,  who  ascended  to  the  throne  in  1625 
and  who  was  a  more  enthusiastic  patron  of  the  turf  than 
any  of  his  predecessors,  the  sport  advanced  still  furthur 
in  popular  favor.  Even  during  the  Commonwealth  in- 
terest in  the  development  of  the  horse  did  out  die  out. 
The  Lord  Protector,  Oliver  Cromwell,  established  a 
breeding  stud,  and  one  of  the  stallions  that  he  owned 
was  the  celebrated  Place's  White  Turk,  which  shared 
with  the  Markham  Arabian  the  distinction  of  being  one 
of  the  first  Eastern  horses  of  celebrity  in  England. 
Among  the  backslidings  which  the  Puritan  party  ascribed 
to  Richard  Cromwell,  son  of  the  Protector,  was  his  de- 
votion to  horse  racing. 

The  restoration  of  the  Stuarts  in  1660,  not  only  opened 
a  new  chapter  in  the  evolution  of  the  thoroughbred,  but 
it  also  marks  the  beginning  of  the  modern  turf.  Charles 
II.,  the  Merry  Monarch,  was  an  enthusiastic  sportsman 
and  made  Newmarket  one  of  his  chosen  resorts;  he  was 
the  first  monarch  who  ever  entered  and  ran  horses  in 
his  own  name.  More  than  this,  indeed,  he  contributed 
to  the  promotion  of  the  kingly  sport.  His  importations 
were  numerous  and  valuable,  among  them  being  several 
Eastern  horses  and  mares,  the  latter,  under  the  title  of 
the  royal  mares,  taking  a  very  important  place  in  the 
earlier  pedigrees  that  are  set  down  in  the  Stud  Book.  It 
has  been  persistently  held  by  many  English  turf  writers 
that  these  royal  mares  were  true  Arabians.  There  has 
never  been  any  conclusive  evidence  upon  this  point,  for 


the  King  seems  to  have  sent  agents  to  Barbary  as  well  as 
to  the  Levant  and  elsewhere  to  purchase  horses  for  him. 
But  whether  Arabians  or  not  the  royal  mares  were  a 
most  important  addition  to  the  English  stud  and  left  a 
very  decided  impress  upon  the  English  thoroughbred. 

The  courtiers  of  King  Charles  II.  were  not  slow  in  fol- 
lowing the  royal  example,  so  that  racing  and  the  owner- 
ship and  breeding  of  race  horses  became  one  of  the 
chosen  amusements  of  the  British  aristocracy,  and  have 
thus  remained  without  interruption  down  to  the  present 
day.  The  Duke  of  Monmouth,  the  illegitimate  son  of 
Charles,  was  a  noted  turfite  and  visited  Paris  with  a 
string  of  horses  in  answer  to  a  challenge  from  Louis 
XIV.,  the  Grand  Monarque,  the  English  horses,  on  that 
occasion,  sweeping  everything  before  them  in  the  races 
that  were  held  at  the  French  capital.  It  was  under  such 
patronage,  alike  of  royalty  and  nobility,  that  the  ground 
was  finally  laid  for  the  creation  of  a  breed  of  animals  that 
were  to  surpass  anything  in  the  world  in  speed  and  bot- 
tom. Nevertheless,  even  though  vastly  superior  to  the 
old  running  hack  of  previous  generations,  the  thorough- 
bred race  horse  of  that  period  was,  as  yet,  only  a  poor 
performer  on  the  turf  when  compared  with  such  later 
giants  as  Flying  Childers  and  Eclipse,  who  were  soon  to 
make  their  appearance  in  the  arena. 

Finishing  touches  toward  the  establishment  of  the  turf 
as  a  great  national  institution  in  England  were  given 
during  the  successive  reigns  of  William  ill.  and  Queen 
Anne.  William  III.  and  his  Queen  Mary  were  patrons 
of  racing  and  gave  several  plates  to  be  run  for,  while 
Queen  Anne  and  her  consort,  Prince  George  of  Den- 
mark, kept  a  fine  stud.  During  this  period  the  three 
great  Eastern  stallions  to  whom  the  modern  thorough- 
bred invariably  traces  back  as  the  founders  of  his  lineage 
first  made  their  appearance.  These  were  Byerly  Turk, 
the  Godolphin  Arabian  and  the  still  more  celebrated 
Darley  Arabian.  Byerly  Turk,  the  first  of  these  three 
great  sires,  was  in  England  previous  to  1689.  He  was 
ridden  by  his  owner.  Captain  Byerly,  in  King  William's 
wars.  He  was  the  sire  of  Jig,  the  grandsire  of  Partner 
and  the  sire,  four  removes,  of  King  Herod.  The  Godol- 
phin Arabian,  who  was  foaled  in  1704  and  died  in  1753, 
was  imported  into  France  from  Barbary,  a  present  from 
the  Emperor  of  Morocco  to  Louis  XIV.  Thence  he  came 
into  possession  of  a  coffee-house  keeper  in  London,  and 
subsequently  was  taken  into  the  stud  of  Lord  Godolphin, 
after  whom  he  was  named.  He  was  the  sire  of  Cade, 
Regulus  and  other  noted  horses,  and  it  was  said  of  him, 
years  ago,  that  "there  is  not  a  superior  horse  on  the 
turf  without  a  cross  of  the  Godolphin  Arabian." 

In  the  latter  years  of  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne  the  most 
flimous  Arabian  of  pure  breed  in  the  annals  of  the  English 
turf  was  brought  into  the  country.  This,  the  third  of 
these  three  great  sires,  was  the  Kehilan  Ras-el  Fedawi, 


13 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF. 


purchased  from  the  Anazeh  by  Mr.  Darley,  an  English 
gentleman  residing  in  Aleppo,  who  sent  the  colt  to  his 
brother  in  the  North  Riding  of  Yorkshire.  Known  hence- 
forth as  the  Darley  Arabian,  he  became  the  progenitor 
of  Flying  Childers,  Almanzor,  Daedalus,  Eclipse,  Snap, 
King  Herod  and  others.  The  performances  of  Flying 
Childers  formed  the  second  epoch  in  English  turf  his- 
tory. From  that  moment  pure  Kehilan  blood  was  more 
eagerly  sought  than  ever.  Flying  Childers,  a  handsome 
chestnut  horse,  was  foaled  in  171 5  out  of  Betty  Leeds,  a 
mare  who  is  said  to  have  produced  no  other  offspring. 
He  was  the  fastest  horse  that  ever  ran  upon  the  New- 
market course,  or  anywhere  else  in  England,  and  never 
was  beaten.  The  Godolphin  Arabian  took  up  the 
mantle  of  the  Darley  and  between  them  they  may  be 
said  to  have  recreated  the  English  thoroughbred,  nearly 
every  important  horse  running  on  the  turf  in  succeed- 
ing generations  tracing  its  origin  from  these  two. 

The  get  of  these  three  stallions,  Byerly  Turk,  Godol- 
phin Arabian  and  Darley  Arabian,  by  mares  boasting,  in 
nearly  all  cases,  of  more  or  less  Eastern  blood,  represents 
the  consummation  of  the  whole  process  of  evolution,  and 
it  only  remained  to  fix  the  breed  by  a  judicious  inter- 
mingling of  their  several  progenies.  Moreover,  it  may 
be  remarked  that  subsequent  attempts  to  introduce  fresh 
Arabian  blood  into  the  thoroughbred  race  horse  has 
never  been  attended  by  happy  results,  though  breeders 
in  England  and  America  have  spared  neither  expense  nor 
labor  in  the  effort.  In  the  generation  immediately  suc- 
ceeding the  Byerly  Turk,  Godolphin  Arabian  and  Darley 
Arabian,  we  tlnd  among  their  sons  and  daughters  such 
names  of  importance,  either  as  racers  or  in  the  stud,  as 
Flying  Childers,  Jig,  Lath,  Cade,  Regulus,  Monica, 
Aleppo,  Almanzor  and  others  and  are  carried  down  to 
the  three  great  sires  of  a  later  day,  the  immortal  Eclipse 
and  the  hardly  less  celebrated  King  Herod  and  Matchem, 
Eclipse  representing  the  choicest  result  of  the  Darley 
Arabian's  line,  as  Herod  does  that  of  the  Byerly  Turk 
and  Matchem  of  the  Godolphin  Arabian.  When  Flying 
Childers  and  Eclipse  appeared  nothing  equal  to  their 
speed  had  ever  been  seen  in  England  or  perhaps  even 
expected.  It  cannot  be  doubted  that  their  wonderful 
attainments  were  the  result  of  the  new  infusion  of  this 
best .  Anazeh  blood  from  their  immediate  ancestors. 
Still,  it  is  interesting  and  important  to  recognize  that 
the  infusion  was  an  infusion  only  and  the  incomparable 
Childers  and  Eclipse  themselves,  although  far  more 
nearly  Arabian  than  any  of  their  predecessors,  had  more 
than  one  strain  of  inferior  blood. 

This  brief  review  of  the  origin  and  history  of  the 
English  thoroughbred  has  brought  us  down  to  the 
time  when  the  Englishmen  who  were  settling  the 
colonies  in  America  that  were  ultimately  to  become 
the  United  States,  were  beginning  to  give  some  con- 


sideration to  the  subject  that  was  engaging  the  attention 
of  their  brethren  whom  they  had  left  behind  when  they 
had  come  to  establish  new  homes  for  themselves  in  the 
New  World.  Back  of  this,  however,  there  is  an  inter- 
esting chapter  relative  to  the  first  introduction  of  the 
horse  into  this  country.  Although  this  has  very  little  to 
do  with  the  history  of  the  American  thoroughbred,  it 
may  be  well  just  to  recall  the  fact,  as  a  matter  of  record, 
that  the  history  of  the  horse  in  America  goes  back  over 
four  hundred  years.  Columbus,  when  he  came  on  his 
second  voyage  to  this  country  in  1493,  brought  several 
animals  for  the  purpose  of  creating  a  stock.  In  1527 
Cabe^a  de  Vaca  brought  forty-two  horses  to  Florida, 
which  were  the  first  ever  introduced  into  the  United 
States;  these  all  perished  or  were  killed.  The  next  im- 
portation was  that  of  De  Soto,  who  brought  a  heavy 
force  of  cavalry  on  the  expedition  that  resulted  in  the 
discovery  of  the  Mississippi  River;  when  his  party 
returned  home  their  horses  were  abandoned  and  from 
them,  it  is  generally  believed,  originated  the  wild  horses 
of  Texas  and  the  prairies,  which  have  always  been 
strongly  marked  by  the  characteristics  of  Spanish  blood. 
Many  horses  were  brought  over  from  Europe  in  the 
other  early  expeditions  of  the  Spanish  invaders  and  these 
also  contributed  to  the  hordes  of  wild  animals  that  have 
long  existed,  both  in  South  and  North  America. 

At  a  much  later  date,  however,  the  history  of  the 
American  thoroughbred  really  begins,  and  it  has  no  con- 
nection whatsoever  with  these  earlier  sporadic  importa- 
tions. As  has  been  just  pointed  out,  the  English  thor- 
oughbred horse  was  in  process  of  development,  princi- 
pally during  the  seventeenth  century  and  the  early  part 
of  the  century  following.  The  importation  of  Barbs 
and  Arabians  into  Great  Britain  and  their  engraftment 
upon  the  horse  of  the  old  native  stock  began  about  the 
time  that  Virginia  and  New  England  were  established, 
and  it  was  not  until  these  and  their  sister  communities 
had  attained  to  a  commercial  and  political  growth  that 
entitled  them  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  the  mother  coun- 
try that  the  modern  race  horse,  in  their  old  home  across 
the  sea,  had  achieved  its  perfection,  or  that  the  English 
turf  had  risen  to  the  plane  of  a  national  institution. 

The  first  settlers  of  the  American  colonies  brought  a 
few  domestic  animals  with  them,  and  some  of  these,  as 
might  be  expected,  were  English  horses  of  pure  blood. 
This  was  particularly  true  of  those  men  of  birth  who,  at 
home,  had  been  attached  to  the  cavalier  party,  and  who 
brought  with  them  an  mherited  and  cultivated  taste  for 
the  turf.  A  letter  of  one  of  the  earlier  settlers,  who  came 
to  Virginia  on  the  ship  The  Blessing,  states  that  the 
company  brought  as  part  of  the  cargo,  six  mares  and  two 
horses.  According  to  the  report  of  the  Governor  and 
Council  of  the  Virginia  Colony  in  1610,  the  colonists 
who  had  already  been  settled  there  a  little  more  than 


I 


14 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF. 


three  ye;irs,  h;id  in  their  possession  several  horses  and 
mares.  Another  company  of  Virginia  colonists  brought 
with  them  in  1611,  along  with  other  domestic  ani- 
mals, seventeen  horses  and  mares.  Instances  might  be 
further  multiplied  to  show  that  the  importation  of  horses 
by  all  the  companies  of  colonists  arriving  in  Virginia 
during  the  first  half  of  the  seventeenth  century  were  re- 
garded as  matters  of  supreme  importance,  alike  by  the 
settlers  here  and  their  agents  in  London. 

In  1620  the  Virginia  Company,  of  London,  sent  to  its 
colony  a  shipment' of  twenty  mares,  and  in  1637  the  ex- 
portation of  mares  from  the  colony  was  prohibited,  a 
restriction  that  remained  in  force  for  more  than  a  decade. 
Some  of  the  early  Virginia  horses  came  to  the  colony  by 
the  way  of  Canada.  The  French,  who  settled  Canada  in 
1602,  brought  a  few  horses  with  them.  These  animals 
were  of  Norman  breed,  but  did  not  attain  to  great  value, 
save  as  working  horses,  in  which  respect,  however,  they 
were  exceedingly  useful  to  the  colonists.  Captain 
Argall,  who  made  a  raid  upon  the  French  settlement  of 
Port  Royal  in  161 3,  carried  back  to  Virginia  most  of 
these  first  French-Canadian  horses.  For  half  a  century 
after  the  settlers  of  Canada  got  along  practically  without 
horses,  for  it  was  not  until  1665,  when  the  Marquis  de 
Traci  came  over  as  Viceroy,  that  these  animals  in  any 
considerable  number  were  again  brought  to  that  part  of 
North  America. 

Coincident  with  the  importation  of  horses  into  the 
South  came  their  arrival  in  the  more  northern  colonies. 
It  is  believed  that  the  first  immigrants  who  came  to  New 
Netherland  in  1625  brought  several  horses  with  them 
and  from  time  to  time  after  that  there  were  other  impor- 
tations of  like  character.  In  April,  1625,  Pieter  Evertsen 
Hulft  contracted  with  the  directors  of  the  Dutch  West 
India  Company  to  ship  to  New  Netherland,  for  the  use 
of  the  colonists,  one  hundred  head  of  cattle,  including 
stallions  and  mares.  Three  vessels  were  prepared  for  this 
service,  one  for  horses,  another  for  cows  and  a  third  to 
carry  hay  and  other  food  supplies.  Considerable  careful 
attention  seems  to  have  been  paid  to  the  animals.  Each 
had  its  own  stall  with  a  floor  of  three  feet  of  sand  and, 
being  well  attended  and  provided  with  plenty  of  water 
and  forage,  only  two  of  the  stock  died  on  the  voyage 
over.  They  were  less  fortunate  after  landing  in  the 
New  World,  for  twenty  of  them  were  soon  poisoned 
from  feeding  on  rank  weeds  in  the  pastures.  Those 
who  survived  were,  however,  rapidly  added  to  by  im- 
portation and  by  breeding  and  were  generally  distributed 
throughout  the  colony.  Father  Jogues,  writing  in  1644, 
said  that  every  new  settler  in  New  Netherland  received 
a  loan  of  horses,  cows,  etc.,  and  of  provisions,  which  he 
repaid  at  his  own  convenience.  From  the  same  author- 
ity we  learn  that  "  at  Rensselaerswyck  the  people  raise 
chiefly  wheat  and  oats  for  beer  and  for  their  horses,  of 


which  they  had  great  stock."  In  1643,  several  cargoes 
of  horses  were  brought  from  Curacoa  and  Azuba  in  the 
IJutch  West  Indies,  but  they  do  not  seem  to  have  flour- 
ished, perhaps,  as  has  been  suggested,  on  account  of  the 
change  of  climate.  The  colonists  were  anxious  to  be  rid 
of  them  and,  in  1647,  Isaac  Allerton,  their  agent,  was 
authorized  to  sell  them  to  the  Virginians. 

Cornells  Van  Tienhoven  wrote  in  1650  that  a  young 
mare  with  her  second  or  third  foal  was  worth  from  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  sixty  florins,  about 
sixty  dollars,  and  a  four  or  five-year  old  stallion  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  florins.  At  the  same  time,  in  New  Eng- 
land, a  good  mare  sold  for  one  hundred  to  one  hundred 
and  twenty  florins,  and  a  stallion  for  one  hundred  florins, 
the  animals  being  more  numerous  in  that  colony.  A 
description  of  New  Netherland  by  Adrian  Vanderdonk, 
published  in  1656,  says:  "The  horses  are  of  the  proper 
breed  for  husbandry,  having  been  brought  from  Utrecht 
for  that  purpose,  and  this  stock  has  not  diminished  in 
size  or  quality.  There  are  also  horses  of  the  English 
breed,  which  are  lighter,  not  so  good  for  agricultural 
use,  but  fit  for  the  saddle.  These  do  not  cost  so  much 
as  the  Netherlands  breed  and  are  easily  obtained." 
Arnoldus  Montanus,  in  his  "  Description  of  New  Nether- 
land," published  in  1671,  also  speaks  of  the  horses  from 
Utrecht  as  being  superior  to  the  English  stock. 

In  1629  horses  were  brought  to  the  Massachusetts  Bay 
Colony,  but  the  early  settlers  in  the  Plymouth  Colony  do 
not  seem  to  have  had  their  animals  with  them,  for  Will- 
iam Bradford  nowhere  makes  mention  of  them  in  his 
writings.  Probably  the  Plymouth  colonists  obtained 
such  as  they  needed  from  their  immediate  neighbors  of 
the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony.  The  first  general  letter, 
written  in  1629  by  the  Governor  and  Deputy  Governor 
of  New  England  for  the  plantation  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
provides  that  "  all  the  cattle,  including  horses  and  mares 
shipped  to  the  colony,  shall  be  equally  divided  between 
the  shipper  and  the  company."  Soon  after  that  date  six 
vessels  were  despatched  to  the  colony,  one  of  which, 
The  Lyons  Whelp,  brought  over  ten  mares  and  horses. 
A  second  letter  from  the  company  in  London  to  Gover- 
nor Endicott  advises  him  regarding  the  care  of  the  cattle, 
especially  the  mares,  and  Mr.  White,  minister,  recom- 
mends that  William  Dodge,  "a  skilful  and  painful  hus- 
bandman, be  appointed  to  the  charge  of  a  team  of 
horses." 

When  Governor  John  Winthrop  came  to  the  colony 
on  the  ship  Arabella,  in  1630,  he  brought  with  him  sixty 
horses,  along  with  many  cattle.  In  the  same  year  the 
Mayflower  and  the  Whale  arrived  in  Charlestown,  with 
most  of  their  live  stock  cargo  dead,  however,  including 
a  mare  and  a  horse  belonging  to  Winthrop,  although,  as 
he  writes  in  his  journal,  "Some  stone  horses  came  over 
in  good  plight."     During  the  next  few  years  there  were 


15 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF. 


other  importations  into  the  Massachusetts  colonies  and 
in  1635  two  Dutch  ships  from  the  Texel  arrived  in  Salem 
bringing  twenty-seven  Flanders  mares  and  three  horses, 
the  former  valued  at  thirty-four  pounds  each.  From 
this  time  forward  horses  began  to  increase  in  all  the 
New  England  colonies  and  soon  became  objects  of  con- 
siderable traffic,  being  especially  in  demand  by  the 
Dutch  in  New  Amsterdam  and  also  by  the  people  of  the 
West  Indies.  When  the  Reverend  Thomas  Hooker  went 
into  the  wilderness  to  found  the  city  of  Hartford,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Connecticut  River,  he  was  carried  in  a  horse 
litter  and  his  company  had  other  horses  with  them. 
Among  those  who  early  turned  their  attention  to  raising 
horses  was  Dr.  John  Clarke,  of  Boston,  who  intro- 
duced the  breed  long  known  in  that  part  of  the  country 
by  his  name.  He  died  in  1664,  leaving  a  large  stock  of 
horses,  mares  and  colts  in  Massachusetts  and  Plymouth. 

In  the  first  instance  nearly  all  these  original  equine 
emigrants  were  unquestionably  working  animals  of  a 
nondescript  character,  probably  below  the  average  of  the 
nags  that  in  the  Old  England  of  those  days  did  service - 
in  agriculture  or  for  ordinary  purposes  of  transporting 
goods  or  travelers.  It  is,  indeed,  supposed  that  the 
wants  of  the  colonists  in  this  respect  were  in  part  sup- 
plied from  the  Spanish  possessions  in  South  and  Central 
America,  where  the  Moorish  type  of  horses  had  been 
domesticated  for  several  generations  before  the  ancestors 
of  the  American  people  became  permanently  established 
on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  There  is,  however,  little 
evidence  on  this  point,  and  the  question  is  in  itself  not 
important. 

As  the  principles  of  scientific  breeding  became  better 
known  in  the  Old  World,  and  as  it  was  reaUzed  there 
that  the  horse  of  high  degree  surpassed  his  plebian  fel- 
lows in  speed,  endurance  and  general  usefulness,  a  bet- 
ter class  of  animals  seems  to  have  found  its  way  to  the 
colonies.  References  to  such  facts  are,  however,  scat- 
tering, and  have  little  bearing  upon  the  subject  of  this 
inquiry.  It  was  not  until  a  comparatively  later  period 
that  attention  was  paid  in  this  country  to  the  highest 
type  of  horses,  and  then  they  were  derived  directly  from 
the  running  turf  of  England  itself  In  fact  until  the 
eighteenth  century  was  well  advanced,  we  discover  no 
firm  ground  upon  which  to  stand  in  the  consideration  of, 
either,  the  condition  of  horseflesh  in  the  colonies  or  the 
existence  of  racing,  except  of  the  most  sporadic  and 
primitive  character. 

Notwithstanding  the  early  introduction  of  horses  into 
New  England  the  Puritans  who  settled  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  were,  of  course,  on  religious  principles,  averse 
to  all  kinds  of  sports  or  anything  savoring  of  indulgence 
or  recreation.  They  regarded  horse  racing  with  particu- 
lar disfavor  because  it  was  a  pastime  and  pursuit  spe- 
cially identified  in  their  minds  with  the  kings  and  princes 


of  the  Stuart  dynasty,  and  the  cavalier  nobility  and  gerl- 
try  of  the  mother  country,  with  whom  they  had  been 
so  long  at  issue,  and  to  escape  from  whom  they  had 
emigrated  to  America.  The  early  statutes  of  all  the 
New  England  colonies  imposed  severe  penalties  upon 
"horse  coursing."  In  1778,  in  Connecticut,  the  law 
prohibited  horse  racing  under  the  penalty  of  forfeiture  of 
the  horse  and  a  fine  of  forty  shillings.  At  the  same 
time,  however,  it  appears  that  racing  was  indulged  in 
to  a  considerable  extent  in  Rhode  Island  as  early  as  the 
opening  years  of  the  century,  Silver  plate  prizes  were 
run  for,  and  many  of  these  mementos  of  the  ancient 
sport  are  preserved  to  this  day.  Before  the  middle  of 
the  century,  however,  racing  and  the  betting  coincident 
therewith  had  attained  to  such  importance  that  the  in- 
herent religious  spirit  of  the  community  protested  against 
them,  so  that  in  1749,  the  General  Court  of  that  colony 
prohibited  racing  under  a  penalty  of  the  forfeiture  of  the 
horse  and  a  fine  of  one  hundred  dollars.  Similar  enact- 
ments to  those  passed  in  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island 
were  also  decreed  in  the  other  New  England  colonies. 

It  may  be  observed,  however  strange  though  this 
may  seem  under  all  the  circumstances,  that  the  only 
distinct  breed  produced  in  America  during  the  colonial 
period  was  the  Narragansett  pacer,  an  animal  so  named 
from  its  natural  action  and  famous  for  speed  and  value 
before  those  characteristics  pertained  to  any  other  family 
of  horses  in  the  United  States.  It  is  believed  that  the 
Narragansett  pacer  was  derived  from  some  of  the  Eng- 
lish pacers  that  were  among  the  horses  early  imported 
into  the  Massachusetts  colony.  These  were  unquestion- 
ably horses  of  good  blood,  with  perhaps  strains  of  the 
thoroughbred  in  them,  and  by  careful  selecting  and 
breeding  attained  to  marked  distinction  for  many  excel- 
lent qualities;  but  their  real  origin  has  always  remained, 
to  a  great  extent,  mythical  and  uncertain.  They  were 
raised  largely  for  export  to  Barbadoes  and  the  other 
islands  of  the  West  Indies,  and  were  also  in  demand 
from  the  other  colonies.  For  lack  of  scientific  care  this 
interesting  class  of  animals  died  out  even  before  the  be- 
ginning of  the  present  century.  Later  on  New  England 
also  yielded  the  celebrated  Morgan  strain,  so  useful  in 
the  creation  of  the  American  trotting  horse,  in  which 
case  a  combination  of  the  Canadian  pony  with  the  com- 
mon stock  used  in  Vermont  is  apparently  responsible  for 
the  result. 

But  apart  from  these  accidental  incidences,  New  Eng- 
land has  played  little  part  in  the  development  of  the 
horse  in  this  country.  The  inherited  Puritanism  of  that 
section  has,  generally  speaking,  held  everything  that 
pertained  to  the  track  in  profound  abhorrence.  While 
in  other  parts  of  the  United  States,  especially  during  the 
present  century,  the  "sport  of  kings"  has  fully  estab- 
lished  itself,   in   New   England   there  has   been,  com- 


16 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF. 


pnratively  speaking,  only  moderate  interest  manifested 
in  the  turf.  There  is  not,  nor  ever  has  been,  a  race 
course  of  any  pretension  in  that  part  of  the  country, 
and  yet  sporadic  instances  of  popular  devotion  to  the 
track  have  not  been  infrequent.  Reference  has  already 
been  made  to  early  horse  racing  in  Rhode  Island.  In  a 
work  published  in  Dublin  in  1753,  entitled,  "America 
Dissected,"  the  Reverend  James  McSparren,  who  was 
sent  out  as  an  Episcopal  missionary  to  Rhode  Island  in 
1 72 1  by  the  London  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  has  much  to  say  concerning  the 
Narragansett  pacers,  and  in  a  note  to  a  later  edition  of 
this  interesting  work,  its  editor  speaks  of  the  early  races 
in  these  terms: 

"Little  Neck  Beach  in  South  Kingston,  of  one  mile 
in  length,  was  the  race  course.  A  silver  tankard  was 
the  prize,  and  high  bets  were  otherwise  made  on  speed. 
Some  of  these  prize  tankards  were  remaining  a  few 
years  ago."  Another  authority,  speaking  on  the  same 
subject,  says  that  contests  on  the  turf  between  the  racing 
sportsmen  of  Narragansett  and  Virginia  were  frequent 
in  the  early  colonial  days,  the  matches  taking  place  al- 
ternately in  each  section,  followed  by  a  return  visit  to 
the  other.  Strangely  enough,  too,  coming  down  to 
later  times,  we  find  an  early  attempt  at  systematic  racing 
under  exact  regulations  in  Eastern  Massachusetts.  In 
The  Columbian  CentineJ  arad  Massachusetts  Federalist 
the  following  advertisement  appeared  in  August,  1801 : 

"SPORTING— A  HOLIDAY  FOR  THE  INDUSTRIOUS  LABORER. 
"  The  Heats  or  races  will  be  run,  for  the  first  time  in 
New  England,  September  i  next,  in  the  park  of  Mr. 
Joel  Herriman,  one  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Haverhill 
Bridge.  There  will  be  a  stage  erected  on  the  centre  of 
the  ground  for  the  accommodation  of  the  Ladies  who 
may  wish  to  be  spectators ;  also  boxes  at  each  corner  ot 
said  stage,  hung  upon  swivels,  large  enough  for  a  Gen- 
tleman and  Lady.  It  is  expected  that  these  boxes  will 
be  occupied  by  particular  application.  The  purse  to  be 
run  for  will  be  $50  ;  distance  round  the  course,  one 
mile  ;  any  one  horse  distancing  the  whole,  first  or 
Second  Heat,  will  be  entitled  to  the  purse,  otherwise 
the  foremost  horse  the  last  Heat.  Any  horse  losing  the 
distance  will  be  debarred  running  again;  the  distance 
pole  will  be  twenty  yards  from  the  winning  pole.  En- 
trance money  for  each  horse,  $2,  will  be  run  for  the  next 
day,  by  what  is  called  the  scrub  race;  the  sweepstakes 
or  horse  that  wins  the  purse  will  be  excluded.  Any 
Gentleman  wishing  to  enter  a  horse  for  said  Heat  will 
have  an  opportunity  any  time  before  the  last  day  of  this 
month  by  applying  to  James  Smiley  or  William  Sawyer, 
living  near  said  ground.  Any  horse  entered  for  said 
Heats,  at  the  pole,  will  be  double  price.  The  horses 
must  be  upon  the  spot  precisely  at  2  o'clock  p.  m.    Any 


horse  taking  advantage  of  said  poles  when  running  the 
race  must  take  a  retrograde  step  around  the  poles  again. 
This  piece  of  amusement,  although  very  novel  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  has  been  long  practiced  in  Europe 
and  the  Southern  States.  Our  justly  esteemed  and 
much  admired  Washington  made  it  a  constant  rule  to 
enter  for  the  Heats  one  or  more  horses  every  year,  and 
oftentimes  made  the  purse  himself,  and  always  attended 
in  person  when  he  could  make  it  convenient.  He  fre- 
quently invited  Gentlemen  and  Ladies  of  the  first  families 
in  order  to  encourage  the  breed  of  horses." 

There  are  some  things  both  unique  and  interesting  in 
this  announcement.  The  reference  to  the  Father  of  his 
Country  as  a  patron  of  the  turf  was  evidently  necessary 
to  persuade  the  strict  New  Englanders  of  the  upright 
character  of  the  sport,  but  the  plea  in  favor  of  racing  to 
encourage  the  breed  of  horses  has  a  very  modern  sound. 
A  grand  stand  in  the  centre  of  a  race  course,  as  described 
in  this  advertisement,  would  be  a  novelty  in  these  days, 
and  yet  it  undoubtedly  had  its  advantages  for  those  who 
would  hke  to  see  a  contest  from  start  to  finish.  The 
boxes  or  swivels  enabled  their  occupants  to  turn  in  any 
direction,  so  as  to  follow  the  horses  in  the  circuit  of  the 
track  without  moving  from  their  seats. 

The  first  regular  racing  in  this  country,  of  which  we 
have  any  historical  account,  was  not  in  New  England, 
however.  It  dated  from  1665,  when  Governor  Richard 
Nicolls,  the  first  English  Governor  of  the  colony  of  New 
Netherland,  inaugurated  a  race  course  at  Hempstead 
Plains,  Long  Island.  The  Governor  named  this  course 
Newmarket,  after  the  famous  EngHsh  course,  and  offered 
a  plate  to  be  run  for.  In  1669,  Governor  Lovelace 
ordered  the  justices  of  Hempstead  to  receive  subscrip- 
tions from  all  such  as  were  disposed  to  run  for  a  crown 
of  silver  or  value  thereof  in  good  wheat,  "for  the  pur- 
pose of  improving  and  encouraging  good  breed  of 
horses."  For  several  years  under  Governor  Nicolls  and 
his  successors  there  were  spring  and  autumn  meetings 
at  this  course,  and  generous  prizes  were  offered.  The 
competing  horses  were  of  Dutch  stock,  for  no  English 
thoroughbreds  had  been  imported  at  that  time.  They 
carried  ten  stone  weight,  and  ran  two-mile  distances. 
The  opening  of  the  course  on  Hempstead  Plains  awak- 
ened such  an  interest  that  other  courses  were  con- 
structed in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York,  and  racing 
soon  became  the  popular  sport  of  the  period. 

It  is,  however,  in  the  Southern  colonies  that  we  find 
the  real  beginning  of  racing  :in  America,  and  the  first 
systematic  and  persistent  attempts  to  improve  the 
character  of  horses  by  importing  and  breeding  from  rep- 
resentatives of  the  aristocratic  thoroughbred.  Ahhough 
in  the  North,  specially  in  New  York  and  New  Jersey, 
there  was,  as  we  have  seen,  some  early  interest  in  the 
turf,  generally  speaking,  the  South  and  Southwest  became 


17 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


the  first  real  home  of  the  race  horse  in  this  country,  and 
it  was  in  those  regions  that  the  racer  of  highest  type  in 
America  was  gradually  and  definitely  developed.  There 
were  some  especially  strong  reasons  for  the  existence  of 
this  condition  of  affairs.  The  original  settlers  of  the 
Southern  colonies  were,  principally,  men  of  good  Eng- 
lish birth,  representatives  of  the  landed  gentry  of  the 
mother  country.  At  home  they  had  been  attached  to 
the  cavalier  party,  and,  having  been  born  to  weahh, 
were  devoted  to  the  chase  and  tournament  and  inclined 
to  all  kinds  of  field  sports.  The  turf  was  just  springing 
into  prominence  when  they  were  leaving  England,  and 
they  naturally  brought  an  interest  in  it  with  them.  That 
part  of  the  country  where  they  settled  was  soon  found 
to  be  peculiarly  adapted  in  climate,  soil  and  productions 
to  the  raising  and  breeding  of  thoroughbreds.  Further- 
more, the  mild  chmate  of  the  South  was  not  only  a 
strong  incentive  to  outdoor  sports  of  every  description, 
but  also  afforded  them  every  possible  opportunity  for 
the  indulgence  of  their  tastes  in  this  direction. 

The  possession  of  large  estates  cultivated  by  slaves 
gave  the  colonists  abundant  leisure,  and  the  profits  of 
tobacco  growing,  which  soon  became  the  principal  in- 
dustry of  the  South,  enabled  the  owners  of  these  planta- 
tations  to  indulge  in  a  style  of  living  modeled  on  the 
generous  scale  of  that  of  country  gentlemen  in  England. 
Being  from  the  outset,  as  they  have  ever  since  continued 
to  be,  an  essentially  agricultural  people,  the  raising  of 
stock,  including  horses,  naturally  engaged  a  considerable 
part  of  their  attention  purely  as  a  matter  of  business. 
Fox  hunting  was  introduced  into  Virginia  at  an  early 
date,  and  the  records  of  the  colony  contain  abundant 
evidence  showing  that  racing,  although,  truth  to  tell,  of 
a  somewhat  primitive  and  informal  kind,  was  also  a 
leading  amusement.  So  far  as  can  be  judged  from  the 
reports  that  have  come  down  to  us  from  that  time,  these 
contests  were,  to  a  considerable  extent,  of  what  may  be 
termed  a  "scrub  character,"  like  the  matches  that  are  so 
often  made  in  rural  districts  all  the  world  over.  Still, 
the  fact  that  the  sport  was  indulged  in,  even  to  a  limited 
extent  and  in  an  imperfect  way,  as  early  as  the  middle 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  is  a  significant  fact,  and  it  is 
not  strange  to  find  that  the  love  of  horses  and  a  knowl- 
edge of  their  capabilities  among  these  pioneer  colonists 
should  early  have  given  birth  to  a  desire  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  breed.  The  prizes  for  these  early  races  were 
generally  several  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco,  a  product 
that  was  then  the  staple  medium  of  exchange.  In  some 
instances,  as  appears  from  old  records,  the  wager  of  the 
race  was  that  both  horses  should  become  the  property 
of  the  winner. 

Racing  of  a  more  formal  character  began  to  develop 
in  the  South,  particularly  in  Virginia  and  Maryland,  in 
the  early  years  of  the  eighteenth  century.     The  sport 


was  a  featui-e  in  the  life  of  all  the  principal  towns  of  the 
colonies  for  some  years  previous  to  1750.  In  that  early 
period  quarter  racing  was  most  in  vogue,  and  a  traveler 
in  that  section  of  the  country,  speaking  of  this  sport, 
before  the  Revolutionary  War,  said  :  "In  the  southern 
part  of  the  colony  and  in  North  Carolina  they  are  much 
attached  to  Quarter  Racing,  which  is  always  a  match 
between  two  horses  to  run  one-quarter  of  a  mile, 
straight  out,  being  merely  an  exertion  of  speed;  and 
they  have  a  breed  that  perform  it  with  astonishing 
velocity,  beating  every  other  for. that  distance  with  great 
ease,  but  they  have  no  bottom.  However,  I  am  confi- 
dent, that  there  is  not  a  horse  in  England,  nor,  perhaps, 
in  the  whole  world,  that  can  excel  them  in  rapid  speed; 
and  these,  likewise,  make  excellent  saddle  horses  for 
the  road." 

An  advertisement  that  appeared  in  The  Virginia 
Gazette  of  January  11,  1739,  gives  as  clear  an  idea  as  it 
is  possible  to  secure  from  any  source  of  the  general  char- 
acter of  the  racing  events  of  that  time.  This  interesting 
old  document  is  well  worth  presentation  in  its  entirety. 
It  read  as  follows:  "  This  is  to  give  notice  that  there  will 
be  run  for  at  Mr.  Joseph  Seawall's,  in  Gloucester  County, 
on  the  first  Tuesday  in  April  next,  a  Purse  of  Thirty 
Pistoles,  by  any  horse,  mare  or  gelding;  all  sized  horses 
to  carry  140  pounds  and  Galloways  to  be  allowed  weight 
for  inches,  to  pay  one  Pistole  entrance,  if  a  subscriber, 
and  two  if  not,  and  the  entrance  money  to  go  to  the 
second  horse,  etc.  And  on  the  day  following,  on  the 
same  course,  there  will  be  a  Saddle,  Bridle  and  Housing, 
of  five  pounds  value,  to  be  run  for  by  any  horse,  mare 
or  gelding  that  never  won  a  prize  of  that  value,  four 
miles,  before.  Each  horse  to  pay  five  shillings  entrance, 
and  that  to  go  to  the  horse  that  comes  in  second.  And 
on  the  day  following  there  is  to  be  run  for,  by  horses 
not  exceeding  thirteen  hands,  a  hunting  saddle,  bridle 
and  whip.  Each  horse  to  pay  two  shillings  and  sixpence 
at  entrance,  to  be  given  to  the  horse  that  comes  in  sec- 
ond.    Happy  is  he  that  can  get  the  highest  rider." 

The  first  record  of  the  importation  of  a  thoroughbred 
horse  into  American  colonies  was  in  1730,  when  a 
stallion  called  Bully  Rock  was  brought  into  Virginia. 
He  boasted  of  royal  equine  blood,  having  been  foaled  in 
1 7 18  by  the  Darley  Arabian,  out  of  a  mare  by  the  Byerly 
Turk,  grandam  by  the  Lister  Turk  and  great-grandam  a 
royal  mare.  Some  ten  years  later  a  famous  brood  mare 
named  Bonnie  Lass  by  the  Duke  of  Bolton's  bay  Bolton, 
out  of  a  daughter  of  the  Darley  Arabian,  was  also 
brought  to  Virginia.  This  is  believed  to  be  the  first 
instance  of  an  imported  thoroughbred  mare.  Before  the 
year  1768  a  noted  stallion  named  Bashaw  was  kept  on 
Long  Island.  He  came  from  the  stables  of  the  Emperor 
of  Morocco. 

Astalhon  that  attained  to  fame  shortly  after  the  middle 


18 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


of  the  eighteenth  century  w;is  Lindsay's  Arabian,  n  big 
gray  horse.    Many  romantic  stories  were  told  concerning 
him.     It  was  said  that  he  was  a  Barb  and  was  a  present 
to  the  commander  of  a  British  man-of-war  from  one  of 
the  Sultans  of  Barbary.     Being  taken  to  South  America, 
he  met  with  an  accident,  but  was  afterward  brought  to 
Connecticut  by  the  captain  of  an  American  trading  ves- 
sel, to  whom  he  had  been  given  by  his  former  owner. 
Colonel  Wyllys,  of  Hartford,  who  owned  him  in   1770, 
called  him   Ranger,  and  he  was  described  as   "a  fine 
English  stallion  of  the  Barbary  breed,  bred  in  England." 
The  horse  subsequently  passed  into  the  hands  of  Captain 
Lindsay,  of  Maryland,  from  whom  he  received  the  name 
of  Lindsay's  Arabian.     Another  imported  stallion  who 
left  his  imprint  particularly  on  the  stock  of  Virginia  was 
Jolly  Roger,  by  Roundhead,   by  Flying  Childers,   who 
was  foaled  in  1741  and  brought  to  this  country  by  Mr. 
Craddock,  dying  in  Greenville  County,  Va.,  in   1772  at 
thirty-one  years  of  age.     He  left  many  descendants  of 
remarkable  speed  for  that  day.     Janus,  by  Old  Janus,  the 
latter  being  a  son  of  the  Darley  Arabian,  was  another  of 
our  early  importations,  and  did  good  service  in  the  stud. 
Practically  the  importation  of  English  race  horses  did 
not  begin  until  about  the  middle  of  the  century  that  is 
here  under  consideration.      The  records  bearing  upon 
this  matter  are  exceedingly  scant  and  unsatisfactory,  and 
in  many  respects  altogether  unreliable.      Mr.  John  H. 
'Wallace,    the  accomplished  turf   writer,    has,    perhaps, 
given  more  attention  to  the  subject  than  any  other  man 
in  the  United  States,  and  has  dug  out  of  the  old  musty 
records  many  interesting  facts.     In  his  valuable  work, 
"The  Horse  of  America,"  Mr.   Wallace  says:    "From 
about  1750  to  1770  seems  to  have  been  a  period  of  great 
prosperity  in  Virginia,  and,  notwithstanding  the  general 
improvidence   of  the   times,    many    of  the   large  land- 
holders and  planters  were  getting  rich  from  their  fine 
crops  of  tobacco  and  their  negroes.      This  prosperity 
manifested  itself  strongly  in  the  direction  of  the  popular 
sport  of  horse  racing  and  improving  the  size,  quality  and 
fleetness  of  the  running  horse.     *    *    *    *    jj^g  action 
of  one  planter  stirred  up  half  a  dozen  others  who  felt 
they  could  not  afford   to  be  behind  in    the   matter  of 
improvement,  but  more  especially  that  they  could  not 
afford  to  be  behind  in  the  finish  at  the  fall  and  spring 
race  meetings  of  the  future.     These  importations  went 
on  continuously  for  about  twelve  years,  and  until  they 
were  interrupted  by  the  excited  relations  and  feelings 
between  the  colonies  and  the  mother  country  and  the 
preparations  for  the  'War  of  the  Revolution,  which  was 
then  imminent.     After  the  close  of  the  Revolution  a  per- 
fect avalanche  of  race  horses  was  poured  upon  us,  some 
of  which  were  good,  but  a  great  majority  of  them  were 
never  heard  of  after  their  arrival  on  the  race  course  or 
elsewhere." 


Mr.  Wallace  records  the  names  of  six  horses  that  were 
brought  over  within  a  year  or  two  after  1750,  Monkey, 
Traveller,  Dabster,  Childers,  Badger  and  Janus,  and  adds 
that  others  might  be  named,  although  some,  at  least,  are 
mythical.  He  thinks  that  the  whole  number  imported 
into  all  the  colonies  before  the  War  of  the  Revolution 
counts  up  to  about  fifty,  some  of  these  being  practically 
unknown,  while  a  few  of  them  are  wholly  fictitious. 
During  the  quarter  of  a  century  immediately  preceding 
the  Revolution  not  more  than  twenty  mares  of  English 
race  horse  blood  were  imported.  Monkey,  who  was 
imported  in  1747,  when  twenty-two  years  old,  was  by 
the  Lonsdale  bay  Arabian,  dam  by  Curwen's  bay  Barb, 
daughter  of  the  Byerly  Turk  and  a  royal  mare.  Make- 
less,  another  good  horse  that  came  about  this  time,  was 
by  Oglethorpe  Arab  out  of  Trumpet's  dam. 

The  pedigrees  of  many  of  these  early  horses  have  been 
lost,  and  as  they  are  now  given,  are  full  of  errors  and 
falsifications,  while  the  history  of  others  is  based  upon 
nothing  more  trustworthy  than  oral  tradition.  Among 
those  of  whom  we  have  traditions  as  early  importations 
were  Aristotle,  said  to  be  by  the  Cullen  Arabian;  Bolton, 
by  Shock,  dam  by  Partner;  Childers,  said  to  have  been 
imported  into  Virginia  in  1771,  by  Blaze,  son  of  Flying 
Childers,  dam  by  Fox;  Cub,  foaled  in  1739  by  Fox,  dam 
by  Warlock  Galloway,  out  of  Curwen's  Bay  Barb; 
Othello,  foaled  in  1743,  by  Crab  out  of  Miss  Slammerkin; 
Silver-Eye,  by  the  Cullen  Arabian,  dam  by  Curwen's 
Bay  Barb.  In  1751,  came  Colonel  B.  Tasker's  Selima, 
by  the  Godolphin  Arabian,  said  to  have  been  an  own 
sister  to  Babraham.  She  was  bought  of  the  Marquis  of 
Granby  on  the  express  condition  that  she  should  be  ex- 
ported. In  1752,  she  won  the  first  great  race  on  record, 
at  Gloucester,  Va.,  beating  Colonel  Byrd's  renowned 
Try-All  and  Colonel  Tayloe's  imported  Jenny  Cameron 
and  others,  four  miles  for  a  purse  of  500  pistoles.  In 
1 77 1,  and  several  years  following,  a  distinguished  Mary- 
land mare  was  Colonel  Lloyd's  imported  Nancy  Bywell, 
by  Matchem.  She  beat  all  competitors,  among  them 
such  famous  horses  as  Selim,  Apollo,  Brittania,  Wild- 
air  and  Regulus.  General  Spottiswoode's  Apollo,  by 
Fearnought,  was  beaten  only  by  her,  but  in  Virginia  he 
turned  the  tables  and  twice  defeated  his  previously  vic- 
torious competitor. 

Moreton's  Traveller  was  imported  in  1754.  His  pedi- 
gree has  always  been  in  much  dispute,  but  he  was  one 
of  the  most  celebrated  stallions  of  Virginia  in  the  last 
century.  The  best  authorities  generally  agree  that  he 
was  foaled  about  1748,  being  the  son  of  Partner,  a 
grandson  of  the  Byerly  Turk  and  grandsire  of  King 
Herod.  Traveller  was  one  of  the  most  valuable  early 
stallions  in  America,  and  was  the  sire  to  many  celebrated 
racers,  including  Yorick,  Try-All,  Silver  Legs,  Barwell's 
Traveller  and  Lloyd's  Traveller.    Janus  was  imported  by 


19 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Mordecai  Booth  in  1752,  and  his  best  son  was  Medoc's 
Celer.  Tom  Jones  was  imported  in  1755;  Bolton  by 
Mr.  Lightfoot  in  1765;  Childers  by  Colonel  John  Tayloe 
in  1769;  Dottrel  by  Mr.  Lee  in  1769,  and  Sterling  by 
Mr.  Evans  in  1768.  Besides  the  importations  of  brood 
mares  by  the  above-named  gentlemen,  we  find  Mr. 
Nelson's  Blossom,  Mr.  Carter  Braxton's  Kitty  Fisher, 
Colonel  William  Byrd's  Calista,  and  other  mares  im- 
ported by  Messrs.  Peter  Randolph,  John  Page,  John 
Bland  and  others. 

It  is,  however,  impossible  to  set  forth,  more  than  par- 
tially, a  record  of  all  the  horses  of  high  descent  that 
were  imported  into  the  United  States  in  this  period, 
down  to  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Some  of 
these  importations  were  of  a  particularly  interesting 
character  and  became  historically  important.  Previous 
to  1753,  the  celebrated  Spark  came  hither.  He  was 
owned  by  Governor  Benjamin  Ogle,  of  Maryland,  to 
whom  he  had  been  presented  by  Lord  Baltimore,  who  re- 
ceived him  as  a  gift  from  the  Prince  of  Wales,  father  to 
King  George  111.  Spark  was  by  Honeycomb  Punch, 
out  of  Wilkes'  Old  Hautboy  mare,  and  the  latter  horse 
was  also  imported  into  Virginia  by  Colonel  Colville  and 
known  in  this  country  as  Miss  Colville.  Old  Hautboy 
was  a  son  of  the  D'Arcy  White  Turk,  out  of  one  of  the 
royal  mares  of  King  Charles  II.  Governor  Ogle  also  im- 
ported Queen  Mab  by  Musgrove's  Grey  Arabian.  About 
1750,  Colonel  Tasker,  of  Maryland,  imported  the  cele- 
brated English  mare,  Selima,  a  daughter  of  the  Godol- 
phin  Arabian.  She  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
mares  that  ever  ran  in  America,  and  through  Rocking- 
ham, Marc  Antony  and  many  others  of  her  descendants 
was  the  progenitrix  of  some  of  the  best  and  most  fash- 
ionable blood  in  America. 

About  this  time,  or  a  little  earlier,  there  were  imported 
into  Virginia  Routh's  Crab,  by  Old  Crab,  dam  by  Coun- 
sellor, daughter  of  Coneyskins  and  also  Monkey  by  the 
Lonsdale  Bay  Arabian,  dam  by  Curwen's  Bay  Barb, 
daughtei'  of  the  Byerly  Turk  and  a  royal  mare.  Monkey 
was  twenty-two  years  old  when  imported,  but  left  good 
stock.  To  these  and  a  few  other  notable  horses  that 
were  early  imported  with  the  mares,  Selima,  Queen 
Mab,  Jenny  Cameron,  Kitty  Fisher,  Miss  Colville  and 
others,  may  be  traced  all,  or  almost  all,  the  families  of 
running  horses  now  existing  in  the  United  States  to  a 
greater  or  less  degree  and  with  nearly  as  much  certainty 
as  the  English  champions  of  the  olden  day  may  be  fol- 
lowed up  to  imported  Arab  and  Barb  on  both  sides. 
Many  of  the  earliest  Virginia  and  Maryland  importations, 
it  has  been  pointed  out,  ran  through  Partner  on  the  one 
hand,  to  Spanker  and  Spanker's  dam,  the  white  and  yel- 
low D'Arcy  Turks,  the  Selaby  Turk,  and  either  the  old 
Vintner  or  the  Layton  Violet  Barb  mares;  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  to  the  Godolphin  Arabian  through  Babra- 


ham,  Juniper,  Dormouse  and  others.  In  this  connection 
it  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  the  celebrated  Sir 
Archy  of  later  date  ran  back  through  his  sire  into  pre- 
cisely the  same  strain  of  Partner  blood,  and  through  his 
grandam  into  the  same  Babraham  and  Godolphin  Ara- 
bian strain. 

In  New  York,  two  particularly  celebrated  horses  were 
imported  as  early  as  1764  by  Colonel  de  Lancey.  These 
were  Wildair  by  Cade  and  Lath  by  Shepherd's  Crab. 
Colonel  De  Lancey  also  imported  the  Cub  Mare.  Both 
Wildair  and  Lath  greatly  distinguished  themselves  as 
sires,  the  former  being  considered  so  valuable  that  he 
was  reimported  to  England.  Flimnap,  Sweeper  and 
Toby  were  imported  into  the  Carolinas  between  the 
years  1760  and  1770.  The  former  was  a  grandson,  on 
both  sides,  01  the  Godolphin  Arabian,  while  both 
Sweeper  and  Toby,  the  latter  being  imported  by  Colo- 
nel William  Alston,  of  North  Carolina,  traced  to  the 
same  progenitor.  Although  Pennsylvania  has  never 
been  conspicuous  for  the  interest  that  its  people  have 
taken  in  the  turf  two  notable  horses  were  imported  into 
that  State  about  this  time.  One  of  them,  known  as 
as  Grey  Northumberland,  and  also  called  Irish  Grey,  is 
said  to  have  been  bred  by  Lord  Mazarine.  The  pedi- 
gree of  the  other.  Old  England,  is  also  unknown,  but  he 
is  supposed  to  have  been  by  Old  England,  a  son  of  the 
Godolphin  Arabian.  One  of  the  oldest  American  time 
races  on  record  was  run  in  1767  in  Philadelphia  between 
these  two  horses  and  a  bay  horse  named  Selim  and 
another  named  Granby.  The  first  heat  was  run  in  8 
minutes,  2  seconds,  Selim  winning  from  Old  England  by 
a  single  length.  In  the  second  heat,  after  running  three 
times  round,  close  to  the  heels  of  Selim,  Old  England 
flew  the  course.  It  would  appear,  according  to  the 
records  of  this  race  in  a  Philadelphia  newspaper  of  that 
date,  that,  even  before  that  time,  there  were  regular 
meetings  in  Philadelphia,  it  being  stated  that  this  race 
was  run  "for  the  gentlemen's  subscription  purse  of  100 
guineas." 

The  American  Revolution  once  ended,  there  was  a 
marked  revival  of  interest  in  racing  and  in  the  thorough- 
bred horse  which  was  not  confined  to  the  South,  as  had 
been  largely  the  case  during  the  colonial  epoch.  Many 
causes  combined  to  produce  this  result.  The  people, 
freed  from  foreign  domination,  threw  themselves  into 
business  activity,  so  that  in  the  years  succeeding  the 
peace  with  the  mother  country  large  fortunes  were 
accumulated  and  the  Northern  seaboard  cities  be- 
came centres  of  social  life  on  a  much  more  extended 
scale,  one  of  the  manifestations  of  which  was  an  in- 
creased interest  in  sports  of  all  kinds.  At  the  same 
time  the  turf  in  England  had  at  last  emerged  from  its 
unsettled  state  and  assumed  the  position  which  it  has 
ever  since  occupied  in   the   estimation   of  her   people. 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


Heretofore,  the  ground  in  regard  to  the  complete  an- 
cestry of  many  of  the  horses  which  have  made  the  fame 
of  the  turf,  either  in  England  or  America,  was  very  un- 
certain. In  1791,  however,  the  Stud  Bool<  was  compiled. 
Thenceforth  horse  breeding  was  rescued  from  being  a  hap- 
hazard pursuit  and  reduced  to  a  scientific  basis,  in  which 
the  combination  of  the  powers  of  animals  of  known  de- 
scent and  approximately  well  defined  qualities  could  be 
relied  upon  to  produce  certain  results  in  their  descend- 
ants. 

Moreover,  it  had  become  well  recognized  by  this  time 
that  the  improvement  of  the  breed  of  horses  was  one  of 
the  most  valuable  benefits  that  could  be  conferred  upon 
a  country,  and  that  the  infusion  of  thoroughbred  blood 
among  the  mass  of  animals  was,  beyond  all  doubt,  the 
best  method  of  accomplishing  such  a  desirable  result. 
Although  there  might  be  complaint  in  some  quarters  as 
to  the  supposed  evils,  moral  or  otherwise,  of  the  turf,  it, 
and  it  alone,  furnished  the  incentives,  either  sentimental 
or  substantial,  that  would  induce  men  of  wealth  and  in- 
telligence to  devote  their  efforts  to  improving  the  char- 
acter and  capabilities  of  horseflesh.  To  a  people  as 
quick-witted  as  Americans  these  arguments  appealed 
with  peculiar  force,  and  in  the  period  immediately  suc- 
ceeding the  Revolution  we  find  a  great  and  marked  re- 
vival of  interest  in  horses  and  racing,  although  the  turf 
had  not  as  yet  gained  the  importance  which  it  was 
presently  to  assume. 

Soon  the  number  of  thoroughbreds  in  this  country, 
both  imported  and  of  native  breeding,  began  to  exhibit 
a  decided  increase.  Many  of  these  animals  were  of 
worthy  origin,  and  showed  themselves  capable  of  cred- 
itable achievements,  while  they  have  handed  down  their 
names  and  reputations  through  long  lines  of  descendants 
even  to  the  present  day.  Others  were  less  distinguished, 
but  still  are  eminently  worthy  of  position  on  the  rolls  as 
contributing  no  small  part  to  the  development  of  the 
early  American  turf.  Several  famous  imported  stallions 
from  whom  have  been  derived  many  important  Ameri- 
can families  came  in  these  years.  Earliest  among  them 
was  Medley,  who  was  imported  into  Virginia  in  1783 
and  was  one  of  the  best  sires  ever  brought  into  this 
country,  his  descendants  including  Atalanta,  Bel  Air, 
Gray  Diomed,  Calypso,  Gray  Medley,  Lamplighter,  Boxer, 
Pandora,  Quicksilver,  Virginia  and  others,  all  of  whom 
were  good  racers  and  in  their  turn  getters  of  racers. 
Medley  was  by  Gimcrack,  dam  Arminda  by  Snap,  out 
of  Miss  Cleveland  by  Regulus.  His  great-great-grandam 
was  by  Bartlett's  Childers.  His  sire  was  by  Cripple,  out 
of  Miss  Elliott  by  Grisewood's  Partner,  and  Cripple  was 
by  the  Godolphin  Arabian,  out  of  Blossom  by  Crab. 

Diomed,  who  was  foaled  in  1777  and  imported  into 
Virginia  in  1798,  has  been  called  the  greatest  sire  of  the 
greatest  winner  getters  ever  brought  into  this  country. 


It  is  only  necessary  to  mention  among  his  descendants 
Duroc,  Florizel,  Gracchus,  Gallatin,  Hampton,  King 
Herod,  Potomac,  Sir  Archy,  Truxton,  Boston,  Fashion, 
Virginius,  Peacemaker,  Primrose,  Dinwiddle  and  others, 
without  going  further  on  the  list,  to  show  the  high  place 
to  which  he  is  entitled  as  a  progenitor  of  great  American 
racers.  This  famous  stallion  was  by  Florizel,  dam  by 
Spectator,  grandam  by  Blank  and  great-grandam  by 
Childers.  Florizel  was  by  Herod,  dam  by  Cygnet,  and 
Herod  was  by  Tartar  out  of  Cypron,  Tartar  going  back 
to  Jig,  Byerly  Turk  and  a  royal  mare  and  Cypron  being 
the  great-great-granddaughter  of  the  Darley  Arabian. 
Diomed  came  to  this  country  from  the  stables  of  Sir 
Charles  Dunbury.  He  will  remain  forever  famous  as  the 
first  winner  of  the  Blue  Ribbon  of  the  turf,  having  van- 
quished all  his  rivals  at  the  first  Derby  race  at  Epsom  in 
1780.  He  was  twenty-two  years  old  when  he  was 
brought  to  the  United  States,  and  his  blood,  particularly 
through  his  son.  Sir  Archy,  whose  dam  was  also  im- 
ported, was  a  most  valuable  element  in  our  old  Ameri- 
can stock. 

Another  great  stallion  imported  into  Virginia  before 
the  close  of  the  century  was  Bedford,  who  was  foaled  in 
1792,  a  son  of  Dungannon,  dam  Fairy  by  Highflyer, 
and  in  the  sixth  generation  from  Byerly  Turk  on  the  side 
of  his  dam.  His  sire,  Dungannon,  was  by  the  famous 
Eclipse,  out  of  Aspasia  by  Herod,  his  great-great- 
grandam.  Daphne,  being  by  the  Godolphin  Arabian. 
Bedford  was  a  great  stallion  and  there  has  been  scarcely 
a  fimily  of  horses  in  the  Southern  States  that  has  not  in 
some  degree,  more  or  less,  partaken  of  his  blood.  He 
was  a  rich  bay,  but  a  peculiar  elevation  on  his  rump  that 
amounted  almost  to  a  deformity  detracted  from  his  ap- 
pearance. This  mark  was  known  as  the  Bedford  hump 
and  was  transmitted  to  his  posterity,  so  that  such  cele- 
brated winners  as  American  Eclipse,  Black  Maria,  Shark, 
Boston,  Argyle  and  others,  were  distinguished  by  it. 
Among  the  children  of  Bedford  were  Aeolus,  Cup-bearer, 
Fairy,  Lady  Bedford,  Nancy  Air,  Shylock,  Lottery  and 
others.  Another  importation  into  Virginia  in  this  early 
period  was  Shark  by  Marske,  out  of  the  Snap  mare, 
Marske,  who  was  also  the  sire  of  Eclipse,  being  by 
Squirt,  dam  by  Foxcub.  Squirt  was  by  Bartlett's 
Childers,  dam  by  Snake.  On  the  side  of  his  dam 
Shark  was  descended  from  Marlborough,  who  was  by 
the  Godolphin  Arabian.  The  most  distinguished  prog- 
eny of  Shark  were  Opossum,  Virago,  Americus,  Black 
Maria,  Annette  and  others. 

Contemporaneous  with  Diomed  was  Gabriel,  who  was 
foaled  in  1790  and  imported  into  Virginia.  He  was  got 
by  Dorimant,  his  dam  being  a  Snap  mare.  Dorimant 
was  by  Otho  out  of  a  Babraham  mare.  Otho  was  by 
Moses,  dam  Miss  Vernon  by  Cade,  grandam  by  Partner 
and  in  the  eighth  generation  from  Place's  White  Turk. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Moses  was  out  of  a  Portland  Arabian  dam.  Gabriel 
became  famous  for  the  splendor  of  his  get  and  their  great 
performances.  He  got  Oscar,  Post-boy  and  others,  the 
former,  out  of  a  dam  by  imported  Medley,  being  his 
most  celebrated  son.  Other  early  importations  were 
Saltram,  winner  of  the  Derby  of  1783,  who  was  a  son  of 
Eclipse  and  also  Sir  Harry,  the  Derby  winner  of  1798, 
whose  sire  was  the  famous  Sir  Peter  Teazle  by  Highflyer, 
by  King  Herod.  Other  Derby  winners  who  came  over 
during  this  same  period  were  John  Bull  (1792),  Spread 
Eagle  (1795),  and  Archduke  (1799).  At  the  same  time 
a  large  number  of  brood  mares  of  the  most  approved 
strains  were  brought  to  American  studs,  and  with  the 
female  descendants  of  the  early  and  subsequent  importa- 
tions furnished  material  on  which  the  skilful  breeder 
was  able  to  display  his  aptitude  in  selection  with  the 
most  gratifying  results.  In  the  long  list  of  champions  of 
this  period,  besides  those  that  have  already  been 
enumerated,  were  Celer,  Yorick,  Try-All,  Marc  Antony, 
Reguius,  Flag  of  Truce,  Goode's  Brimmer,  Butler's 
Virginia  Nell,  Cincinnatus,  Leviathan,  Collector, 
Amanda,  Hickory,   Maid  of  the  Oaks  and  Pacolet. 

The  most  famous  progenitor  of  Virginia  race  horses  in 
the  early  colonial  epoch  was  Fearnought,  who  was  im- 
ported about  1764,  and  is  regarded  as  the  Godolphin 
Arabian  of  America.  He  was  a  handsome  bay,  1 5 
hands,  2>^  inches  high,  and  was  foaled  in  1755.  His 
sire  was  Reguius,  by  the  Godolphin  Barb,  out  of  the  dam 
Grey  Robinson,  by  the  Bald  Galloway,  his  grandam 
being  by  Snake,  out  of  Old  Wilkes'  Hautboy  mare.  The 
dam  of  Fearnought  was  out  of  Silvertail,  by  Whitenose, 
his  grandam  by  Rattle,  his  great-grandam  by  the  Darley 
Arabian,  and  his  great-great-grandam  the  Old  Child 
mare  by  Sir  Thomas  Gresley's  Arabian.  In  Fearnought 
was  the  highest  and  purest  blood  of  England.  His 
progeny  were  of  uncommon  figure  and  contributed  addi- 
tional size  and  bottom  to  the  American  race  horse.  Im- 
portations previous  to  his  time  had  already  given  to  the 
American  turf  many  mares  of  excellent  quality.  Janus  and 
Jolly  Roger  particularly  had  left  many  good  descendants, 
and  with  them,  and  those  derived  from  other  imported 
stallions  and  mares,  he  was  not  called  upon  to  engraft 
his  aristocratic  blood  on  that  of  unknown  or  unworthy 
dams.  It  may,  in  fact,  be  said  that  the  records  only  par- 
tially give  the  names  of  the  large  number  of  other  thor- 
oughbred mares  and  stallions  that  were  imported  during 
the  period  in  question,  and  that  constituted  a  substantial 
foundation  for  the  Fearnought  family. 

It  is  unquestioned  that  from  the  date  of  Fearnought's 
appearance  his  progeny  firmly  established  a  fashion  not 
only  of  speed  but  of  endurance  as  well,  that  put  all  animals 
of  inferior  breeding  at  a  decided  disadvantage.  He  was 
decidedly  superior  as  a  sire  to  any  previous  representa- 
tives of  thoroughbred  blood  that  had  as  yet  come  to  Amer- 


ica, and  his  get  proved  a  better  class  of  horses  than  Virginia 
or  the  Southern  colonies  in  general  possessed.  Under  the 
stimulus  of  his  reputation  and  that  of  other  stallions  who 
came  soon  after  his  arrival  here,  breeding  grew  to  be  a 
favorite  occupation  of  the  wealthy  gentlefolk  of  Virginia 
and  other  Southern  States.  A  little  earlier  than  this  date, 
quarter-mile  races,  which  had  generally  prevailed  up  to 
that  time,  began  to  be  abandoned  for  trials  at  longer  dis- 
tances, which  the  superior  bottom  of  the  newer  horses 
enabled  them  to  accomplish.  As  we  have  already  seen, 
it  was  in  1752  that  Colonel  Tasker's  English  mare 
Selima  ran  and  won  a  sweepstakes  at  four  miles.  The 
prowess  of  Fearnought  and  his  descendants  was,  how- 
ever, the  most  powerful  factor  in  leading  up  to  the  substi- 
tution of  the  three  and  four-mile  races  for  the  hitherto 
popular  quarter-mile  events.  Among  his  progeny  were 
such  distinguished  early  horses  as  Nonpareil,  Nimrod, 
America,  Reguius,  Godolphin,  Shakespeare,  Gallant, 
Apollo,  Harris'  Eclipse, ^.aurel.  Matchless,  King  Herod, 
Whynot,  Dandridge's  Fearnought  and  Symmes'  Wildair, 
the  latter  being  considered  his  best  son. 

In  1788  there  was  also  brought  to  the  United  States  a 
thoroughbred  stallion  who  holds  a  unique  position  in  the 
history  of  both  racing  and  breeding  in  America.  This 
was  the  celebrated  imported  Messenger,  son  of  Mam- 
brino.  His  lineage  went  back  through  his  grandsire 
Engineer  to  the  great  Flying  Childers,  son  of  the  Darley 
Arabian  and  Betty  Leeds.  Mambrino,  his  sire,  was 
foaled  in  1768  out  of  the  Cade  mare,  the  dam  of  Dulcinia. 
Cade  was  by  the  Godolphin  Arabian,  out  of  Roxana. 
Mambrino  was  a  great  horse  on  the  turf  and  got  many 
fine  race  horses,  as  well  as  some  very  famous  hunters  and 
road  horses.  From  his  blood  the  English  coach  horses 
are  thought  to  have  derived  their  fine  qualities,  and  this 
capacity  to  get  either  racers,  weight-carrying  saddle 
horses  or  road  horses  for  harness,  was  transmited  in  its 
full  perfection  to  his  son. 

Like  his  sire,  imported  Messenger  was  a  gray.  He 
first  started  in  1783,  when  he  beat  Spectre  for  $1,500, 
at  one  and  a  quarter  miles.  He  was  then  three  years  old. 
The  next  year  he  was  beaten  for  a  sweepstakes  and  for 
the  Jockey  Club  Plate  for  four-year  olds.  At  Ipswich  he 
was  second  for  the  King's  Purse,  winning  one  heat.  He 
was  kept  well  at  work,  for  at  the  Newmarket  meeting 
he  won  the  Sixty  Guineas,  weight  for  age,  Ditch-in.  He 
also  beat  Ulysses  in  a  mile  match  for  $500.  These  per- 
formances ended  his  doings  in  his  four-year  old  form. 
The  next  year  he  began  running  at  the  Newmarket  first 
spring  meeting,  where  he  beat  the  Prince  of  Wales' 
Ulysses,  in  a  match  for  $1,000.  At  the  same  meeting  he 
was  successful  in  a  match  with  Fortitude,  whom  he  beat 
for  $1,500,  across  the  flat.  His  last  starting  was  at  the 
Houghton  meeting,  where  he  was  beaten  in  a  weight- 
for-age  race,  the  last  three  miles  of  the  Beacon  Course. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


He  wns  not  a  great  race  horse,  for,  though  often  success- 
ful, he  did  not  meet  those  grand  performers,  sons  of  King 
Herod  and  Eclipse,  who  ran  for  the  great  turf. prizes  in 
his  day.  But  he  was  a  good,  honest  horse,  and  in 
matching  him  his  owner  had  good  luck. 

it  was  from  this  gray  horse  that  the  animals  descended 
in  America,  whose  blood,  permeating  in  many  channels, 
has  made  his  name  famous  throughout  a  wide  extent  of 
country.  There  is  not  upon  the  Continent  a  reputation 
higher,  more  widely  spread,  or  more  deserved  than  that 
which  belongs  to  the  Messenger  horses.  He  got  horses  for 
the  turf  whose  performances  atfour-mile  heats  haveseldom 
been  surpassed,  and  when  put  to  country  mares  he  pro- 
duced a  race  of  trotting  horses  whose  names  have  become 
almost  synonymous  with  speed,  pluck  and  a  constitution 
in  wind  and  limb  that  defied  hard  work  and  endured  to 
a  very  old  age.  He  was  alrout  seven  years  and  a  half 
old  when  he  was  brought  to  this  country,  a  rather  coarse 
looking  horse,  15  hands,  3  inches  high.  For  over 
twenty  years  he  was  in  the  stud,  first  in  the  vicinity  of 
Philadelphia  and  afterward  near  New  York.  Mr.  Henry 
Astor,  of  New  York,  owned  him  in  1793,  at  which  time 
he  was  valued  at  a  little  more  than  $4,000.  He  was 
afterward  owned  in  part  by  Mr.  Cornelius  W.  Van  Ranst. 
He  died  in  1808  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  Townsend  Cock, 
near  Oyster  Bay,  Long  Island.  His  burial  was  made  the 
occasion  of  a  great  turnout  by  all  the  country  people 
thereabout,  and  he  was  placed  in  a  grave  specially  pre- 
pared for  him,  a  short  distance  from  his  stable,  while  a 
military  organization  gave  him  the  honors  of  a  hero  by 
firing  volley  after  volley  over  his  grave. 

Descendants  of  Messenger  have  been  famous  both  upon 
the  running  course  and  the  trotting  track.  He  got 
Miller's  Damsel,  the  dam  of  American  Eclipse;  Potomac, 
Fair  Rachel,  Little  John,  Bright  Phoebus,  Hopperboy, 
Empress,  Romp,  Grand  Turk,  Washington  Gray  and 
other  horses  that  were  distinguished  three-quarters  of  a 
century  and  more  ago.  The  last  colt  of  which  he  is 
known  to  have  been  the  sire  was  called  the  Bush  Messen- 
ger, after  his  owner,  Mr.  Philo  C.  Bush.  But  he  is  better 
known  now  as  the  ancestor  of  a  great  tribe  of  trotting 
horses,  whose  name  is  legion,  rather  than  as  the  ancestor 
of  thoroughbreds.  In  truth,  he  is  the  fountain  head  of 
the  American  trotting  horse.  Among  his  sons  and 
daughters  who  were  distinguished  in  the  trotting 
annals  of  the  United  States,  alike  from  their  accomplish- 
ments on  the  track  and  in  the  stud,  were  Hambletonian, 
who  was  originally  called  Hamiltonian,  Mambrino.Win- 
throp  or  Maine  Messenger,  Engineer,  Commander,  Tip- 
poo  Sahib,  Grey  Mambrino,  Black  Messenger,  Saratoga, 
Mount  Holly,  Coriander  and  Fagdown.  The  best  line  of 
Messenger  trotters  has  probably  been  that  short  and  very 
direct  one  through  Mambrino  and  Abdallah  to  Hamble- 
tonian and  his  descendants.     The  horses  of  this  famous 


blood  get  excellent  produce,  and  its  mares  are  equally  val- 
uable. The  Messenger  blood  has  always  been  well  repre- 
sented in  the  West,  where  Mambrino  Chief  was  long  its 
leading  stallion. 

To  one  of  the  sons  of  Messenger  Vermont  is  indebted 
for  those  crosses  which  have  largely  sustained  the  size 
and  quality  of  the  horses  of  that  State  in  spite  of  the 
mania  which  has  prevailed  for  the  small  and  mongrel- 
bred  Morgans.  Hambletonian  was  got  by  Messenger  out 
of  a  mare  called  Peacock.  She  was  not  thoroughbred, 
though  she  foaled  winners  to  Messenger,  and  when  it 
came  to  breeding  from  them,  the  black  drop  soon 
showed  itself.  Hambletonian,  however,  was  a  stallion 
calculated  to  do  immense  service  in  the  State  of  Ver- 
mont, where  he  stood  many  years.  The  Bush  Messen- 
ger, the  last  of  the  sons  of  the  fine  old  horse,  who  had 
run  and  won  at  Newmarket,  stood  much  in  Maine  and 
established  good  crosses  there.  Wherever  Messenger 
sent  a  son,  especially  if  he  had  good  country  mares  to 
go  to,  a  fine,  stout,  long-lived  race  of  horses  was  the 
result.  There  are  not  in  the  history  of  the  turf,  or  in  the 
Stud  Book,  or  in  the  traditions  of  general  breeders,  any 
two  horses  from  whom  has  flowed  such  peculiar,  such 
general  and  such  varied  excellence  as  from  Mambrino  in 
England,  and  his  son  Messenger  in  this  country.  Ham- 
bletonian, the  great-grandson  of  Messenger,  and  well 
inbred,  was  the  nearest  to  and  the  richest  in  the  blood 
and  proved  that  he  possessed  and  transmitted  to  his 
offspring  the  great  leading  characteristics  of  this  tribe, 
viz.,  speed,  bottom,  stoutness  of  frame,  endurance  and 
courage. 

Of  the  many  excellent  thoroughbred  mares  that  were 
imported  during  the  closing  years  of  the  century  none 
was  more  distinguished,  or  was  of  more  value  in  the 
stud  than  Black  Maria.  S)ie  was  one  of  the  prodigies  of 
her  day,  and  united  not  only  great  speed  to  unflinching 
gameness,  but  was  possessed  of  remarkable  stamina,  run- 
ning until  her  fourteenth  year.  She  was  out  of  a  celebrated 
race  mare  by  imported  Shark,  one  of  the  best  racers  and 
stallions  that  England  ever  produced.  Her  dam  was  by 
Regulus.  Originally  known  as  Selden's  Maria,  she  was 
sold  to  Mr.  Alexander  when  she  was  three  years  old, 
and  soon  afterward  became  the  property  of  Colonel 
John  Tayloe,  of  Virginia,  and  General  Wade  Hampton, 
of  South  Carolina.  She  was  sent  to  South  Carolina  for 
the  express  purpose  of  a  trial  with  General  William 
Washington's  renowned  Shark  by  imported  Shark,  who 
up  to  that  time  had  been  considered  invincible.  Suc- 
cessful in  this  race,  she  defeating  Shark  upon  the  course 
of  the  Charleston  Jockey  Club  in  four-mile  heats  and  sub- 
sequently had  a  brilliant  career  extending  well  into  the 
nineteenth  century.  Another  mare  belonging  to  Colonel 
John  Tayloe  was  Virago,  by  imported  Shark  out  of 
imported  Virago  by  Star.     She  was  foaled  in  1791,  and 


23 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


for  several  years  after  attaining  her  three-age  form,  stood 
at  the  head  of  the  turf,  beating  in  many  races  the  best 
horses,  including  the  famous  Virginia  Nell,  twice,  once 
in  September,  1796,  in  a  match  race  at  Port  Royal,  S.  C. 

It  will  not  have  escaped  notice  that  in  our  review  ot 
the  American  turf  down  to  this  point,  Virginia  and 
Maryland  have  been  exhibited  as  taking  a  predominant 
part  in  advancing  the  cause  of  the  thoroughbred.  Never- 
theless, while  the  turf  on  this  side  of  the  ocean  was  thus 
in  a  formative  state,  other  sections  of  the  country  bore  a 
share  scarcely  less  distinguished  than  that  of  Virginia  and 
Maryland  in  bringing  it  to  settled  condition.  Especially 
was  this  true  of  South  Carolina.  The  City  of  Charles- 
ton, in  that  State,  was  the  business  and  social  centre  of 
a  community  which  prided  itself  on  English  blood  and 
aristocratic  tastes.  Racing  would  naturally  find  favor  in 
such  a  society,  and  as  far  back  as  1734  horses  were 
matched  against  each  other  there,  although  these  early 
contests  were  not  of  a  particularly  notable  character,  nor 
had  they  much  bearing  upon  the  subsequent  develop- 
ment of  the  turf.  One  of  these  match  races  is  recorded 
as  having  been  run  for  twenty  pounds  a  side,  the  contest 
taking  place  on  what  was  called  the  green,  the  use  of 
that  term  indicating  that,  at  that  time,  racing,  as  in  Eng- 
land, was  actually  on  the  turf  In  the  newspapers  of 
South  Carolina  of  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century 
were  occasional  announcements  referring  to  "the  famous 
racing  horse  named  Roger,"  "a  gelding  chestnut  owned 
by  one  Joseph  Butler,"  and  other  horses  that  were 
advertised  as  great  race  horses.  Notwithstanding  there 
is  little  or  no  historical  evidence  of  any  strains  of  blood 
specially  bred  to  run  in  the  colony  at  that  time. 

Soon,  however,  a  jockey  club  was  organized  in 
Charleston,  and  horses  of  approved  blood  were  procured 
from  Virginia  and  from  England,  although  breeding 
apparently  made  little  progress  until  shortly  before  the 
outbreak  of  the  Revolution.  The  first  noteworthy  thor- 
oughbred imported  into  South  Carolina  was  Flimnap,  a 
bay  stallion  by  South,  out  of  a  mare  by  Cygnet,  the 
latter  by  the  Godolphin  Arabian.  Flimnap  was  imported 
soon  after  1770  by  a  Mr.  Mansell  and  served  to  notably 
enrich  the  blood  of  the  race  horses  of  the  period.  He 
was  an  excellent  performer  on  the  course  and  the  pedi- 
grees of  some  of  the  best  horses  of  America  during  the 
last  century  or  more  begin  with  him.  He  had  a  reputa- 
tion that  extended  beyond  local  confines,  and  during  the 
invasion  of  South  Carolina  by  the  British  under  Lord 
Cornwallis,  expeditions  were  organized  several  times  to 
capture  him  from  the  plantation  of  his  owner,  Major 
Harleson.  The  horse,  however,  was  secreted,  and 
escaping  his  would-be  captors,  was  taken  to  North 
Carolina,  where  he  remained  in  safety  until  the  war 
was  ended. 

Even  before  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution  races 


were  becoming  more  and  more  frequent  upon  the  New- 
market and  other  courses  that  were  opened  in  different 
parts  of  South  Carolina.  Most  of  these  races,  it  must  be 
confessed,  however,  could  bear  little  comparison  with 
the  sport  of  subsequent  days,  for  they  were  little  more 
than  scrub  affairs.  Everybody,  however,  men  and 
women,  attended  them,  and  gentlemen  of  the  highest 
standing  in  the  State,  whether  in  wealth,  political 
eminence  or  social  position,  were  active  supporters  of 
the  turf  Josiah  Quincy,  the  eminent  Massachusetts 
statesman,  who  visited  Charleston  in  1773,  made  these 
notes  in  his  journal: 

"  March  3 — Spent  day  in  viewing  horses,  riding  over 
the  town,  and  receiving  complimentary  visits.  March 
16 — Spent  the  morning,  ever  since  five  o'clock,  in 
perusing  public  records  of  the  Province,  etc.,  etc.;  am 
now  going  to  the  famous  races.  The  races  were  well 
performed;  but  Flimnap  beat  little  David  (who  had  won 
the  last  sixteen  races)  out  and  out.  The  last  heat  the 
former  distanced  the  latter.  The  first  four-mile  heat  was 
performed  in  8  minutes  and  17  seconds,  being  four 
miles.  Two  thousand  pounds  were  won  and  lost  at 
this  race,  and  Flimnap  sold  at  public  vendue  the  same 
day  for  300  pounds  sterling.  At  the  races  I  saw  a  fine 
collection  of  excellent,  though  very  high  priced  horses, 
and  was  let  a  little  into  the  singular  art  and  mystery  of 
the  turf" 

Indeed  some  of  the  most  brilliant  pages  in  the  history 
of  the  turf  of  America  are  those  that  comprise  the  racing 
annals  of  South  Carolina  immediately  following  the 
close  of  the  Revolution.  The  wealthy  citizens  of  the 
State  were  among  the  most  ardent  turfmen  in  the 
country  and  the  race  meets  that  took  place  in  Charleston 
were  celebrated  even  beyond  the  borders  of  the  United 
States.  For  many  years  Charleston  was  a  great  racing 
centre  and  the  meetings  on  the  Newmarket  Course  and 
afterwards  on  the  Washington  Course,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  South  Carolina  Jockey  Club,  were  the  great  social 
and  sporting  events  of  the  year.  Among  the  names 
associated  with  the  sport  in  this  early  period,  which  has 
been  called  "A  golden  age  of  racing  in  South  Carolina," 
were  members  of  such  families  as,  Moultrie,  Pinckney, 
Alston,  Wigfall,  Sumter,  Rutledge,  Hampton,  Singleton, 
McPherson  and  Fenwick.  What  would  even  in  these 
days  be  considered  no  inconsiderable  sums  were 
expended  in  the  purchase  of  the  highest  class  of  high- 
bred stock  and  the  equipment  and  maintenance  of  racing 
stables,  and  the  South  Carolina  horsemen  were  justly 
regarded  as  among  the  foremost  representatives  of  the 
sport.  A  chronicler  of  1786  thus  wrote  of  the  gatherings 
on  the  Newmarket  Course  at  that  time: 

"  Whether  we  consider  the  elevated  character  of  the 
gentlemen  of  the  turf;  the  attraction  the  races  possessed 
at  that  time,  and  for  many  subsequent  years,  for  all  sorts 


24 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


and  conditions  of  men— youth  anticipating  its  deiigiits 
for  weeks  beforehand,  the  sternness  of  age  relaxing  by 
their  approach,  lovers  becoming  more  ardent,  and  young 
damsels  setting  their  caps  with  greater  taste  and  dex- 
terity— the  quality  of  the  company  in  attendance;  the 
splendid  equipages;  the  liveried  outriders  that  were  to 
be  seen  daily  on  the  course;  the  gentlemen  attending 
the  races  in  fashionably  London-made  clothes,  buckskin 
breeches  and  top-boots;  the  universal  interest  pervading 
all  classes,  from  the  judge  upon  the  bench  to  the  little 
schoolboy  with  his  satchel  on  his  back;  the  kind  greet- 
ings of  the  town  and  country;  the  happy  meetings  of 
old  friends,  whose  residences  were  at  a  distance,  afford- 
ing occasions  of  happy  intercourse  and  festivity;  the 
marked  absence  of  all  care,  except  the  care  of  the  horses; 
the  total  disregard  of  the  value  of  time,  except  by  the 
competitors  of  the  races,  who  did  their  best  to  save  it 
and  economize  it — everything  combined  to  render  race 
week  in  Charleston  emphatically  the  carnival  of  the 
State,  when  it  was  unpopular,  if  not  impossible  to  be 
out  of  spirits,  and  not  to  mingle  with  the  gay  throng." 
After  the  Revolution  New  York  was  slower  than  the 
Southern  sections  of  the  country  in  renewing  its  interest 
in  racing.  It  is  worth  recalling,  however,  that  during 
the  British  occupation  of  the  city  the  British  officers 
found  leisure  to  indulge  in  their  national  sport.  The 
Royal  American  Gazette,  published  in  New  York  in  1781, 


by  Alexander  Robertson,  has  an  advertisement  of  one  of 
the  racing  meetings  of  that  time,  that  is  of  more  than 
ordinary  historical  interest.  It  appears  in  the  issue  of 
the  paper  for  Thursday,  April  26,  as  follows:  "Ascot 
Heath,  Second  MEETiNC.^On  Tuesday,  Wednesday  and 
Thursday,  the  sth,  6th  and  7th  of  June  next,  being  in 
Whitsuntide  Week,  will  be  run  for  on  each  of  these 
three  days,  A  purse  of  100  pounds  value;  also  on  each 
of  the  said  days  will  be  run  for  a  purse  of  Twenty 
Pounds  value,  calculated  for  horses  that  are  not  properly 
trained.  Particulars  of  the  whole  will  be  notified  in 
proper  time,  by  advertisements  and  hand  bills.  Charles 
Loosley,  Brooklyn- Hall,  April  26,  lySi."  In  the  same 
issue  of  this  newspaper  also  appeared  another  unique 
advertisement  in  which  Mr.  Loosley  pleads  for  the 
attention  and  commiseration  of  all  lovers  of  amusement: 
"Stole  from  the  Plains  of  Flatlands  on  Saturday  night 
last,  between  the  hours  of  9  and  10  in  the  evening,  about 
seventy  yards  of  new  White  Inch  Rope,  that  had  been 
fixed  there  for  the  utility  of  the  races.  The  rope  is  the 
property  of  Charles  Loosley,  at  Brooklyn-Hall;  and  he 
hopes  that  every  exertion  will  be  made  to  bring  to 
justice  the  perpetrators  of  this  inroad  upon  property  and 
insult  upon  commendable  amusements  —  for  which 
purpose  Twenty  Guineas  will  be  paid  on  conviction  of 
any  one  or  more  of  the  offenders,  by  Charles  Loosley, 
Brooklyn- Hall,  <tApril  26,  lySi." 


25 


A  GOLDEN   AGE   OF   RACING 

The  American  Turf  in  the  First  Half  of  the  Nineteenth  Century — A  Period  of  Great  Horses, 

Distinguished  Turfmen  and  Brilliant  -  Racing — Full  Development 

OF  the  American  Thoroughbred 


e'*HE  early   years   of  the    present   century    were  a 
"f      golden    age    of   the     turf,     especially    in    the 


^ 


Southern  States  where,  almost  alone,  it  had 
secured  a  permanent  footing.  Most  of  the 
great  turfmen  who  had  devoted  themselves  to  the 
sport,  even  though,  it  must  be  confessed,  in  a  some- 
what tentative  manner,  in  the  years  immediately  fol- 
lowing the  close  of  the  Revolution,  continued  their 
interest  and  activity  in  breeding  and  racing  well  into 
the  succeeding  century.  It  was  from  the  planters  and 
stock  raisers  of  that  section  that  these  notable  horse- 
men were  developed,  and  they  and  their  successors, 
drawn  from  this  original  social  rank,  continued  until 
within  comparatively  a  few  years,  to  be  a  large  majority 
of  their  class  in  this  country.  In  those  early  days  of  the 
turf  it  was  generally  conceded  that,  to  make  racing  pop- 
ular, successful  and  profitable,  horses  should  be  bred, 
trained  and  run  in  the  sections  where  they  were  raised. 
It  is  only  since  the  Civil  War,  perhaps,  that  this  view  of 
the  subject  has  been  substantially  changed,  and  even  at 
this  time  it  would  scarcely  be  true  to  say  that  the  old 
idea  has  been  entirely  obliterated.  This  consideration, 
combined  with  other  circumstances,  was  a  most  potent 
factor  in  making  Virginia,  Maryland,  Kentucky,  Tennes- 
see and  other  States  of  the  South  famous  for  the  fre- 
quency, popularity  and  social  and  financial  success  of 
their  various  race  meetings. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  the  century  was  well  on  its 
way  that  the  American  turf  assumed  a  form  of  settled 
order  and  that  the  pedigrees  of  horses  on  this  side  the 
Atlantic  became  clear  and  distinct,  affording  the  desired 
opportunities  for  that  comparison  between  different 
strains  of  blood  that  is  so  fascinating  to  the  lovers  of 
horses  and  so  necessary  to  an  intelligent  view  of  the  sub- 
ject. Although  racing  had  been  fully  established  in  all 
sections  of  the  country  previous  to  the  War  of  1812,  the 
contests  during  the  first  quarter  of  a  century  after  the 
War  of  the  Revolution  were,  as  we  have  already  seen, 
of  a  somewhat  desultory  character,  while  results  were 
not  officially  recorded,  so  that  the  records  of  running 
down  to  about  181 5  are  far  from  reliable.  Writing  upon 
this  special  phase  of  the  subject,  Henry  William  Herbert, 
better  known  as  Frank  Forester,  has  expressed  himself 
in  this  wise: 

"To  draw  a  parallel  as  nearly  as  I  can  draw  one,  I  re- 


gard the  old  American  turf  prior  to  the  fifteenth  year,  at 
least,  of  the  nineteenth  century,  as  neither  more  nor  less 
authentic  than  that  of  England  up  to  the  time  of  English 
Eclipse,  and  I  consider  that  the  era  of  the  importation 
and  covering  of  Diomed  and  Messenger  in  the  United 
States  as  parallel  to  that  of  O' Kelly's  wonderful 
stallion  (Eclipse)  in  the  old  country.  From  the  day 
when  the  sons  and  the  daughters  of  these  noble  animals 
began  to  run  upon  the  turfs  of  England  and  the  tracks 
of  America  all  is  plain  and  on  record,  so  that  he  who 
runs  may  read." 

The  list  of  thoroughbreds  who  made  good  report  of 
themselves  during  the  first  fifty  years  or  so  of  the  cen- 
tury, and  elevated  the  American  turf  to  a  position  of  re- 
nown and  even  of  prospective  rivalry  with  the  more 
ancient  turf  of  England,  is  both  imposing  and  brilliant. 
It  includes  many  names  that  have  become  household 
words,  not  only  in  sporting  circles,  but  also  in  general 
public  estimation.  The  fame  and  the  achievements  of 
such  great  champions  as  Boston,  Fashion,  Ariel,  Sir 
Archy,  Lexington,  Lecomte  and  scores  of  others  have 
extended  not  only  throughout  the  United  States,  but 
even  to  foreign  lands.  Their  imperishable  performances 
have  made  some  of  the  most  glowing  pages  in  the  turf 
history  of  the  world.  Besides  these  famous  ones  there 
were  scores,  aye,  hundreds,  that  were  scarcely  less 
worthy,  and  whose  careers  helped  to  round  out  a  won- 
derful half  century  of  turf  achievements.  Their  names 
have  been  less  conspicuous  than  those  of  the  greater 
cracks,  it  may  be,  but,  none  the  less,  they  scarcely  yield 
second  rank  to  those  of  the  most  brilliant  reputation. 
Even  to  record  the  names  of  these  eminent  thorough- 
breds would  require  many  volumes.  A  few  of  them 
only  may  be  referred  to  here  in  order  to  give  a  sugges- 
tion, at  least,  of  the  richness  of  American  turf  history  in 
this  period. 

The  stable  of  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  of  Virginia,  con- 
tained many  excellent  stallions  and  mares  who  were 
successful  on  the  turf,  and  also  transmitted  valuable 
strains  of  blood  to  their  descendants.  One  of  the  best 
of  Colonel  Tayloe's  string  in  the  first  decade  of  the  cen- 
tury was  Lady  Lightfoot  by  Sir  Archy,  out  of  Black 
Maria  by  Shark.  From  youth  until  she  was  aged  there 
were  few  better  race  horses  in  Virginia  or  elsewhere 
than   Lady    Lightfoot.      When    Vanity    was    winning 


26 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


triumphs  along  the  James  River,  Lady  Lightfoot  was 
equally  successful  along  the  Potomac.  In  1817  she 
won  the  Cup  of  the  Charleston,  S.  C,  Jockey  Club, 
two-mile  heats,  defeating  Colonel  Singleton's  Young 
Lottery,  a  few  days  after  that  performance  winning 
another  two-mile  heat  race,  again  beating  Young 
Lottery  and  three  more,  while  on  the  next  day  she 
won  the  handicap  race  in  three  mile  heats,  beating  the 
renowned  Transport,  Merino  Ewe  and  others,  in  this 
one  week  she  accomplished  the  unprecedented  triumph 
of  winning  three  days  out  of  four  against  the  best  horses 
in  the  State.  The  following  year,  in  a  three-mile  heat, 
she  beat  Vanity,  but  before  the  question  of  superiority 
was  fully  decided  by  the  completion  of  this  race  Vanity 
trod  on  a  pole  and  fell,  breaking  her  neck.  She  after- 
ward beat  Tuckahoe  who,  in  his  time,  was  deemed  the 
best  horse  on  the  turf  and  almost  invincible.  From  three 
to  eleven  years  of  age  she  was  in  constant  training,  and 
out  of  the  199  miles  that  she  run,  she  won  115,  her 
triumphs  extending  from  South  Carolina  to  New  York. 
As  a  brood  mare,  afterward  owned  by  Mr.  Charles  H. 
Hall,  of  Harlem,  New  York,  she  was  distinguished  by 
her  progeny,  especially  by  Mr.  J.  C.  Stevens"  Black 
Maria,  Colonel  Wade  Hampton's  Bay  Maria  and  Com- 
modore R.  F.  Stockton's  Shark,  all  of  them  being  by 
Eclipse. 

Vanity,  one  of  the  closest  rivals  of  Lady  Lightfoot,  was 
an  own  sister  of  Reality,  both  of  them  being  by  Sir 
Archy,  out  of  a  dam  by  imported  Medley.  Both  were 
run  with  great  success  by  Colonel  William  R.  [ohnson, 
who  bred  from  the  latter  by  Sir  Charles,  the  equally 
famed  Bonnets  O'Blue,  the  winner  of  many  great 
matches  and  particularly  of  a  four-mile  heat  race,_  over  the 
Charleston,  S.  C,  course,  against  Clara  Fisher,  who  was 
got  by  Kosciusko,  a  son  of  Sir  Archy,  out  of  a  dam  by 
Hephestion,  son  of  imported  Buzzard.  Bonnets  O'Blue 
became  most  renowned  as  the  dam  of  Fashion,  who  beat 
Boston  in  1842. 

Nancy  Air,  by  imported  Shark  out  of  Annette,  dam  of 
the  Maid  of  Oaks,  by  imported  Shark,  played  a  conspicu- 
ous part  on  the  turf  in  the  first  few  years  after  the 
century  opened,  being  run  by  Colonel  W.  Alston  in  the 
stable  with  the  renowned  Gallatin.  She  was  the  dam  of 
the  great  racer  and  brood  mare  Transport,  by  Virginius. 
After  a  brilliant  career  on  the  turf  Transport  produced 
Sir  William,  by  Sir  Archy,  and  Bertand,  Jr.,  and  Julia, 
both  by  Bertrand.  Annette,  the  dam  of  Nancy  Air,  was 
run  successfully  by  Colonel  Tayloe  under  the  name  of 
Phantasmagoria.  The  Maid  of  Oaks,  who  was  foaled  in 
1801,  and  was  owned  by  Captain  Bird  Willis  and  Gen- 
eral Ridgely,  proved  superior  to  all  her  competitors  until 
she  trained  off,  beating  such  horses  as  Surprise,  Oscar, 
Floretta,  Topgallant  and  others  of  the  same  class.  With 
Post  Boy,  the  Maid  of  Oaks  and  Oscar,  General  Ridgely 


had  one  of  the  strongest  strings  at  that  time.  From  the 
Maid  of  Oaks,  by  Duroc,  came  Marshall  Duroc,  a  good 
racer,  and,  by  imported  Expedition,  the  dam  of  Medoc, 
who  was  the  best  son  of  Eclipse. 

Lottery,  by  imported  Bedford,  out  of  imported  Anvi- 
lina,  was  foaled  in  1800.  She  was  owned  by  Colonel 
Singleton,  and  in  her  phenomenally  brilliant  career  beat 
Merchant,  Hampton,  Farmer,  Peggy  and  others.  By 
Sir  Archy  she  produced  Young  Lottery,  Kosciusko,  Saxe- 
Weimar,  Mary  Singleton  and  Phenomenon.  Sally  Hope, 
who  was  foaled  in  1822,  was  by  Sir  Archy,  out  of  a  dam 
by  imported  Chance.  Although  by  accident  and  mis- 
management she  was  unfortunate  upon  her  first  appear- 
ance upon  the  turf,  she  ran  a  long  and  brilliant  career, 
achieving  twenty-one  victories  out  of  twenty-five  con- 
tests. In  about  eight  months  she  traveled  nearly  1,500 
miles  and  won  sixteen  races  in  succession,  most  of  them 
being  three  and  four-mile  heats  against  a  succession  of 
fresh  horses,  beating  such  good  ones  as  Betsey  Ransom, 
Snowstorm,  Trumpator,  Phillis  and  others.  Colonel 
Wynne,  her  owner,  considered  her  the  best  four-miler 
of  the  day,  superior  even  to  the  more  famous  Ariel, 
whom  he  also  owned  and  trained.  Polly  Hopkins,  who 
was  foaled  in  1825,  was  got  by  Virginian  out  of  a  dam 
by  imported  Archduke.  She  won  twenty-six  races  out 
of  the  thirty  in  which  she  entered  at  all  distances,  break- 
ing down  the  spring  that  she  was  six  years  old,  after 
having  defeated  the  best  horses  of  her  day — Star,  Kate 
Kearney,  Slender,  Collier  and  others — and  having  the 
best  time  to  her  record.  Trifle,  by  Sir  Charles,  out  of  a 
dam  by  Cicero,  son  of  Sir  Archy,  was  foaled  in  1828, 
and  had  a  long  and  celebrated  career,  being  regarded  as  a 
phenomenon  of  speed  and  bottom.  When  in  condition 
she  beat  all  competitors — Black  Maria,  Spark,  Alice  Grey, 
Muckle  John,  Red  Gauntlet,  Collier  and  others.  Although 
she  lost  a  few  races,  she  won  about  twenty  before  she 
retired,  twelve  or  more  of  her  best  ones  being  in  suc- 
cession. 

One  of  the  most  distinguished  daughters  of  Timoleon 
was  Omega,  out  of  Daisy  Cropper,  by  Oscar.  Foaled  in 
1834,  she  was  very  successful  throughout  her  career,  her 
most  celebrated  achievements  including  a  winning  four 
miles  in  7  minutes,  40  seconds,  the  best  time  on  the 
Washington  City  course;  a  good  second  place  to  Boston 
in  the  best  time  on  the  Petersburg,  Va.,  course,  and  a 
winning  four-mile  heat  race  in  four  heats  upon  the 
course  at  Charleston,  S.  C.  During  her  career  she  beat 
Gano,  Santa  Anna  and  others.  Andrewetta,  by  Andrew, 
out  of  a  dam  by  Oscar,  was  foaled  in  1833  and  ran  a  lengthy 
and  famous  career  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  winning  a  heat 
from  the  peerless  Boston  in  7  minutes,  50  seconds,  the 
fastest  over  the  course.  She  was  the  dam  of  Engineer, 
by  Revenue,  and  of  Bostona,  by  Boston.  Sarah  Wash- 
ington, by  Zinganee,  out  of  a  dam  by  Contention,  both 


27 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Zinganee  and  Contention  being  by  Sir  Arcliy,  was  dis- 
tinguished by  lier  fast  races  in  Virginia  and  Washington 
in  the  forties.  She  ran  a  second  four-mile  heat  with 
Utaw  in  7  minutes,  42  seconds,  except  that  of  Omega, 
the  fastest  four-mile  heat  over  the  Washington  Course. 
She  was  the  dam  of  Oratrix,  Escape,  Inspector,  Slasher, 
Sue  Washington  and  Fanny  Washington,  names  of 
imperishable  renown. 

In  the  same  decade  Reel,  by  imported  Glencoe,  by 
Cotton,  was  the  champion  of  the  Southwest  until  she 
broke  down  when  running  against  George  Martin,  by 
Zinganee,  out  of  a  dam  by  Sir  Archy.  Reel  was  more 
distinguished  through  her  sons  than  by  her  own  achieve- 
ments, she  being  the  dam  of  Lecomte  by  Boston,  Stark 
by  Wagner  and  Prioress,  the  two  latter  being  in  the 
string  that  Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck  took  to  England, 
where  Stark  won  the  Goodwood  and  other  great  stakes 
and  Prioress  won  the  Cesarewitch.  Of  the  same  period 
was  Nina,  by  Boston,  out  of  an  imported  dam  by  Lot- 
tery. Her  career  was  nearly,  if  not  quite,  equal  to  that 
of  any  of  her  illustrious  predecessors.  She  ran  over 
several  courses  in  the  best  time,  especially  in  a  four-mile 
heat  contest  over  the  Broad  Rock  course  in  7  minutes, 
46}4  seconds,  7  minutes,  46  seconds  and  7  minutes,  49 
seconds.  She  was  the  dam  of  Planet  and  Exchequer, 
both  by  Revenue.  Undine,  who  was  foaled  in  1856, 
was  got  by  Jeff  Davis  out  of  a  dam  by  Imported 
Monarch.  During  a  short  but  brilliant  career  she 
beat  the  best  horses  of  her  time — Nicholas  I., 
Exchequer,  Fanny  Washington  and  others — and  won 
from  Planet  much  the  fastest  race  of  four-mile 
heats  ever  run  over  the  course  at  Charleston,  S.  C. , 
in  7  minutes,  36)^  seconds  and  7  minutes,  42 
seconds. 

Even  more  famous  than  the  mares  were  the  stallions 
of  the  period  under  consideration,  both  imported  and 
native  born.  Earliest  among  the  importations  were 
PhcEnix  in  1803,  Bussorah  in  1819,  Roman  in  1823,  Bare- 
foot in  1827,  Hedgeford  and  Autocrat  in  1833  31*^  Trustee 
in  1835.  Trustee  produced  the  imperial  Fashion,  Roman 
got  Treasurer,  Barefoot  was  the  sire  of  Clara  Howard 
and  Hedgeford  the  sire  of  Duane.  Bussorah  was  an 
Arabian,  but  did  not  add  essentially  to  the  value  of  thor- 
oughbred stock  in  the  United  States  any  more  than  have 
other  Arabians  that  have  been  imported  since  his  time. 
He  was  a  horse  of  great  beauty,  had  a  good  pedigree 
and  was  free  from  any  particular  defects  of  form,  but 
lacked  the  perfect  degree  of  excellence  that  was  neces- 
sary to  make  him  successful  in  the  stud.  Florizel,  by 
imported  Diomed  out  of  a  dam  by  imported  Shark,  was 
the  Eclipse  of  the  first  years  of  the  century,  defeating  all 
his  competitors  without  ever  being  put  to  his  topmost 
speed.  He  won  the  great  match  of  the  day,  $3000  a 
side   against    Peacemaker,    another    renowned    son   of 


Diomed.     He  also  became  more  famous  as  the  sire  of 
the  dam  of  Boston. 

Gallatin,  who  was  owned  by  Colonel  John  Tayloe 
and  Colonel  William  Alston,  was  got  by  imported  Bed- 
ford, out  of  an  imported  dam  by  Mambrino.  He  was  a 
horse  of  extraordinary  speed,  one  of  the  best,  if  not 
quite  the  best,  of  his  day,  and  supposed  to  be  superior 
to  all  his  predecessors.  Governor  Benjamin  Ogle's  Os- 
car, by  imported  Gabriel  out  of  Vixen  by  imported  Med- 
ley, was  renowned  on  the  turf  and  in  the  stud,  and 
especially  for  the  match  race,  four-mile  heats,  in  which 
he  beat  First  Consul.  Medoc,  by  American  Eclipse, 
was  one  of  Mr.  John  C.  Steven's  best  horses  and  had  a 
fine  record,  both  on  the  turf  and  in  the  stud.  Post  Boy, 
by  imported  Gabriel,  was  a  brilliant  race  horse,  one  of 
the  best  on  the  American  turf  He  died  when  aged 
from  an  accident,  which  befell  him  when  running 
against  Hickory,  the  victor  in  a  three-heat  race.  He  was 
owned  by  General  Charles  Ridgely.  First  Consul,  by 
Flag  of  Truce,  out  of  a  dam  by  imported  Slender,  out  ot 
imported  Diana  by  Eclipse,  was  considered  one  of  the 
best  horses  on  the  turf  until  he  was  beaten  in  the  famous 
match  race  by  Oscar  in  Baltimore. 

Brown  Dick,  by  imported  Margrave  out  of  Fanny 
King  by  imported  Glencoe,  was  owned  by  Colonel 
Goldsby.  He  ran  with  success,  especially  in  winning  at 
Charleston,  S.  C,  two-mile  heats  in  3  minutes,  42  sec- 
onds and  3  minutes,  46  seconds,  and  the  following  day 
three-mile  heats  in  5  minutes,  43  seconds  and  5  minutes, 
42  seconds.  Another  one  of  his  celebrated  races  was 
upon  the  course  near  New  Orleans,  when  he  beat  Arrow 
three-mile  heats  in  5  minutes,  30  seconds  and  5  minutes, 
28  seconds.  Argyle,  by  Monsieur  Tonson  out  of  Thistle 
by  Oscar,  was  a  renowned  racer,  bred  in  Maryland,  and 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  turf  in  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia,  until  beaten  in  a  great  race  by  John  Bascombe. 
Mingo,  by  American  Eclipse,  his  dam  Bay  Bett  being  by 
Thornton's  Rattler  and  he  by  Sir  Archy,  was  a  magni- 
ficent and  beautiful  horse,  regarded  by  many  as  an 
animal  in  the  highest  form.  He  was  a  good  winner  and 
good  performer,  but  suffered  a  great  deal  from  bad  man- 
agement, honors  being  taken  from  him  by  Post  Boy, 
Lady  Clifden  and  others.  John  Bascombe,  by  Bertrand, 
son  of  Sir  Archy  and  out  of  Gray  Goose  by  Pacolet,  was 
renowned  for  winning  two  great  matches  of  four-mile 
heats  in  Georgia,  in  one  of  which  he  beat  Argyle  in  7 
minutes,  47  seconds.  Upon  the  Fashion  Course  at  New 
York  he  was  the  Southern  champion  against  the  North 
in  one  race,  beating  Post  Boy,  by  Sir  Henry.  He  was  a 
large,  tall  and  light-bodied  horse,  had  fine  action,  and 
was  an  easy  and  speedy  goer,  but  was  not  a  stayer. 

Trustee,  one  of  the  best  horses  imported  into  the 
United  States  during  this  period,  arrived  here  in  1855, 
and  died  in  1856.     He  was  foaled  in   1829,  and  was  got 


2S 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


by  C;itton  out  ot  Emma  by  Whisker,  his  grandam  beino; 
Gibside  Fairy  by  Hermes.  He  traced  baci<  to  Lord  Ox- 
ford's Dun  Arabian  out  of  the  D'Arcy  biacl<-legged,  royal 
mare.  He  was  selected  by  Commodore  Robert  F. 
Stockton  and  Messrs.  Francis  P.  Corbyn  and  F.  G. 
Ogden,  and  after  his  arrival  in  this  country  Commodore 
Stockton  trained  him  and  ran  him  at  Trenton  on  a 
private  trial  at  four  miles,  in  which  he  performed  admir- 
ably. By  Bonnets  O'Blue,  he  was  the  sire  of  the  cele- 
brated Fashion,  was  also  the  sire  of  Trustee,  the  tlrst 
horse  in  the  world  that  ever  trotted  twenty  miles  within 
an  hour,  and  of  America,  Grace  Darling,  Revenue,  Car- 
lotta,  Livingston,  John  Black,  Nero,  Logan  and  others. 

Imported  Sovereign  was  bred  by  King  William  IV.  in 
1836.  He  was  purchased  at  the  annual  sale  of  yearlings 
in  1837  by  Colonel  Wade  Hampton,  of  South  Carolina, 
for  400  guineas  and  brought  to  the  United  States.  At 
that  time  he  was  described  as  a  sumptuous  looking  colt, 
having  as  much  bone  and  substance  as  Commodore 
Stockton's  Langford,  also  bred  at  Hampton  Court.  In 
color  he  was  a  dark  bay,  with  a  small  star,  stood  16 
hands  high,  and  was  of  commanding  presence.  On  his 
voyage  over  to  this  country  he  was  injured  so  that  he 
never  appeared  on  the  turf,  but  was  a  valuable  addition 
to  the  stud.  He  was  got  by  Emilius  out  of  Fleur-de-Lis, 
who  was  sold  to  the  French  Government  for  a  large 
price  at  the  sale  of  the  royal  stud.  Fleur-de-Lis,  with 
Elizabeth  and  Maria,  were  the  three  great  favorites  of 
King  William  IV.,  and  also  of  George  IV.  She  was 
considered  the  most  blood-like  mare  in  England,  and 
when  purchased  for  the  royal  stud  cost  $7,500.  She  was 
by  Bourbon  out  of  Lady  Rachel  by  Stamford.  Emilius, 
the  sire  of  Sovereign,  was  got  by  Orville  out  of  Emily 
by  Stamford,  and  traced  to  Whiskey  out  of  Grey  Dori- 
mont  by  DorimonL  Sovereign  became  the  sire  of  Childe 
Harold,  Berry,  Charleston,  Prioress,  Ruric,  Governor 
Johnson,  Bailie  Jordon,  Avis,  Terrifier,  Nat  Pope,  Fleur- 
de-Lis,  and  many  other  famous  cracks.  To  this  list, 
which  is  by  no  means  complete,  of  the  worthy  thorough- 
breds of  the  first  thirty  years  or  more  of  the  present 
century,  might  also  be  added  the  names  of  Clarion,  by 
Monmouth  Eclipse  out  of  a  dam  by  Oscar;  Expedition, 
Baronet,  Alexander,  Rockwood,  Clumsy,  Grey  Gran- 
tbem.  Bay  Bolton,  Clockfast,  Spread  Eagle,  Rocking- 
ham, True  Whig,  Giantess,  Henry  Perrit,  and  scores,  if 
not  hundreds,  of  others  not  less  entitled  to  considera- 
tion. 

Sectional  rivalry  in  racing  matters  has  in  this  age 
entirely  passed  away.  All  interested  in  the  turf  are 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  the  West  is  the 
best  breeding  ground  for  the  thoroughbred  horse,  and 
that  in  the  past  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  keenest 
and  most  successful  horsemen  have  been  natives  of 
that  section;  at  the  same  time,  the  prominence  of  the 


North  as  the  centre  of  racing  and  the  influence  ol 
other  sections  in  breeding  is  now  frankly  conceded.  It 
would,  however,  be  impossible  to  gainsay  the  fact  that 
Kentucky  in  particular  has  played  the  most  important 
part  of  any  State  in  the  modern  development  of  the 
thoroughbred  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Both  that 
State  and  Tennessee  were  settled  largely,  if  not  mainly, 
by  Virginians,  who  carried  with  them  to  the  West  both 
a  love  for  the  sport  and  a  large  number  of  the  best 
horses  that  could  then  be  found  in  this  country.  It  was 
quickly  discovered  that  soil,  climate  and  the  particularly 
nutritious  character  of  the  grasses — above  all,  the  famed 
Kentucky  blue  grass — favored  the  development  of  all  the 
best  qualities  of  which  the  thoroughbred  is  capable. 
Consequently,  even  before  the  admission  of  Kentucky 
into  the  Union,  it  took  a  high  rank  for  both  breeding 
and  racing,  while  Tennessee  was  not  far  behind  in  these 
respects.  Though  still  very  much  in  the  condition  of  a 
wilderness,  Kentucky  had  its  race  meets  as  early  as 
1788,  and  boasted  at  that  time  of  horses  of  no  mean 
descent  or  small  merit.  Time  has  only  emphasized  the 
advantages  with  which  nature  herself  has  endowed 
Kentucky  and  her  neighbor,  and  if  there  is  any  part  of 
the  land  which  can  contest  their  supremacy  as  a  place 
for  breeding  it  is  only  California,  where  within  recent 
years  that  industry  has  assumed  remarkable  proportions 
and  been  attended  with  wonderful  results. 

Lexington,  Ky.,  possesses  the  oldest  race  track  in  the 
West  The  association  which  conducts  the  racing  there 
was  organized  in  1823,  and  since  that  time  its  regular 
races  have  been  held  practically  without  interruptions. 
Indeed,  even  during  the  Civil  War,  when  the  stress  01 
the  conflict  closed  the  gates  of  practically  every  track  in 
the  land,  whether  in  the  North  or  South,  the  passion  of 
the  Kentuckians  for  their  fiworite  sport  could  not  be  sub- 
dued. The  only  break  in  the  record  was  in  1862,  when 
the  State  itself  was  the  scene  of  hostilities  and  when  the 
forces  of  the  Confederate  General  Kirby  Smith  occupied 
Lexington  on  their  advance  into  Kentucky  and  encamped 
on  the  race  grounds,  the  spring  meeting  being  then 
omitted.  Horsemanship  is  a  natural  accomplishment 
with  the  natives  of  that  section  and  all  classes  are 
intensely  interested  in  the  turf,  to  which  they  have  always 
given  generous  support  and  encouragement.  Even  the 
great  commoner,  Henry  Clay  himself,  was  a  breeder  of 
note.  He  imported  the  famous  mare,  Yorkshire,  and 
his  son,  Mr.  James  M.  Clay,  made  the  statesman's  beauti- 
ful home  at  Ashlands  famous  for  its  breeding  stud. 

It  is,  indeed,  impossible  to  exaggerate  the  important 
part  which  Kentucky  horses  and  Kentucky  horsemen 
have  had  in  the  development  of  the  turf  in  our  country. 
In  the  matter  of  importations  her  leading  men  displayed 
the  utmost  liberality,  as  well  as  a  true  power  of  selection. 
Many  of  the  best  English  horses  which  came  to  this 


29 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


country  after  the  early  period  of  the  turf  ultimately 
found  their  way  to  Kentucky  studs,  the  horses  bred 
there  thus  representing  the  best  results  that  could  be 
obtained  from  high-class  stock,  supplemented  by  ideal 
conditions  for  rearing  and  developing  blooded  animals. 
Among  the  horses  from  abroad  which  thus,  in  most 
instances,  contributed  directly  to  raise  the  standard  of 
the  Kentucky  horse,  were  such  animals  as  the  Derby 
winners,  Priam  and  St.  Giles,  and  Rowton,  Musgrave 
and  Barefoot,  winners  of  the  St.  Leger,  with  other  note- 
worthy racers  and  sires,  including  Sarpedon,  Tranby, 
Csetus,  Trustee,  Emancipation,  Chateau  Margaux,  Rid- 
dleworth  and  Leviathan,  not  to  neglect  the  great  sire, 
imported  Glencoe,  the  ancestor  of  so  many  winning 
horses  for  more  than  two  generations. 

Kentucky,  which  has  been  the  home  of  the  majority  of 
America's  great  thoroughbreds,  also  holds  the  bones  of 
hundreds  of  them.  Many  of  these  great  turf  per- 
formers and  great  sires  sleep  in  unknown  and  unmarked 
graves.  A  simple  marble  shaft,  which  stands  over  the 
grave  of  the  immortal  Lexington,  was  the  first  memorial 
stone  ever  erected  over  the  remains  of  a  dead  turf  king. 
Mr.  Frank  Harper,  a  near  neighbor  of  Mr.'  A.  J.  Alex- 
ander, the  owner  of  Lexington,  followed  the  example 
set  by  the  latter,  and  when  his  own  incomparable 
stallions.  Ten  Broeck  and  Longfellow,  died,  he  gave 
them  decent  burials  on  his  pretty  Nantura  Farm,  near 
Midway,  and  over  the  grave  of  each  erected  suitable 
monuments,  which  tell  the  breeding  and  the  perform- 
ances of  the  horses  which  lie  beneath  them.  These  are 
the  only  two  Kentucky  breeders  who  have  seen  fit  to 
place  stones  over  their  equine  dead,  and  their  examples 
remained  almost  unique  until  Mr.  James  R.  Keene,  in 
1897,  put  an  appropriate  slab  over  the  grave  of  his  young 
stallion,  Domino.  The  burial  places  of  other  noted 
horses,  while  known,  in  many  instances  remain  still 
unmarked. 

Imported  Pizarro,  imported  Whistle  Jacket,  Duke  of 
Montrose  and  Strathmore  are  buried  at  the  home  of  their 
former  owner,  Mr.  Milton  Young,  at  McGrathiana,  Ky. 
His  splendid  English  stallion,  Osory,  full  brother  of 
Ormonde,  died  on  the  ocean  while  being  brought  to  this 
country  and  was  buried  at  sea.  Imported  Australia  is 
buried  at  Woodburn,  and  Waverly  at  Mr.  James  Grin- 
stead's  old  Walnut  Hills  Farm.  At  Elmendorf  Virgil  and 
imported  Prince  Charlie  sleep.  Imported  Glenelg  was 
buried  on  Mr.  Tyree  Bates'  farm  near  Gallatin,  Tenn. 
At  General  W.  H.  Jackson's  Belle  Meade  Farm  imported 
Vandal  and  Enquirer  are  buried.  War  Dance  and  Mel- 
bourne, Jr.,  are  buried  on  Mr.  A.  K.  Richard's  farm  in 
Scott  County,  Ky.  General  Abe  Buford's  McWhirter, 
the  horse  which  broke  his  legs  while  running  at  St. 
Louis,  was  buried  on  the  race  course  where  he  ran  that 
remarkable  race.     It  was  the  action  of  McWhirter  in  try- 


ing to  win  after  both  his  fore  legs  had  been  broken  that 
caused  General  Buford  to  declare  that  he  believed  horses 
had  souls  and  went  to  heaven.  Imported  Leamington 
was  buried  at  Mr.  Aristides  Welsh's  place,  Erdenheim, 
near  Philadelphia. 

Grinstead  is  buried  at  Santa  Anita  Farm,  California; 
Harry  O'Fallon  at  Mr.  L.  B.  Field's  place  near  Lexington; 
imported  Billet  at  Runnymede;  imported  Buckden  at 
Boyle  County,  Ky. ;  Tom  Bowling,  the  wild  horse,  at 
Mr.  S.  C.  Lyne's  Larchmont  farm,  near  Lexington,  and 
Alarm  at  Manor  Bashford  Farm,  near  Louisville.  Boston, 
the  sire  of  Lexington,  is  buried  at  the  old  Blackburn 
Farm  in  Woodford  County,  where  Senator  Blackburn 
was  born.  American  Eclipse  is  also  buried  there.  Grey 
Eagle,  the  famous  show  horse  which  took  premiums 
over  all  the  Kentucky  stallions,  while  he  was  the  prop- 
erty of  Mr.  Parker  E.  Todhunter,  is  buried  in  Ohio,  and 
Medoc  in  Scott  County,  Ky.  At  Ashland  Farm,  near 
Lexington,  Ky.,  the  only  thoroughbred  establishment  in 
America  ever,  conducted  by  a  woman,  Mrs.  John  M. 
Clay,  are  buried  imported  Yorkshire  and  the  great  brood 
mare,  Magnolia,  who  was  sent  as  a  present  to  Henry 
Clay  by  admiring  turfmen  of  Virginia.  Mrs.  Clay  is  the 
daughter-in-law  of  the  great  commoner,  and  she  keeps 
green  the  little  mound  over  Magnolia's  bones.  Sir  Leslie 
was  buried  at  The  Meadows,  near  Lexington,  which  was 
the  birthplace  of  Alexander's  Lexington,  and  Sidi  Ham- 
met  is  also  buried  there.  Imported  Sarpedon,  the  sire  of 
Alice  Carneal,  the  dam  of  Lexington,  is  buried  about 
four  miles  from  Lexington,  Ky.,  on  the  Georgetown 
road. 

Imported  Glencoe,  the  only  horse  known  to  have  died 
while  standing  up,  is  buried  on  Mr.  A.  K.  Richard's  old 
farm  in  Scott  County,  Ky.  Bertrand  is  buried  in  Bour- 
bon County,  and  Lexington's  son,  Norfolk,  who  sired 
El  Rio  Rey  and  other  great  performers  out  of  Madam,  is 
buried  on  Mr.  Theodore  Winter's  farm  in  California. 
Imported  Diomed  was  buried  in  Virginia;  imported 
Phaeton  at  Hurtsbourne  Stud  Farm,  near  Louisville;  Sir 
Archy  at  Colonel  W.  R.  Johnson's,  near  Richmond,  Va. ; 
Dalnacardoch  at  Middlebrook  Farm,  Maryland;  imported 
Glen  Athol  at  Mr.  J.  V.  Shipp's  farm  in  Woodford 
County,  Ky. ;  imported  Glengary  at  Kennesaw  Stud 
Farm,  Gallatin,  Tenn. ;  imported  The  111  Used  at  the 
Nursery  Stud,  near  Lexington;  King  Ernest  at  Brook- 
dale  Stud  Farm,  New  Jersey;  imported  Martinhurst  at 
Pasadena,  Cal. ;  imported  Mortemerat  Brookdale  Stud  and 
imported  Mr.  Pickwick  at  Mr.  Charles  Reed's  FairvieW 
Stud,  Tenn.  Ossian  died  at  sea  while  being  imported  to 
this  country  and  was  buried  in  the  Atlantic;  Rossifer  at 
Fairview  Stud,  Tennessee;  Strachino  at  Woodstock, 
Canada;  imported  Stylites,  destroyed  on  account  of  an 
accident,  at  Meadowthorpe,  the  home  of  Colonel  James 
E.  Pepper,  near  Lexington;  Zorilla  at  Elmendorf;  Aris- 


30 


TT-TE    AMERICAN    TURF 


tides,  Mr.  H.  P.  McGnith's  "little  red  horse,"  at  the  St. 
I.OLiis  fair  grounds;  Baden  Baden  at  Rhinebeck,  N.  Y. ; 
Hlias  Lawrence  on  Mr.  J.  Walter  Payne's  Mapleton  Farm, 
near  Lexington;  Littleton  at  Montgomery  Square,  Pa.; 
Pat  Malloy  atWoodburn;  Red  Roy  in  Montana;  Vaux- 
hall  near  Lexington;  Whisper  on  Fleetwood  Stud  Farm, 
near  Frankfort;  King  Ban  on  the  banks  of  North  Elk- 
horn,  at  Dixiana  Farm;  Fellowcraft  at  Mr.  J.  R.  Haley's 
farm,  near  Donerail,  Ky. ;  Ban  Fox  and  King  Fox  on 
Hogan's  ranch,  Colorado;  Herzog  near  Cincinnati,  at 
the  old  Buckeye  race  course.  Skedaddle,  by  York- 
shire out  of  Magnolia,  is  buried  at  Mrs.  John  M.  Clay's 
Ashland  Farm;  also  Balloon,  Star  Davis,  Margaret  Wood 
and  Georgie  Wood.  Kentucky  is  buried  at  August 
Belmont's  f^^rm. 

Tennessee,  also  at  an  early  period  in  its  history,  mani- 
fested a  generous  interest  in  the  turf.  The  first  settlers 
of  that  section  of  the  country  brought  with  them  some 
of  their  best  stock  from  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas,  and 
some  Mexican  mares  of  the  Spanish  and  Barb  breed 
were  introduced.  Among  the  early  stallions  of  the 
Janus  family  in  Tennessee  were  Jupiter,  Comet  and 
Bowie  and  of  the  Fearnought  family,  Eclipse,  Wildair 
and  Bucephalus.  About  1809,  Gray  Medley,  who  was 
bred  by  Governor  Williams  of  North  Carolina,  was 
brought  to  Tennessee  by  Dr.  Redmond  D.  Barry,  and 
did  much  to  improve  the  quality  of  the  horses  which 
were  bred  in  the  younger  State.  He  was  a  handsome 
horse  and  very  game  in  appearance  and  lived  to  an  old 
age.  He  was  the  son  of  imported  Medley  and  became 
the  sire  of  the  dam  of  the  famous  brood  mare,  Madame 
Tonson.  Wilkes'  Wonder,  a  son  of  Diomed,  was 
another  stallion  noted  in  the  early  history  of  the  Ten- 
nessee turf,  and  Coeur  de  Lion,  Royalist  and  Hal  also 
did  good  service  in  the  first  decade  or  so  of  the  present 
century.  'Very  many  of  the  best  Eastern  or  imported 
horses  also  found  their  way  to  the  State  and  aided  in 
improving  the  quality  of  the  race  horses  it  produced. 

General  Andrew  Jackson,  who  was  interested  in 
breeding  and  racing,  had  a  notable  horse  in  Truxton,  a 
powerful  animal,  sired  by  Diomed.  Truxton  was 
engaged  in  many  performances,  being  almost  a  sure 
winner,  whether  at  a  quarter  or  a  four-mile  heat.  One 
of  the  famous  races  in  early  Tennessee  days  was  between 
Truxton  and  a  swift  mare  Greyhound,  owned  by  Mr. 
Catton.  The  match  was  a  mile  dash  and  General 
Jackson  carried  away  heavy  spoils  as  the  result  of  the 
victory  of  Truxton.  Pacolet  was  also  one  of  Tennessee's 
famous  stallions  whose  sons.  Brushy  Mountain  and 
Cumberland,  particularly  distinguished  themselves. 
Pacolet  was  also  the  sire  of  Tonson,  who  beat  every- 
thing in  his  State  and  afterward  beat  at  Boydton  the 
celebrated  Sally  Walker  against  all  of  Colonel  W.  R. 
Johnson's  skill  and  management     Contemporary  with 


these  was  Bagdad,  who  was  bought  by  Mr.  George 
Barclay  from  the  Minister  of  Tripoli  to  England,  and 
imported  into  this  countryin  1823;  dying  in  1836,  he 
left  some  good  stock,  remarkable  for  speed  rather  than 
bottom;  he  was  said  to  be  of  pure  Arabian  blood.  Of 
the  celebrated  Sir  Archy  stock  Tennessee  had  among 
others,  Gray  Archy,  Timoleon,  Pacific,  Napoleon,  Stock- 
holder and  Crusader.  Stockholder  got  Betsey  Malone 
and  Pacific  was  the  sire  of  Pactolus,  Gamma,  Epsilon 
and  others. 

Pacolet  held  his  own  in  competition  with  the  best 
imported  horses  and  with  the  very  best  Virginia  breds. 
The  Tonson  family,  which  came  from  him,  was  con- 
sidered one  of  the  most  valuable  in  Tennessee  and  long 
had  an  established  reputation  throughout  the  South. 
Sir  John  was  got  by  Pacolet,  out  of  a  dam  by  Topgallant, 
his  grandam  being  by  Gray  Medley,  out  of  a  Virginia 
bred  mare,  said  to  have  been  fufl  bred.  When  Sir  John 
became  a  winner  his  name  was  changed  to  Monsieur 
Tonson  and  his  dam'took  the  name  of  Madame  Tonson. 
Another  famous  Tennessee  horse  was  Topgallant,  bred  in 
Georgia,  and  got  by  Gallatin  out  of  a  dam  by  Wildair. 
Imported  Highlander,  imported  Childers  and  Doublehead, 
by  Diomed  and  others,  were  some  of  the  best  stallions 
in  Middle  Tennessee  in  the  early  days  of  the  turf  in  that 
State. 

Nearly  all  the  prominent  men  in  Tennessee  yielded 
more  or  less  to  the  fascinations  of  the  turf,  and  the  meet- 
ings at  Nashville  and  elsewhere  compared,  in  point  of 
interest  and  in  the  quality  of  the  racing,  even  with  those 
upon  the  Kentucky  track.  Some  of  the  most  important 
controversies  of  the  period,  social  and  political,  were  the 
outgrowth  of  this  interest  in  the  race  track.  It  is  re- 
corded, for  instance,  that  the  defeat  of  Irving's  Plowboy, 
by  Truxton,  in  a  race  of  two-mile  heats  for  $5,000,  was 
the  cause  of  the  duel  between  Generals  Jackson  and 
Dickinson.  Besides  General  Jackson,  General  Lucius  J. 
Polk,  of  the  historic  family  that  afterward  gave  a  Presi- 
dent to  the  United  States,  General  W.  G.  Harding  and 
the  Honorable  Bailie  Peyton  were  among  the  most 
prominent  turfmen  of  the  State. 

A  list  of  the  deaths  of  some  of  the  leading  thoroughbreds 
in  the  first  half  century  of  American  turf  history  may  be 
interesting  in  this  connection.  Imported  Janus  died  in  Vir- 
ginia in  1780,  aged  33  years;  imported  Fearnought  died 
in  Virginia  about  1776,  aged  26  years;  American  Eclipse 
died  in  Virginia  about  1790,  aged  20  years;  Marc  Antony 
died  in  North  Carolina  about  1793,  aged  ^2  years;  im- 
ported Shark  died  in  Virginia  in  1796,  aged  2S  years; 
imported  Medley  died  in  Virginia  in  1799,  aged 23  years; 
Celer  died  in  North  Carolina  in  1802,  aged  28  years; 
Spread  Eagle  died  in  Kentucky  in  1805,  aged  13  years; 
Gray  Diomed  died  in  North  Carolina  in  1806,  aged  20 
years;  imported  Messenger  died  in  New  York  in  1808, 


31 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


aged  28  years;  imported  Diomed  died  in  Virginia  in 
1807,  aged  30  years;  imported  Coeur  de  Lion  died  in 
1809,  aged  20  years;  Dragon  died  in  Tennessee  in  1812, 
aged  25  years;  Wonder  died  in  Tennessee  in  1815,  aged 
15  years;  imported  Boaster  died  in  Tennessee  in  1819, 
aged  24  years;  Pacolet  died  in  Tennessee  in  1825,  aged 
17  years;  Oscar  died  in  Tennessee  in  1826,  aged  11 
years;  imported  Eagle  died  in  Kentucky  in  1817,  aged 
30  years;  Constitution  died  in  Tennessee  in  1827,  aged 
22  years;  imported  Bluster  died  in  1828,  aged  20  years; 
imported  Buzzard  died  in  Kentucky  in  181 1,  aged  24 
years. 

Possessing,  as  the  breeders  and  lovers  of  racing  in  the 
United  States  at  last  did,  animals  of  the  highest  thorough- 
bred type,  it  was  natural  that  steps  should  be  taken  to 
facilitate  the  trial  of  their  powers  in  a  regular  way. 
Horsemen  of  the  present  day  can  hardly  conceive  of  the 
practical  difficulties  which  the  pioneers  of  the  turf  had  to 
encounter  in  putting  it  upon  a  firm  foundation  in  this 
country.  The  spirit  of  Puritanism,  which  is  unquestion- 
ably part  of  the  fundamental  character  of  many  Ameri- 
cans, was  opposed  to  the  turf  on  principle,  and  was  par- 
ticularly displayed  at  the  great  Northern  centres  of  popu- 
lation, where  public  interest  could  otherwise  have  been 
most  naturally  developed.  This,  however,  counted  for 
little  in  comparison  with  the  difficulties  of  a  purely 
physical  nature  involved  in  the  great  distances  between 
different  sections  and  the  inadequate  means  of  transpor- 
tation. To-day  a  whole  stable  of  thoroughbreds  can  be 
taken  by  rail  from  California  to  the  great  tracks  of  the 
East  with  comparatively  little  risk,  far  less  than  was  once 
involved  in  bringing  a  single  horse  from  Virginia  to  New 
York,  it  was  not  until  the  railroads  set  distances  at 
naught  that  animals  from  the  West  began  to  compete  at 
the  Eastern  tracks,  and  consequently  the  horsemen  of  the 
early  decades  of  the  century  may  be  excused  for  the  ap- 
parent slowness  with  which  they  proceeded  to  establish 
tracks,  and  to  bring  racing  in  the  United  States  into 
some  resemblance  to  the  dignity  and  order  that  it  had, 
considerably  before  that  time,  attained  in  England. 

They  were,  however,  sportsmen  in  the  highest  sense 
of  the  word,  these  fathers  of  the  American  turf,  such  as 
Colonel  John  Hoomes,  or  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  who 
joined  together  in  importing  the  great  Diomed,  or  their 
worthy  fellows,  the  Hamptons,  lUdens,  Ridgelys,  Lloyds, 
Bowies,  Stevens,  and  so  on  through  a  long  list  of  names 
of  might  in  our  equine  annals.  They  met  with  the  dis- 
couragements and  repulses  which  seem,  from  time  to 
time,  to  be  inevitable  in  connection  with  racing  in  the 
United  States,  but  they  were  manful  and  in  earnest,  de- 
Voted  to  racing  as  a  sport,  and  their  efforts  were  cer- 
tainly crowned  with  a  success  that  time  has  not  dimmed. 
The  rewards  of  the  turf  were,  in  those  days,  little  beyond 
honor.     Purses  were,  to  our  eyes,  ridiculously  small,  and 


the  racing  public  was  such  a  comparatively  restricted 
body  that  betting  was  on  a  limited  scale.  Under  all 
these  disadvantages  they  performed  a  wonderful  service 
not  only  to  the  sport  itself  but  to  the  standard  of  horse- 
flesh in  their  country. 

The  universal  esteem  in  which  the  turf  was  now  held 
by  nearly  all  classes  was  clearly  indicated  by  the  attendance 
upon  racing  events  wherever  they  might  occur,  be  that  in 
the  North  or  in  the  South.  Even  the  Puritanism  of  New 
England  yielded,  more  or  less,  to  the  fascinations  of  the 
sport.  Statesmen,  clergymen  and  other  professional 
men  gave  the  indorsement  of  their  countenance  to  the 
turf,  as  well  as  those  who  were  more  substantially  inter- 
ested in  it,  from  being  the  proprietors  of  breeding  estab- 
lishments or  active  participants  in  racing  contests. 
Such  distinguished  statesmen  and  leaders  as  Washington 
and  Jefferson  were  among  the  early  patrons  of  the  turf  in 
Virginia  in  the  latter  part  of  the  previous  century.  They 
even  ran  horses  in  rivalry  with  their  fellow  citizens,  and 
long  after  they  had  departed  this  life  they  were  pointed 
to  as  exemplars.  Even  now  there  are  extant  memoran- 
dum books  in  which  Washington  recorded  his  bets  on 
some  of  the  races  which  he  attended. 

As  late  as  1790  the  Father  of  his  Country  acted  as  a 
judge  at  a  race  course  near  Alexandria.  It  speaks  well 
of  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  and  of  the  con- 
fidence which  his  fellow  citizens  reposed  in  his  integrity 
and  fairness,  that  he  was  invited  to  officiate  as  judge  on 
this  occasion,  even  though  one  of  his  own  horses  was 
entered  in  the  race;  and  it  is  also  interesting  to  note  that 
his  horse  was  beaten.  Afterward  he  sold  this  horse, 
which  was  named  Magnolia,  to  "  Lighthorse "  Harry 
Lee  for  $1,500,  and  the  animal  was  sent  to  South  Caro- 
lina, where  it  attained  to  some  further  distinction  on  the 
turf.  In  this  same  race  meeting  at  Alexandria  a  horse 
entered  by  Thomas  Jefferson,  called  simply  a  roan  colt, 
was  the  winner,  defeating  Washington's  Magnolia  and 
several  other  horses  entered  by  other  prominent  Vir- 
ginian gentry.  Quite  as  early  as  this  time,  also,  race 
tracks  were  established  at  Petersburg,  Richmond  and  at 
other  centres  of  population  in  the  State. 

In  treating  of  the  subject  of  the  development  of  horse 
racing  in  the  United  States  during  the  present  century 
the  historian  finds,  almost  at  the  very  outset  of  his  inves- 
tigation, that  it  is  incumbent  upon  him  to  consider  the 
national  capital,  Washington,  as  one  of  the  great  centres 
of  racing  interest  and  the  scene  of  brilliant  turf  events. 
To  what  extent  the  Southern  statesmen  of  the  old  school 
were  devoted  admirers  of  horseflesh  has  been  clearly 
and  fu'ly  set  forth  on  many  pages  of  this  volume.  The 
brilliant  and  erratic  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  who 
was  one  of  the  foremost  men  of  his  period  in  displaying 
interest  in  this  sport,  had  many  companions  among  the 
public  men  of  his  time,  who  were  in  full  agreement  with 


32 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


liiin  Lipon  this  point,  even  tiiough  they  m;iy  have  sym- 
pathized with  him  less  on  political  and  other  questions 
of  the  hour.  Nor  were  the  men  of  the  North  much,  if 
any,  behind  their  brethren  iVom  the  Southern  States  in 
giving-  abundant  attention  and  support  to  the  institution 
that  afforded  one  of  the  few  relaxations  which  were  then 
possible  in  the  half-built  and  thinly-inhabited  Wash- 
ington of  those  days. 

Even  before  the  seat  of  Government  was  removed 
from  Philadelphia  to  the  new  capital,  and  before  Congress 
had  held  its  first  session  there,  racing  interests  had 
already  established  themselves  on  the  banks  of  the 
Potomac.  In  1800  a  match  race  was  run  in  the  Federal 
city  between  Lamplighter,  son  of  Medley,  and  Cin- 
cinnatus,  one  of  the  most  renowned  horses  of  that  day. 
The  former,  as  the  representative  of  the  State  of  Virginia, 
was  entered  by  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  while  the  latter 
was  owned  by  General  Ridgely,  of  Maryland,  who  ran 
with  General  Forman  as  his  associate,  Maryland  against 
Virginia.  The  owner  of  Lamplighter  being  a  tavern 
keeper,  did  not  belong  to  what  was  considered  the 
aristocratic  class,  and,  consequently  had  not  been  per- 
mitted to  become  a  member  of  the  Jockey  Club  at 
Annapolis  so  as  to  start  his  horse.  Nevertheless,  he 
challenged  Cincinnatus,  but  "I  make  matches  only  with 
gentlemen,"  was  the  reply  of  General  Ridgely.  At  the 
request  of  the  Virginia  tavern  keeper,  Colonel  Tayloe 
took  the  burden  of  the  challenge  upon  his  shoulders,  and 
becoming  the  principal  in  the  match,  won  the  purse, 
which  was  for  500  guineas  a  side. 

Even  the  representatives  of  the  sacred  profession  did 
not  deem  it  beneath  the  dignity  of  their  cloth  or 
derogatory  to  their  Christian  character  to  be  patrons  of 
the  turf,  or  even  to  be  owners  of  fast  horses.  The 
Reverend  Hardy  M.  Cryer,  of  Tennessee,  has  often  been 
cited  as  an  example  of  the  horse-loving  parson  of  the 
period.  The  story  that  has  been  related  of  him  is  well 
worth  preserving  as  throwing  a  bright  light  upon  the  life 
of  that  time.  Many  have  held  that  this  story  was  less 
true  than  well  told,  but  there  is  abundant  evidence  of  its 
truth.  Mr.  Cryer  was  part  owner  of  a  very  fine  colt,  got 
by  imported  Leviathan.  The  colt,  which  had  been  bred 
on  shares  by  Colonel  George  Elliott,  showed  remarkable 
promise  of  becoming  a  good  racer.  When  he  was  two 
years  old  he  was  taken  in  full  charge  by  Colonel  Elliott, 
who  was  a  distinguished  turfman,  a  near  neighbor,  and 
an  intimate  friend  of  Mr.  Cryer.  Colonel  Elliott  having 
in  view  his  value  on  the  race  course  started  to  train  him. 
Some  of  the  ultraconscientious  members  of  the  good 
Mr.  Cryer's  flock  became  apprised  of  Colonel  Elliott's 
intentions  and  were  horrified  to  know  that  their  pastor 
still  owned  a  half  interest  in  the  horse. 

Considerable  talk  ensued  over  the  matter  and  finally 
at  a  church  meeting  a  committee  was  appointed  to  wait 


Lipon  the  pastor  and  ask  for  an  explanation.  A  careful 
investigation  was  made  by  the  members  of  the  com- 
mittee, who  finally  returned  a  report  in  which  they  took 
the  Reverend  Mr.  Cryer  severely  to  task,  which  shows 
incidentally  that,  notwithstanding  the  general  tolerance 
and  support  that  was  given  to  the  turf,  there  was  a  con- 
siderable minority  at  least  in  the  community,  even  in  the 
South,  that  looked  upon  it  with  something  of  askance. 
Before  submitting  the  report  to  the  church  authorities 
with  a  request  to  discipline  the  offending  pastor  the 
members  of  the  committee  concluded  to  present  the  case 
for  a  vote  to  the  congregation  before  whom  the  Reverend 
Mr.  Cryer  was  requested  to  appear  and  defend  himself, 
if  defense  he  had.  Accordingly  on  the  appointed  day, 
that  being  Sunday,  after  the  morning  services  had  been 
concluded,  the  chairman  of  the  committee  arose  and 
with  a  dignity  and  severity  that  befitted  the  solemn 
occasion  read  the  report  in  which  it  was  charged  that 
the  Reverend  Mr.  Cryer,  being  associated  with  Colonel 
George  Elliott,  was  actually  having  a  horse  trained  for 
the  very  heinous  purpose  of  being  run  for  money,  a  pro- 
cedure that  was  calculated  to  bring  discredit  upon  the 
cause  of  the  church  and  religion. 

Then  the  worthy  pastor  was  called'upon  to  state  if  he 
had  any  defense.  His  reponse  was  brief  and  to  the 
point.  Saying  that  he  could  dispose  of  the  matter  in  a 
few  words,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  he  acknowleged 
that  all  that  had  been  said  was  true  and  that  Colonel 
Elliott  was  training  a  colt  of  which  he  was  half  owner. 
Then  he  added,  "Brethren,  if  you  can  make  any  arrange- 
ment by  which  my  half  of  that  colt  can  stand  in  the 
stable  while  Colonel  Elliott's  half  runs  on  the  race  track, 
1  will  be  perfectly  satisfied  to  meet  your  wishes  in  the 
matter."  The  humor  of  the  response  touched  a  sympa- 
thetic chord  in  the  hearts  of  his  hearers  and  it  is  probable 
also  that  a  substantial  majority  of  them  had  for  them- 
selves such  a  love  of  the  turf  that,  after  all,  they  were 
willing  to  look  with  lenient  eye  upon  the  pastor's 
offense.  When  a  vote  was  taken  the  congregation 
declared  by  a  large  majority  that  it  had  the  utmost  con- 
fidence in  Brother  Cryer.  The  racing  parson  lived  to  a 
green  old  age,  retaining  to  the  last  the  love  and  respect 
of  his  people,  the  fullest  confidence  of  his  church  and 
never  relaxed  his  admiration  for  good  horses  or  his  inter- 
est in  the  race  course. 

No  gentleman  of  the  early  part  of  the  century  seems  to 
have  been  more  constant  in  attendance  upon  turf  events, 
or  more  enthusiastic  over  all  classes  of  turf  experiences, 
than  the  Honorable  Josiah  Quincy,  of  Massachusetts. 
He  was  a  close  rival  of  the  warmest  hearted  Southerners 
in  his  admiration  of  this  sport.  Few  of  the  great  turf 
events  of  his  period  escaped  his  attention  and  he  set 
down  in  his  journal  many  spirited  accounts  of  them, 
being   one    of   the    first    and    most    graphic    sporting 


33 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


reporters,  if  we  may  be  allowed  so  to  designate  him, 
that  have  been  known  in  the  annals  of  turf  literature. 
Present  at  the  match  between  American  Eclipse  and 
Sir  Henry  in  1823  he  wrote  in  his  journal  that  fully  one 
hundred  thousand  persons  witnessed  that  great  triumph 
of  the  North  over  the  South.  He  says  that  he  sat  just 
behind  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  concerning  whom 
he  adds,  "  apart  from  his  intense  sectional  pride  he  had 
a  personal  intere.st  at  the  turn  things  were  taking;  for  he 
had  bet  heavily  on  the  contest  and  it  was  said,  proposed 
to  sail  for  Europe  upon  clearing  enough  to  pay  his 
expenses.     Mr.  Quincy  wrote  of  the  race  : 

"  There  was  never  contest  more  exciting.  Sectional 
feeling  and  heavy  pecuniary  stakes  were  both  involved. 
The  length  of  time  before  it  was  decided,  the  change  of 
riders,  the  varying  fortunes,  all  intensified  the  interest.  1 
have  seen  the  great  Derby  races,  but  they  finish  almost 
as  soon  as  they  begin,  and  were  tame  enough  in  com- 
parison to  this.  Here,  for  nearly  two  hours,  there  was  no 
abatement  in  the  strain.  1  was  unconconsious  of  every- 
thing else,  and  found,  when  the  race  was  concluded, 
that  the  sun  had  actually  blistered  my  cheek  without  my 
perceiving  it.  The  victors  were,  of  course,  exultant,  and 
Purdy,  mounted  on  Eclipse,  was  led  up  to  the  judges' 
stand,  the  band  playing  '  See  the  Conquering  Hero 
Comes.'  The  Southerners  bore  their  losses  like  gentle- 
men, and  with  a  good  grace.  It  was  suggested  that  the 
comparative  chances  of  Adams  and  Jackson  at  the  ap- 
proaching Presidential  election  should  be  tested  by  the 
gathering.  'Ah,'  said  Mr.  Randolph,  '  if  the  question  of 
the  Presidency  could  be  settled  by  this  assembly  there 
would  be  no  opposition;  Mr.  Purdy  would  go  to  the 
White  House  by  acclamation.'  " 

The  palmiest  days  of  the  American  turf  were  the  latter 
portion  of  the  first  and  the  commencement  of  the  second 
quarter  of  the  present  century.  It  was  not  until  the  cen- 
tury was  advanced  nearly  to  the  end  of  its  second  decade 
that  the  people  of  the  North  began  fully  to  appreciate  the 
utility  and  practical  excellence  of  horse  racing,  or  to  give 
it  substantial  encouragement.  Previous  to  that  time, 
racing,  as  has  been  already  pointed  out,  was  confined 
almost  entirely  as  an  established  organized  institution  to 
the  States  of  Maryland,  Virginia,  South  Carolina,  Ken- 
tucky and  Tennessee,  which  were  then  the  great  race 
horse  regions  of  the  United  States.  Between  1825  and 
1850  were  run  nearly  all  the  great  races  and  matches 
against  time  for  long  distances  that  have  distinguished 
the  American  turf  Most  of  these  races  were  in  three 
and  four-mile  heats,  and  the  preservation  of  the  records 
of  some  of  the  more  important  of  them  is  valuable  as 
giving  a  clear  insight  of  the  character  of  the  sport  that 
enlisted  the  attention  of  our  fathers,  and  is  also  a  revela- 
tion of  the  endurance  and  speed  of  the  horses  that  were 
then  run.     Four-mile  heats  in  from  7  to  8  minutes  and 


three-mile  heats  in  from  5  to  6  minutes  were  so  common 
as  to  excite  little  surprise.  There  was  scarcely  a  race 
meeting  held,  either  in  the  North  or  the  South,  that  did 
not  develop  one  or  more  such  records  among  its  events. 
Several  of  the  more  striking  achievements  of  this  char- 
acter are  recorded  in  detail  in  another  chapter  of  this 
volume.  There  were  others,  however,  that  were  only 
secondary  in  interest,  so  far  as  time  was  concerned,  even 
if  they  did  not  attract  the  sensational  sectional  attention 
that  was  given  to  the  greater  events. 

To  go  back  somewhat  beyond  the  period  which  we 
have  assigned  as  being  that  of  the  palmiest  days  of  the 
turf  there  were  a  few  achievementsthat  certainly  deserve 
passing  recognition.  In  1786,  Brimmer,  seven  years  old 
and  carrying  140  pounds,  won  a  four-mile  heat  at  Tappa- 
hannock,  Va.,  in  8  minutes,  4  seconds,  8  minutes,  8  sec- 
onds and  8  minutes,  12  seconds,  the  time,  with  deduc- 
tions, being  7  minutes,  32  seconds,  7  minutes,  ^6  seconds 
and  7  minutes,  40  seconds.  Snapdragon,  six  years  old 
and  carrying  120  pounds,  won  four-mile  heats  on  the 
Newmarket  Course  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  in  1803,  in  8 
minutes,  7  minutes,  57  seconds  and  8  minutes,  4  sec- 
onds. Cupbearer,  five  years  old,  carrying  112  pounds, 
won  four-mile  heats,  in  1804,  at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  in 

7  minutes,  56  seconds  and  7  minutes,  50  seconds. 

In  1806  came  a  race  upon  the  course  at  Washington 
that  produced  a  great  sensation  at  the  time,  as  being 
remarkable  for  its  competitors,  both  men  and  horses,  and 
for  its  result.  Five  horses  were  entered,  Dr.  Edelin's 
Floretta  by  Spread  Eagle,  six  years  old,  representing 
Maryland;  General  Ridgely's  Oscar,  by  Gabriel,  six 
years  old,  also  representing  Maryland;  Mr.  Bond's  First 
Consul,  by  Flag  of  Truce,  aged,  representing  Pennsyl- 
vania; Colonel  Tayloe's  Topgallant,  by  Diomed,  six 
years  old,  representing  Virginia,  and  Mr.  Brown's 
Nancy,  by  Spread  Eagle,  six  years  old,  representing 
New  Jersey.  The  winning  of  this  race  by  Floretta 
was  deemed  a  marvelous  performance  and  sportsmen 
thought  that  the  acme  of  speed  and  bottom  had  been 
reached  in  this  country.  The  race  was  referred  to  then 
as  "one  of  the  most  memorable  that  ever  came  off  on 
the  Washington  Course.  Horses  were  horses  and  men 
were  men  in  those  days.  Fair  top  boots,  powdered 
heads  and  golden  guineas  were  all  the  go ;  and  for  fair- 
ness and  honor  a  stain  was  felt  like  a  wound."  Floretta 
was  closely  pressed  by  Oscar  and  First  Consul  and  won 
in  the  second  and  third  heats.     Each  heat  was  run  under 

8  minutes  and  the  second  in  7  minutes,  52  seconds. 
The  time  was  better  than  had  been  made  on  the  course 
even  up  to  1829  and  has  not  been  often  surpassed  since. 

In  181 1,  Pacolet  by  Citizen,  four  years  old,  won  the 
first  heat  in  a  race  at  Fairfield,  near  Richmond,  which 
was  not  considered  a  fast  course,  in  7  minutes,  54 
seconds,  and  two  years  after  Sir  Hal  by  Sir  Harry,  four 


34 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


years  old,  won  a  first  heat  in  7  minutes,  ^2  seconds. 
Tile  same  Sir  Hal,  aged,  in  18 16  beat  Tuckahoe,  seven 
years  old,  three-mile  heats  in  5  minutes,  49  seconds  and  5 
minutes,  43  seconds.  In  1803,  Peacemaker,  by  imported 
Diomed,  beating  the  famed  gelding  Surprise,  by  Bell  Air, 
ran  one  heat  in  3  minutes,  43  seconds.  Sir  Solomon, 
by  Tickle  Toby,  in  1808,  when  three  years  old,  ran  two 
four-mile  heats  in  7  minutes,  44  seconds  and  7  minutes, 
49  seconds.  Realty,  beating  Timoleon  in  1816,  both 
horses  being  by  Sir  Archy,  ran  three  two-mile  heats  on 
the  Newmarket  Course  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  in  3  minutes, 
49  seconds,  3  minutes,  47  seconds  and  3  minutes,  48 
seconds. 

Beginning  with  the  second  quarter  of  this  century 
these  long  distance  races  multiplied  in  number,  even  if 
the  records  were  not  materially  decreased.  Upon  the 
Newmarket  Course,  in  1828,  Sir  William,  by  Sir  Archy, 
beating  Washington,  ran  three  fast  two-mile  heats  in  3 
minutes,  50  seconds,  3  minutes,  45  seconds  and  3  min- 
utes, 50  seconds.  The  previous  year  Sally  Walker  beat 
Ariel  in  three-mile  heats,  upon  the  Broad  Rock  Course, 
in  5  minutes,  44  seconds  and  5  minutes,  43  seconds. 
Upon  the  same  course,  also  in  three-mile  heats,  Sussex 
beat  Polly  Hopkins,  in  1830,  in  5  minutes,  46  seconds, 
and  5  minutes,  48  seconds,  and  Atalanta,  beating  Deca- 
tur and  others  in  1837,  ran  a  second  heat  in  5  minutes, 
44  seconds.  One-eyed  Joe,  in  1855,  beat  Frankfort  and 
Seline  three-mile  heats  in  5  minutes,  48  seconds  and  5 
minutes,  43  seconds,  and  two  years  previously  Red-Eye, 
by  Boston,  seven  years  old,  beat  Lawson  and  One-eyed 
Joe  in  three-mile  heats  in  5  minutes,  46  seconds  and  5 
minutes,  44  seconds.  The  fastest  four-mile  heat  over 
this  Broad  Rock  Course  was  won  by  Lizzie  McDonald, 
formerly  Sue  Washington,  beating  Tar  River  in  7  min- 
utes, 37>^  seconds,  doing  three  miles  in  5  minutes,  40 
seconds,  her  time  for  the  heat  being  three  seconds  faster 
than  the  best  time  on  the  course.  That  was  in  1858. 
Tar  River,  was  only  a  length  behind  Sue  Washing- 
ton when  she  won  this  fast  heat,  and  was  the  win- 
ner of  the  race.  Five  years  previous,  on  the  same 
course,  Red-Eye,  aged,  beat  Nina,  also  by  Boston,  in  7 
minutes,  46  seconds,  7  minutes,  46)4  seconds  and  7  min- 
utes, 49  seconds,  and  Sir  Hal  also  won  there  a  race  in  a 
single  heat  in  7  minutes,  46  seconds. 

In  1827,  Sally  Walker,  five  years  old,  by  Timoleon, 
who  was  then  considered  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  turf, 
beat  the  famous  Ariel,  same  age,  at  three-mile  heats  in  5 
minutes,  54  seconds  and  5  minutes,  43  seconds.  Ariel, 
by  American  Eclipse,  six  years  old,  beat  Trumpator  in 
1828  in  8  minutes,  2  seconds  and  7  minutes,  43  seconds. 
Betsey  Ransom,  by  Virginian,  three  years  old,  had  a 
record  in  1826  of  three  four-mile  heats  in  7  minutes,  50 
seconds,  7  minutes,  45  seconds  and  7  minutes,  50  sec- 
onds.    In  1823,  Sir  Henry,  who  was  then  four  years  old. 


beat  Betsey  Richards  in  the  Spring  Meeting  of  the  New- 
market Course  in  7  minutes,  54  seconds  and  7  minutes, 
58  seconds.  At  the  Fall  Meeting  on  the  same  course 
John  Richards  beat  Betsey  Richards  in  nearly  the  same 
time.  Two  miles  of  a  four-mile  heat  in  each  of  these 
races  was  run  in  3  minutes,  48  seconds,  which  was  close 
up  to  the  record  of  3  minutes  and  46  seconds  that  Sir 
Archy  had  made  in  1809. 

The  most  celebrated  four-mile  heat  races  on  the  Long 
Island  Union  Course  were  that  of  Eclipse  and  Henry  in 
1823,  in  7  minutes,  37  seconds,  7  minutes,  49  seconds  and 
8  minutes,  24  seconds;  that  of  Boston  and  Fashion,  in 
1842,  in  7  minutes,  32^3  seconds  and  7  minutes,  45  sec- 
onds; Lady  Clifden's  race  in  1837,  in  7  minutes,  44  sec- 
onds, 7  minutes,  43  seconds  and  7  minutes,  '^6)4  seconds; 
the  Peytona  and  Fashion  race  in  1846,  when  the  time  of 
two  heats  aggregated  15  minutes  and  25  seconds;  the 
Bostona  and  Fashion  race  in  1848,  when  the  time  of  two 
heats  aggregated  15  minutes,  37^^  seconds;  the  Tally 
Ho  and  Bostona  race  in  1850,  both  horses  by  Boston, 
the  time  being  7  minutes,  ^^J4  seconds,  7  minutes,  43 
seconds,  7  minutes,  53  seconds  and  8  minutes,  and 
Red-Eye's  race  in  1854,  in  which  One-eyed  Joe  won  the 
second  heat  in  7  minutes,  39  seconds,  the  fastest  second 
heat  ever  run  at  the  North,  the  aggregate  time  of  the 
winner's  two  heats  being  15  minutes,  31  seconds. 

Red-Eye's  race  was  on  the  Fashion  Course,  and  on 
the  same  course,  in  1857,  Nicholas  I.,  by  Glencoe  out  of 
a  dam  by  Wagner,  four  years  old,  twice  beat  Sue 
Washington,  first  in  7  minutes,  40  seconds  and  7  min- 
utes, 43  seconds,  and  second,  in  7  minutes,  39  seconds 
and  7  minutes,  44  seconds.  Then  we  have  on  the  same 
course  the  victory  of  Nicholas  I.  over  Engineer  in  two 
four-mile  heats  in  7  minutes,  45  seconds  and  7  minutes, 
47  seconds.  On  the  same  course  Engineer  won  in 
three-mile  heats,  each  heat  in  5  minutes,  42  seconds. 
One  of  the  early  fast  three-mile  heats  was  at  Louisville, 
Ky.,  in  October,  1839,  when  Wagner,  by  Sir  Charles, 
five  years  old,  ran  the  best  three  miles  of  a  second  heat 
of  four  miles  in  5  minutes,  35  seconds,  the  last  mile 
being  in  1  minute,  48  seconds  and  the  two  miles  in  3 
minutes,  43  seconds.  Upon  the  Union  Course  in  May, 
1832,  Boston,  at  five  years  of  age  and  carrying  114 
pounds,  ran  three  miles  in  a  four-mile  heat  in  5  minutes, 
}6}i  seconds. 

In  his  famous  race  with  Fashion  in  1842,  Boston  led 
two  miles  in  3  minutes,  42)^  seconds,  and  three  miles  in 
5  minutes,  37)^  seconds.  In  1855,  Brown  Dick,  by  im- 
ported Margrave  out  of  Fanny  King  by  imported  Glen- 
coe, three  years  old  and  carrying  86  pounds,  beat  Arrow 
a  three-mile  heat  race  over  the  Metairie  Course  in  5 
minutes,  }o}i  seconds  and  5  minutes,  28  seconds.  At 
the  same  meeting,  Lexington,  in  his  record-breaking 
four-mile  race  of  7   minutes,    19^  seconds,   ran  three 


35 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


miles  in  s  minutes,  27  seconds.  Inhis  great  four-mile 
victory  over  Lecomte  on  the  same  course,  Lexington 
made  three  miles  of  one  heat  in  5  minutes,  31^  seconds. 
At  the  same  meeting,  Henry  Perrit,  by  imported  Mar- 
grave, won  two-mile  heats  in  3  minutes,  39  seconds  and 
3  minutes,  40  seconds,  running  the  first  mile  of  the  sec- 
ond heat  in  i  minute,  42^^  seconds.  Doubloon,  by  im 
ported  Margrave  out  of  Picayune  by  Medoc,  beat  Topaz 
and  Charmer  on  the  same  course  in  1849  two-mile  heats 
in  3  minutes,  48^  seconds,  3  minutes,  42  seconds  and  3 
minutes,  37  seconds.  Lecomte,  Berry,  Miss  Foote,  Sally 
Waters  and  others  ran  two  miles  on  the  same  course  in 
about  the  same  time,  Lecomte,  Prioress  and  others  doing 
a  mile  in  about  i  minute,  45  seconds. 

Examples  might  be  multiplied  almost  without  limit 
showing  the  speed  and  bottom  of  the  racers  of  the  olden 
times.  It  is  evident,  however,  without  proceeding 
further,  that  in  everything  that  goes  to  make  up  the  per- 
fect thoroughbred,  the  great  horses  of  the  second  quarter 
of  the  century  were  nonpareils  that  were  the  equal  of 
any  in  the  world,  and  that  would  scarcely  lower  their 
colors  if  put  to  the  supreme  test  with  the  best  of  those 
who  have  succeeded  them.  In  the  States  south  and 
west  of  the  Potomac,  the  high  standard  of  this  early 
period  was  steadily  maintained.  In  the  North,  legiti- 
mate racing  gave  way  to  the  trotting  turf  to  such  a  pre- 
eminent degree  just  previous  to  the  Civil  War  that  such 
horses  as  Eclipse  and  his  distinguished  get,  Maria, 
Mingo  and  others,  who  sustained  the  credit  of  the  turf  in 
this  section,  were  no  longer  to  be  found.  It  is  only 
within  the  last  decade  or  two  that  the  North  has  re- 
established itself  and  with  its  turf  achievements  has 
recalled  the  brilliancy  of  that  great  epoch  when  Eclipse, 
Fashion,  Black  Maria  and  others  of  their  class  success- 
fully challenged  the  best  that  any  other  section  of  the 
country  had  to  offer. 

At  least  a  decade  preceding  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War  the  prospects  of  the  American  turf  began  to  be  of  a 
decidedly  uncertain  character.  Gentlemen  who  had 
been  thoroughly  identified  with  its  interests  for  a  quarter 
of  a  century  or  more  and  who  had  given  to  it  generous 
support,  had  gradually  withdrawn  from  all  connection 
with  it,  principally  because  the  general  conduct  of  its 
affairs  had  fallen  into  unworthy  hands.  Men  who  had 
followed  the  business  of  breeding  and  of  racing  from  a 
wholesome  love  of  the  sport  rather  than  from  any  pur- 
pose to  make  it  a  profitable  pursuit  from  a  financial  point 
of  view,  could  not  look  with  complacency  upon  the 
growing  commercial  spirit  which  was  slowly  but  surely 
coming  to  dominate  the  turf  and  all  that  pertained 
to  it.  Especially  was  this  true  in  the  North,  where  such 
men  as  Messrs.  Stevens,  Coster,  Livingston,  Stockton, 
King  and  others,  who  had  heretofore  given  the  turf  in 
this   section  pre-eminent  business  character  and  social 


standing,  had  broken  up  their  studs  and  were  seeking 
diversion  in  other  sports  than  racing,  particularly  in 
yachting,  which  was  then  coming  into  great  prominence. 

In  the  North  racing  almost  entirely  died  out,  while  in 
the  South  the  meetings  were,  generally  speaking,  of  an 
unimportant  character  when  compared  with  the  great 
affairs  of  previous  years  that  had  been  of  really  national 
importance.  At  a  few  of  the  headquarters  of  historic 
racing  in  the  South,  such  as  Nashville,  Louisville,  New 
Orleans,  Lexington,  Charleston,  and  a  few  other  places, 
some  very  good  racing  was  still  continued,  the  attrac- 
tions being  such  horses  as  General  W.  G.  Harding's 
Herndon  by  Albion  ;  Mr.  George  Everly's  Allemdorf  by 
George  Elliott;  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander's  Lavender,  by 
Wagner  out  of  Alice  Carneal  ;  Mr.  A.  K.  Richards' 
Glycera  and  Colossus,  both  by  Sovereign;  Mr.  John  M. 
Clay's  Daniel  Boone  by  Lexington  out  of  Magnolia,  by 
Glencoe;  Mr.  John  Harper's  Edmonia  Taylor  by  Cracker; 
Mr.  J.  M.  Haye's  Hanover  by  Yorkshire;  Major  T.  W. 
Doswell's  Planet  by  Boston ;  Colonel  D.  McDaniel's 
Financier;  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander's  Lilla  by  Yorkshire,  and 
others  of  the  same  class.  This  list,  which  of  course 
does  not  in  the  least  pretend  to  be  comprehensive,  is 
fairly  representative  of  what  the  turf  of  that  day  had  to 
present,  and  shows  very  clearly  the  striking  difference 
between  these  days  and  those  that  had  preceded  them. 
In  the  North  new  divinities  had  arisen  and  the  fickle 
public  was  bowing  before  the  shrines  of  Flora  Temple, 
Ethan  Allen  and  other  great  trotters  of  the  period,  when 
it  was  not  going  wild  over  the  fistic  work  of  the 
redoubtable  Heenan  and  Sayres  and  their  compeers  in 
the  prize  ring.  Many  of  the  turf  meetings  failed  to 
attract  more  than  a  corporal's  guard,  which  was  in  sad 
comparison  with  the  earlier  part  of  the  century,  when  the 
attendance  often  thousand  or  twenty  thousand  enthusi- 
astic spectators  was  by  no  means  uncommon  upon 
important  racing  days. 

To  such  a  low  estate  had  racing  fallen  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York  about  this  time,  that  the  famous  old  Union 
Course  on  Long  Island  was  often  given  over  to  some 
very  weird  performances.  A  newspaper  report  of  the 
period  thus  describes  an  event  of  this  character,  a  mule 
race  on  Thanksgiving  day  for  a  purse  of  $50:  "Eight 
of  the  obstinate  brutes  were  brought  to  the  starting  point, 
but  only  four  could  be  induced  by  all  the  persuasive 
arguments  of  the  trainers  or  owners  to  go  anyhow.  The 
money  was  awarded  to  Eastern  Jack,  who,  after  being 
left  behind  in  two  heats,  won  the  last  three.  After  the 
second  heat  a  nigger  mounted  him,  and  as  there  is  some 
natural  affinity  between  niggers  and  mules,  he  won 
easily.  Tom  Tit,  a  very  ugly  customer,  appears  to  have 
created  the  most  fun  or  sensation,  for  he  kicked  out 
when  struck  with  a  whip,  ran  into  a.ditch,  was  whipped 
out  of  that  and  then  made  straight  for  the  bar-room  and 


36 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


sc;itterec1  all  the  sniilers  and  knocked  their  glasses  into  a 
thousand  sparkles;  tlnally  he  kicked  a  nigger  on  the 
head  and  it  was  thought  '  the  crowner's  crest '  would  be 
necessary,  but  nigger's  suffering  is  most  tolerable  and 
to  be  endured." 

It  was  generally  acknowledged  that  scarcely  anything 
worthy  of  being  considered  legitimate  horse  racing  was 
now  in  existence  in  the  United  States.  To  make  the 
situation  even  more  unpromising,  there  did  not  appear 
to  be  any  appreciable  elTort  being  made  for  its  rehabilita- 
tion. In  the  vicinity  of  New  York  there  still  existed 
clubs,  on  Long  Island  and  in  Hoboken,  and  also 
further  south  in  Trenton,  Camden,  Baltimore,  Washing- 
ton City,  and,  of  course,  in  Virginia,  Kentucky, 
Tennessee,  South  Carolina,  Alabama,  and  other  Southern 
States.  At  each  of  these  courses  there  were  two  meet- 
ings annually,  and  for  the  entire  list  of  these  races  there 
were  only  about  ten  stables  that  were  able  to  make 
entries,  and  even  of  this  small  number  some  three  or  four 
very  rarely  had  a  winner.  There  was  but  one  possible 
outcome  of  this  condition  of  things.  First  came  an 
inevitable  loss  of  public  interest  in  the  turf  and  a  decrease 
of  patronage  upon  racing  events.  Following  this  was  a 
deterioration  in  the  management  of  race  courses  and 
less  and  less  interest  paid  to  breeding  and  training. 
Ultimately  it  came  about  that  many  of  the  courses  were 
abandoned,  their  grounds  being  turned  over  to  agricul- 
tural purposes,  and  the  stables  devoted  to  the  plough. 

Still,  soon  after  the  middle  of  this  decade  there  were 
abundant  indications  that  the  apathy  that  had  so  long 
prevailed  was  in  a  fair  way  soon  to  be  dissipated. 
Undeterred  by  the  difficulties  that  surrounded  them  and 
the  clouds  that  overshadowed  them,  many  of  the  most 
devoted  turfmen  in  different  parts  of  the  country  were 
united  in  determination  to  revive  interest  in  racing  by 
concentrated  efforts  to  elevate  its  character  and  to  make 
it  more  profitable  to  breeders  and  owners  and  more 
attractive  to  the  public.  There  was  quick  response  to 
these  efforts,  and  it  was  not  long  before  reports  of  a  new 
and  encouraging  spirit  began  to  be  heard  from  all  parts 
of  the  country.  Confidence  increased  that  the  sport 
would  again  resume  the  prominent  and  commanding 
position  which  it  had  enjoyed  during  the  brilliant  days 
of  Boston,  Fashion,  Sir  Henry,  Eclipse,  Sir  Archy  and 
other  giants  of  the  early  turf.  To  be  sure  it  was  no 
longer  expected  that  such  gentlemen  as  Messrs.  Stevens 
and  Livingston,  of  New  York,  Stockton  and  Gibbons,  of 
New  Jersey,  Craig,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Johnson,  Botts 
and  a  score  of  others  of  the  South  would  give  to  the 
turf  the  countenance  that  they  had  bestowed  upon  it, 
before  it  had  become  so  thoroughly  imbued  with  the 
-spirit  of  professionalism.  Nevertheless,  during  the  time 
that  racing  had  rested  somewhat  under  a  cloud,  a  few 
devoted  spirits  had  still  been  generous  in  time  and  atten- 


tion to  breeding  and  were  developing  new  racers,  who 
were  showing  a  speed  that  was  surprising  and  that  was 
again  commanding  the  attention  of  all  lovers  of  sport. 
Indeed,  it  may  be  said,  that  the  thoroughbreds  themselves 
constituted  the  most  important  factor  in  this  impending 
revival.  It  was  impossible  for  anyone,  with  an  ounce  of 
sporting  blood  in  his  veins,  or  with  a  genuine  love  for 
the  horse,  to  resist  the  appeal  that  was  made  to  his 
enthusiasm,  or  to  escape  the  influence  that  was  an 
inevitable  outcome  of  the  performances  of  the  new  race 
of  thoroughbreds. 

Looking  at  the  matter  solely  from  the  point  of  view  of 
the  time  test,  there  was  certainly  no  degeneracy  to  be 
discovered  in  the  race  horses  of  the  period,  however  it 
might  have  been  in  the  managements  of  the  affairs  in 
which  they  were  the  principal  actors.  If  we  should 
except,  perhaps,  Boston  and  a  few  of  his  best  sons,  the 
race  horses  that  now  existed  in  the  United  States  were 
as  perfect  as  any  that  had  preceded  them,  and  quite  as 
capable  at  any  and  all  distances.  For  example,  during 
the  year  1856  there  were  many  good  racers  at  various 
distances  that  would  compare  favorably  with  the  best  in 
the  days  gone  by.  Leaving  out  of  the  reckoning  the 
phenomenal  Boston  and  Fashion  match,  the  contest 
between  Floride  and  Sebastapol  in  the  spring  of  1856, 
near  Baltimore,  was  faster  than  any  four-mile  race  ever 
run  in  the  Atlantic  States.  Floride's  time  in  the  two 
straight  heats  in  which  the  race  was  run  was  7  minutes, 
38  seconds  and  7  minutes,  42  seconds.  In  the  aggregate 
this  was  only  3  seconds  slower  than  Fashion's  most 
wonderful  achievement,  when  at  the  same  age  as  Floride 
and  carrying  nearly  the  same  weight.  It  was  8  seconds 
faster  than  the  memorable  heats  of  Henry  and  Eclipse, 
that  for  years  were  unsurpassed  and  were  regarded  by 
many  sportsmen  as  unapproachable.  In  the  same  year 
Sebastapol,  on  the  Newmarket  Course,  in  Virginia,  beat- 
ing Frankfort,  by  Glencoe,  run  four  miles,  in  the  precise 
time  of  Sir  Henry  and  John  Richards  with  the  same 
weight  for  four-year  olds  in  the  memorable  Eclipse  year 
of  1823,  Balloon,  by  Yorkshire,  in  Kentucky,  won  a  sec- 
ond heat  in  four  miles  in  7  minutes,  47  seconds,  2 
seconds  faster  than  Eclipse's  famous  second  heat,  when 
he  beat  Henry.  The  get  of  Tally  Ho,  son  of  Boston;  of 
Revenue,  son  of  Trustee;  of  Glencoe,  Sovereign,  York- 
shire Wagner  and  others  stood  at  the  head  of  the  turf. 

In  this  Renaissance  meetings  in  different  parts  of  the 
country,  especially  in  the  South,  began  to  attract  more 
attention  than  had  been  given  to  them  for  many  years. 
In  this  era  there  were  several  places  in  the  South  in 
which  racing  began  again  to  be  eminently  successful  and 
flourishing,  as,  for  instance,  Lexington,  Ky. ;  Charleston, 
S.  C,  and  New  Orleans.  Besides  almost  every  little 
town  of  10,000  inhabitants  or  more  strove  to  maintain  a 
course,  and  races  were  advertised  to  be  held  at  such 


37 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


places  as  the  Rapides  Course  in  Alexandria,  La. ;  the 
Herring  Run  Course  in  Baltimore,  Md. ;  the  Washington 
Course  in  Charleston,  S.  C. ;  the  Congaree  Course  in 
Columbia,  S.  C. ;  the  Chattahooche  Course  in  Columbus, 
Ga. ;  the  Central  Course  in  Macon,  Ga. ;  the  Nashville 
Course  in  Nashville,  Tenn. ;  the  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Course, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Atlanta  Jockey  Club;  the 
Lafayette  Course,  of  Augusta,  Ga.,  under  the  auspices 
the  Jockey  Club  of  that  place;  the  Prudhomme  Course 
in  Natchitoches,  La. ;  the  Newmarket  Course  in  Peters- 
burg, Va. ;  the  Ten  Broeck  Course  in  Savannah,  Ga. ; 
the  Warrenton  Course  in  Warrenton,  N.  C. ;  the  Fairfield 
Course  in  Fairfield,  Va. ;  the  Bascombe  Course  in 
Mobile,  Ala. ;  the  Glasgow  Course  in  Kentucky,  and 
others  of  like  standing. 

The  more  important  of  these  places  supported  racing 
very  well.  Indeed,  the  sport  thrived  better  and  seemed 
to  be  in  better  condition  generally  in  the  South  than  it 
had  been  for  many  years,  or  in  any  other  part  of  the 
United  States  at  that  time.  According  to  population, 
the  turf  was  more  generously  patronized  in  the  smaller 
places  than  at  any  other  courses,  except,  perhaps,  those 
in  Lexington  and  New  Orleans,  the  meetings  often 
attracting  from  fifteen  to  twenty  of  the  best  horses  from 
all  parts  of  the  United  States,  while  the  purses  offered 
ranged  in  value  from  $300  or  $400  to  $1,000.  Among 
the  prominent  owners  who  were  represented  on  these 
occasions  were  Messrs.  William  H.  Gibbons,  Thomas 
W.  Doswell,  Richard  Ten  Broeck,  David  McDaniel,  T.  B. 
Poindexter,  John  Campbell,  B.  F.  Cheatham,  W.  T. 
Cheatham,  H.  E.  Barton,  William  Roundtree,  Thomas 
G.  Bacon,  Thomas  Puryear  and  T.  B.  Goldsby. 

Good  prices  began  to  be  paid  for  thoroughbreds,  for 
their  value  on  the  turf  and  in  the  stud. was  fully  recog- 
nized. Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander,  of  Woodford,  purchased 
Lexington  from  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  in  i8s6,  paying  for  him 
$15,000.  That  was  not,  however,  the  highest  price  that 
had  been  paid  for  a  horse  in  the  United  States  at  that 
time.  Priam,  who  was  imported,  cost  $25,000.  Rodolph, 
a  horse  that  never  amounted  to  much  in  anyway,  brought 
$18,000.  Monmouth  Eclipse  sold  for  $14,000,  and  one 
authority  of  that  period  declared  that  he  was  worth 
about  twenty  shillings.  Post-boy,  who  was  the  North- 
ern champion  and  ran  against  John  Bascombe,  by  whom 
he  was  defeated,  was  sold  for  over  $18,000.  Porter's 
Spirit  of  the  Times  said  of  these  two  horses  "Neither 
he  nor  Bascombe  were  worth  shucks,  and  neither  has 
been  the  sire  of  a  winner  fit  to  start  for  sour  buttermilk." 
Bertrand  and  Medoc  were  each  held  to  be  worth  $35,000. 
Shark  and  Medley  sold  for  $10,000  each,  and  to  quote 
again  from  Porter's  Spirit  of  the  Times,  "The  first  .was 
originally  worth,  as  a  stallion,  twenty  shillings;  the 
second  not  the  cost  of  the  powder  and  shot  that  should 
kill   him."      Other  horses   of  that   day   brought  prices 


comparable  with  those  that  have  already  been  quoted. 
Nor  was  the  South  entirely  alone  in  feeling  the  stimu- 
lus of  the  new  spirit  and  in  participating  in  the  renewed 
activity  in  turf  matters.  New  York  had  hitherto  main- 
tained almost  alone  the  standing  of  the  thoroughbred  in 
its  section,  and  now  the  old  Fashion  Course  began 
again  to  witness  affairs  that  in  a  small  way,  at  least, 
recalled  its  earlier  triumphs.  One  of  the  most  interesting 
races  of  this  period,  whether  of  the  North  or  of  the 
South,  was  that  wherein  Nicholas  I.  defeated  Engineer, 
an  account  of  which  is  given  in  another  chapter  of  this 
volume.  In  this  race  were  matched  the  Glencoe  stock, 
represented  in  Nicholas,  champion  of  the  North;  the 
Sovereign  stock,  represented  in  Charleston,  the  cham- 
pion of  the  more  extreme  South,  and  the  Revenue 
stock,  represented  by  Engineer,  the  champion  of  Vir- 
ginia, three  illustrious  sons  of  three  of  the  most  renowned 
stallions  in  America.  Not  only  as  a  contest  between 
rival  sections  of  the  country,  recalling  memories  of  simi- 
lar meetings  of  previous  generations,  did  this  race  attract 
attention,  but  it  was  also  the  occasion  of  animated  dis- 
cussion regarding  the  relative  merits  of  the  three  great 
equine  families  represented  by  the  contestants. 

Locally  it  was  regarded  as  the  greatest  turf  event  of 
the  season,  and  called  out  the  attention  not  only  of  rac- 
ing men,  but  of  society  folk  and  the  public  generally. 
Special  preparations  were  made  for  the  occasion  by  the 
managers  of  the  course,  as  the  following  advertisement, 
which  was  published  in  the  newspapers  of  the  day,  will 
show  :  "Fashion  Course — In  order  that  those  in  mod- 
erate circumstances  may  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
the  Great  Four-Mile  Race  between  Nicholas,  Charleston 
and  Engineer  at  a  moderate  expense,  the  Proprietor  has 
adopted  the  following  scale  of  prices  for  admission  to 
the  Course  and  Stands:  Subscribers'  Badge  for  the  meet- 
ing, $10.00.  Quarter  Stretch  Badge  for  the  day,  $3.00. 
Admission  to  Field  and  Public  Stands,  $1.00.  Gentle- 
man's Badge  for  Ladies'  Stand,  $2.00.  The  Members' 
Stand  has  been  set  apart  for  the  exclusive  use  and  occu- 
pancy of  Ladies  and  their  attendants,  and  no  charge  will 
be  made  for  Ladies;  and  a  handsome  saloon  has  been 
fitted  up  for  their  special  accommodation,  where  refresh- 
ments of  all  kinds  and  of  the  best  quality  can  be  obtained. 
Billy  Florence  will  be  on  hand  in  the  Quarter  Stretch 
Stand  with  Fish,  Chowder,  Oyster  Stews,  Oysters  in  the 
half  shell  and  all  sorts  of  accompaniments;  and  visitors 
to  the  course  may  rely  on  everything  being  in  perfect 
keeping  with  the  occasion.  An  efficient  police  is  en- 
gaged, and  the  most  perfect  order  will  be  kept." 

Another  good  four-mile  heat  race  was  run  in  June, 
1857,  upon  the  Fashion  Course,  on  which  occasion  Mr. 
John  G.  Cocks,  of  Louisiana;  Mr.  Francis  Morris,  of  New 
York,  and  Mr.  Henry  K.  Toler,  of  New  Jersey,  were  the 
judges.      Mr.  John  Hunter's  Nicholas  1.,   by  imported 


3S 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Glencoeout  of  Nanny  Rhodes  by  Wagner,  Campbell  and 
Barton's  Lizzie  McDonald,  formerly  Sue  Washington,  by 
Revenue  out  of  Sarah  Washington  by  Garrison's  Zin- 
ganee,  and  Mr.  James  Talley's  Lucy  Philips,  by  Tally  Ho 
out  of  Betsey  White,  were  the  contestants.  Nicholas  1. 
won  in  two  straight  heats,  the  time  being  7  minutes,  39 
seconds  and  7  minutes,  44)^  seconds.  Nicholas  I.  was 
a  celebrated  horse  of  his  day.  In  1856  he  was  sold  for 
$3,000,  and  within  one  year  won  double  that  amount  in 
stakes,  while  those  who  backed  him  rarely  failed  to 
realize  large  money.  He  was  foaled  in  Kentucky,  near 
Lexington,  and  the  famous  jockey,  Pincus,  almost 
invariably  rode  him. 

Down  to  the  close  of  the  half  century,  Virginia  stock 
or  descendants  maintained  their  supremacy.  Close  up 
to  the  time  of  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  such  horses 
of  Virginia  families  as  Whale,  Marksman,  Bonnie  Lassie, 
Lizzie  McDonald,  Engineer,  Shocco  and  Slasher  were 
among  the  leading  winners,  and  even  Governor  Wick- 
liffe,  although  got  by  the  renowned  Glencoe  out  of 
Motto  by  the  St.  Leger  winner,  Barefoot,  and  bred  in 
Kentucky,  was  claimed  to  be  of  old  Virginia  stock  in 
several  of  his  crosses.  The  Virginia  horses  still  con- 
tinued to  be  held  in  the  same  high  esteem  as  during  the 
previous  100  or  150  years,  and  the  patriotic  horsemen  of 
that  State  never  tired  of  referring  to  the  period  when  the 
valuable  blood  horses  of  the  Old  Dominion  were  the 
most  renowned  productions  of  this  country.  Washing- 
ton Irving  in  his  Life  of  Washington  tells  how  the  cele- 
brated Colonel  Tarleton  got  the  advantage  of  the  Conti- 
nental troops  by  mounting  his  cavalrymen  on  race  horses 
that  he  found  on  the  Virginia  plantations. 

That  the  Virginia  horses  still  continued  to  be  as  ex- 
cellent animals  as  their  ancestors  was  shown  again  and 
again  by  their  brilliant  performances  in  this  period.  A 
race  in  four-mile  heats  in  1858,  in  which  the  celebrated 
Lizzie  McDonald,  quite  as  well,  if  not  better,  known  by 
her  original  name  of  Sue  Washington,  defeated  Nicholas 
I.,  the  occasion  being  their  seventh  contest,  was  quoted 
in  support  of  this  proposition.  The  first  heat  of  this  race 
was  run  in  7  minutes,  41^2  seconds,  its  third  and  fourth 
miles  respectively  being  in  i  minute,  54^^  seconds  and  i 
minute,  ^2>4  seconds,  an  aggregate  for  the  two  miles  of 
3  minutes,  47  seconds.  The  second  heat  was  run  in  7 
minutes,  49}^  seconds,  the  last  three  miles  being  in  i 
minute,  58  seconds,  i  minute,  55  seconds  and  i  minute, 
53>^  seconds,  an  aggregate  for  the  three  miles  of  5  min- 
utes, 46}^  seconds,  and  of  the  first  and  second  miles  of 
3  minutes,  53  seconds.  The  first  heat  was  the  fastest 
four  miles  by  half  a  second  ever  made  on  the  Charleston 
Course,  where  this  race  was  run,  and  was  a  gallant  test 
of  blood  and  bottom,  honorable  alike  to  the  victor  and 
the  conquered. 

The  entries  for  the  autumn  races  over  the  Fashion 


Course  on  Long  Island  in  September,  1858,  will  give  as 
fair  an  idea  as  it  is  possible  to  present  in  any  way  of  the 
personality  of  the  turfmen  of  that  period,  and  of  the 
character  of  the  horses  that  were  then  most  prominent. 
The  Fashion  Course  was  no  longer  controlled  by  a 
gentlemen's  jockey  club,  but  was  simply  a  private  en- 
terprise managed  for  business  purposes  by  a  single  pro- 
prietor, Mr.  O.  P.  Hare,  of  Virginia.  In  this  respect  it 
was  in  the  same  class  with  many  other  important  race 
courses  throughout  the  country,  which  were  at  that  time 
entirely  individual  business  projects.  At  this  meeting 
nine  stables  were  represented.  Mr.  John  Hunter,  with 
N.  B.  Young  for  trainer,  had  Nicholas  I.,  Mohican,  Jim 
Watson  and  others.  Mr.  William  H.  Gibbons,  with  D. 
Macoun  for  trainer,  had  the  Czar,  Mary  Eveline,  Gold 
Leaf  and  Crinoline.  Mr.  Francis  Morris,  with  W.  E. 
Ellis,  trainer,  had  Throgg's  Neck,  Westchester  and 
Profit  Colonel  R.  H.  Dickinson,  with  William  Stewart, 
trainer,  had  Don  Juan  and  George  Wickliffe.  Messrs. 
Branch  &  Dickinson,  with  William  Wyche,  trainer,  had 
Tar  River.  Colonel  John  Campbell,  with  T.  B.  Patter- 
son, trainer,  had  Lizzie  McDonald  and  Laura  Spillman. 
The  Messrs.  Doswell,  of  Virginia,  with  Jerome  Edgar, 
trainer,  had  Slasher  and  Planet.  Mr.  P.  C.  Bush, 
Messrs.  Reber  &  Kutze,  Dr.  A.  Kirwin,  of  Canada,  and 
others  were  also  represented.  There  were  eight  nomi- 
nations for  a  great  four-mile  sweepstakes,  among  them 
Lizzie  McDonald,  Nicholas  I.,  Mohican,  Tar  River  and 
Slasher.  For  the  Fashion  Handicap,  with  three  pieces 
of  silver  plate  as  a  prize,  there  were  sixteen  nomina- 
tions, among  them  being  Mr.  P.  S.  Forbes'  Zanoni,  by 
Zinganee;  Mr.  W.  H.  Gibbons'  The  Czar,  by  Tally  Ho; 
Mr.  Charles  S.  Lloyd's  Charlie  Ball,  by  Wagner;  Mr. 
John  Hunter's  Nicholas  I.,  by  imported  Glencoe;  Mr. 
John  Campbell's  Laura  Spillman,  by  Wagner,  and  also 
Don  Juan,  Slasher,  Toler,  Parachute  and  others. 

This  particular  meeting  has  a  special  historical  interest. 
In  the  Fashion  Handicap  was  in  effect  the  first  actual 
introduction  of  the  handicap  in  a  practicable  and  effect- 
ive way  that  had  ever  been  made  in  the  United  States. 
For  a  long  time  there  had  been  many  advocates  of  the 
English  system  of  handicapping,  and  strenuous  efforts 
had  been  made  to  secure  its  trial,  if  not  its  complete 
acceptance.  Up  to  this  time,  however,  none  of  these 
attempts  had  been  successful.  The  adoption  of  the  sys- 
tem in  this  instance,  even  though  in  the  form  of  an 
experiment,  was  looked  forward  to  with  much  interest 
by  turfmen  and  the  public  generally.  The  first  effect  of 
it  was  seen,  as  had  been  predicted,  in  the  large  field  that 
the  race  presented  and  the  high  merits  of  the  horses  that 
were  nominated.  For  a  sweepstakes  to  close  with  six- 
teen nominations  of  the  best  horses  then  on  the  Ameri- 
can turf  was  something  unusual,  where  three,  four  or 
half  a  dozen  entries  were  generally  the  highest  number 


39 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


that  could  be  expected.  It  was,  therefore,  hoped  that 
the  effect  of  this  innovation  would  be  that  larger  fields 
would  be  the  custom  on  all  tracks  and  that  instead  of 
two  or  three  horses,  or  frequently  one  of  pre-eminent 
ability  appearing  to  take  easy  possession  of  a  stake,  or, 
perhaps,  walk  over  the  course  for  it  to  the  disappoint- 
ment of  thousands  of  spectators,  there  would  be  many 
competitors  and  an  exciting  contest  in  every  event. 

Our  consideration  of  the  history  of  the  American  turf 
has  now  led  us  to  a  point  where  the  beginning  of  civil 
strife  and  sectional  dissensions  made  their  influence  felt 
upon  the  fortunes  of  this  popular  sport  even  as  they 
were  impressed  upon  all  other  business,  professional  and 
social  interests  of  the  two  prominent  sections  of  the 
country.  The  existence  of  the  turf  at  that  time 
depended  largely  upon  the  hearty  accord  of  owners 
representing  different  portions  of  the  Union  and  with  the 
growing  bitterness  of  feeling  upon  the  political  ques- 
tions that  were  then  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  all  citi- 
zens, it  became  impossible  to  maintain  the  conditions 
that  were  needed  for  successful  racing.  As  we  have 
already  seen,  the  decadence  of  the  turf  had  really  com- 
menced some  years  previous  to  this  date,  and  the  interest 
which  prominent  and  influential  men  had  heretofore 
manifested  in  it  was  palpably  on  the  decrease,  for  rea- 
sons other  than  mere  sectional  differences.  Moreover, 
the  public,  after  passing  through  the  great  panic  of  1857, 
which  brought  ruin  to  thousands  and  naturally  depleted 
the  ranks  of  the  wealthy  patrons  of  racing,  was  pre- 
occupied, not  only  with  thoughts  upon  the  political 
situation,  but  with  energetic  effort  to  recover  its  finan- 
cial standing. 

All  these  things  combined  to  make  it,  that  at  no  pre- 
vious time  in  the  history  of  the  nation  had  there  been  so 
little  disposition  for  the  diversion  afforded  by  sport  of 
any  kind.  The  turf  in  short,  suffered  a  decided  set- 
back and  at  every  point  declined  enormously.  Although 
a  semblance  of  racing  was  still  kept  up,  the  few  events 
that  came  off  were  of  a  desultory  and  unimportant  char- 
acter, Kentucky  being  about  the  only  section  in  which 
the  sport  flourished  with  anything  that  could  be  consid- 
ered as  approaching  its  normal  vigor.  Before  actual 
hostilities  between  the  North  and  South  broke  out  pub- 
lic-interest in  the  turf  had  become  reduced  to  a  low 
point  and  the  final  clash  of  arms  gave  the  sport  what 
was  feared  at  the  time  would  be  its  death  blow. 

It  is  singular  to  notice,  however,  and  is  also  an  inter- 
esting commentary  upon  the  spirit  of  the  times  as 
showing  the  general  hopefulness  that  pervaded  both 
sections  up  to  the  last  moment  that  somehow  the 
dreaded  conflict  would  be  avoided,  that  the  racing  events, 
such  as  they  were,  were  continued  throughout  i860  and 
even  into  1861.  They  were  advertised  in  the  Northern 
newspapers  and  reports  of  them  sent  from  the  South  were 


of  a  character  that  showed  that  many  of  the  turfmen 
were  even  more  concerned  over  questions  of  pedigree 
and  speed  than  they  were  over  the  controversies  of  poli- 
tics and  arms.  Even  after  Fort  Sumter  had  been  fired 
upon,  this  condition  of  affiiirs  continued.  As  late  as 
June,  1861,  the  Magnolia  Jockey  Club,  of  Mobile,  Ala., 
announced  its  Winter  Meeting  for  the  following  Decem- 
ber and  its  spring  stakes  for  March,  1862,  with  seem- 
ingly the  fullest  confidence  that  nothing  would  be 
likely  to  occur  to  interfere  with  the  complete  realization 
of  its  plans.  At  the  same  time  the  Savannah  Jockey 
Club  was  contemplating  its  annual  meeting  in  January, 
1862,  and  other  events  were  set  down  in  Tennessee, 
Kentucky,  South  Carolina  and  Virginia  for  the  summer 
and  autumn  of  1861  and  the  spring  of  1862. 

This  anomalous  condition  of  affairs,  however,  could 
not  long  continue.  Men  soon  became  impressed  with 
the  terrible  seriousness  of  the  struggle  before  them  and 
shortly  abandoned  all  further  thoughts  of  turf  exploita- 
tions. Race  tracks  in  all  parts  of  the  country  largely 
suspended  their  meetings,  the  jockey  clubs,  especially  of 
the  South,  were  dissolved,  while  the  great  breeding 
establishments  that  for  generations  had  been  the  pride  of 
Virginia,  Tennessee  and  other  States  of  that  section 
were  completely  broken  up.  The  thoroughbreds  had 
graver  work  before  them  now  than  striving  for  mastery 
over  the  course.  They  were  drawn  into  the  armies, 
especially  for  the  South,  and  probably  never  in  history 
had  officers  and  men  of  the  cavalry  service  been  so 
superbly  mounted  as  was  now  the  case  in  the  Confed- 
erate Army.  Leading  turfmen  of  the  South  generally 
took  an  active  part  in  the  struggle,  and  their  farms  and 
race  tracks  were,  for  the  time  being,  abandoned.  Mis- 
fortunes of  the  character  that  naturally  afflicted  the 
Southern  people,  for  the  most  part,  were  spared  the 
turfmen  of  the  North,  who  were  relatively  few  in  num- 
ber. Nevertheless,  for  the  time  being,  the  war  put  an 
end  also  to  racing  upon  the  courses  of  the  North,  where 
the  sport  had  been  kept  alive  for  so  long  mainly  through 
a  spirit  of  rivalry  with  the  South. 

General  attention  on  the  part  of  those  who,  despite  the 
overshadowing  clouds  of  war,  still  maintained  a  lingering 
interest  in  horse  flesh,  was  now  in  the  absence  of  those 
particular  exhibitions  of  the  thoroughbred  that  had  here- 
tofore concerned  them  turned  to  a  considerable  degree 
toward  the  English  turf.  The  presence  in  that  country 
of  Mr.  Ten  Broeck,  who  had  already  been  there  for 
several  years  with  his  stable  of  American  cracks,  afforded 
a  special  reason  why  turf  affairs  in  that  country  should 
be  watched  with  increasing  attention  and  interest. 
Consequently,  we  find  that  at  this  period  the  literature 
of  the  American  turf  confined  itself  almost  exclusively  to 
that  special  branch  of  the  subject.  The  trotting  horse, 
however,  held  a  decided  supremacy  over  the  thorough- 


40 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


bred  in  the  attention  tiiat  was  given  to  iiim  in  tlie  Nortii 
clurinc:  the  war  days.  Having  never,  to  any  great 
extent,  been  in  favor  in  the  South,  the  trotter  remained 
unaffected  by  the  changed  conditions  in  that  section. 
The  North,  and  especially  New  York  and  New  England, 
was  the  natural  home  of  the  trotter,  even  as  the  South 
had  on  the  other  hand  always  cultivated  the  thorough- 
bred almost  exclusively.  In  New  England,  where 
racing  had  never  taken  firm  hold  and  has  not  even  to  the 
present  day,  the  trotting  horse  was  the  only  favorite  and 
continued  even  throughout  the  war  to  engross  such 
attention  from  those  interested  in  horses  as  could  be 
given  to  the  subject  amid  the  increasing  distraction  of 
arms.  But  even  this  modified  concern  over  horses  and 
racing  soon  fell  into  the  background,  overwhelmed  by 
the  more  pressing  exigencies  of  the  hour  and  the 
demands  upon  the  patriotism  of  the  public  in  those  times 
that  tried  men's  souls.  It  was  not  long  before  the  turf, 
whether  in  its  running  or  trotting  manifestation,  dis- 
appeared from  the  public  and  business  life  of  the  North, 
as  well  as  in  the  South,  not  to  be  revived  until  after  the 
great  question  of  national  existence  should  be  forever 
settled. 

And  yet  it  was  at  this  critical  time,  as  late  as  August, 
1862,  that  the  first  meeting  ever  held  in  Boston  for  the 
flying  contests  of  the  turf  was  inaugurated  upon  the 
Franklin  Park  Course,  which  had  been  hitherto  given  up 
to  the  trotters  who  have  always  been  exceptionally 
popular  in  Boston.  Up  to  that  time  the  knowledge  of  the 
stay-at-home  sporting  public  of  that  city  had  been  con- 
fined in  the  way  of  racing  entirely  to  trotting  features. 
The  elimination  of  the  Southern  tracks  from  the  calcula- 
tions of  owners  had  moved  them  to  a  desire  to  expand 
the  circuit  for  the  performances  of  their  champions  in  the 
North.  The  owners  of  the  Kentucky  and  New  York 
stables,  who  were  then  furnishing  nearly  all  the  turf 
attractions,  were  a  little  doubtful  about  the  experiment 
of  trying  racing  in  the  old  Bay  State,  but  made  the 
venture  in  default  of  anything  better  offering.  The 
meeting  was  measurably  successful,  but  after  all  failed  to 
fix  the  running  turf  in  the  affections  of  the  Bostonians. 

The  entries  for  this  four  days'  meeting  show  very  well 


upon  what  stables  and  horses  the  turf  was  then  depend- 
ing. Mr.  John  Hunter  was  there  with  Sunshine,  by 
Balrownie  out  of  imported  Comfort  and  Miss  Jessie  by 
Revenue;  the  Honorable  Zeb  Ward  with  a  bay  filly,  by 
Lexington  out  of  a  dam  by  Yorkshire,  and  Reporter, 
by  Lexington  out  of  a  dam  by  Eclipse;  Mr.  P.  C.  Bush 
with  Aerolite,  by  Revenue  out  of  a  dam  by  Rhoda, 
Cyclone  by  Vandal  out  of  Marigold  and  Trovatore  by 
Vandal  out  of  Marigold;  Mr.  C.  S.  Lloyd  with  Throgg's 
Neck,  by  Cracker  out  of  Sally  Ward,  Avalanche  by 
Revenue,  and  Revenge  by  Monarch  out  of  Fashion;  Dr. 
J.  W.  Weldon  with  Betty  Ward  by  Lexington  out  of 
Whalebone;  Captain  T.  G.  Moore  with  Laura  Paris  and 
Idlewild,  both  by  Lexington  ;  Dr.  Underwood  with 
Emma  by  Logan,  and  Mr.  D.  Robbin  with  Wragram  by 
Yorkshire.  In  a  four-mile  race,  single  dash,  at  this 
meeting  Throgg's  Neck  made  the  very  good  time  of 
7  minutes,  '^4/4  seconds,  over  a  course  that  was  in  very 
heavy  condition. 

During  the  same  year  there  were  spring  meetings  in 
New  York  and  Philadelphia.  Most  of  the  same  stables 
were  represented  on  these  occasions,  as  in  the  Boston 
meeting.  It  is  interesting  to  recall  also  that  Philadelphia 
was  like  Boston  in  its  devotion  to  the  trotter  and  had 
never  patronized  the  thoroughbred,  save  in  occasional 
instances.  At  the  Philadelphia  meeting  Mr.  R.  A. 
Alexander  entered  Ann  Clark,  by  Lexington  out  of  Kitty 
Clark  by  Glencoe,  Bay  Flower,  by  Lexington  out  of 
Bayleaf  by  imported  Yorkshire  and  Norton  by  Lexington 
out  of  Novice  by  Glencoe.  The  Honorable  Zeb  Ward 
presented  Blondone  by  imported  Sovereign  out  of  a  dam 
by  Glencoe.  Colonel  Campbell  entered  two  Wagner  colts 
and  Mr.  A.  J.  Minor  entered  two  Balrownie  colts.  In 
the  New  York  meeting,  which  followed  the  Philadelphia 
meeting  by  one  week,  the  same  horses  that  had  appeared 
in  Philadelphia  and  Boston,  with  others  from  Kentucky 
and  New  York  stables,  were  entered,  including  such 
cracks  as  Idlewild,  Molly  Jackson,  Nicholas  I.,  Solferino 
and  others.  These  meetings  are  now  of  interest  chiefly 
from  the  fact  that  they  were  practically  the  last  expiring 
manifestations  of  turf  activity  previous  to  the  stag- 
nation that  was  to  exist  for  the  ensuing  ten  years. 


41 


MODERN  TURF  DEVELOPMENT 


Revival  of  Racing  After  the  Close  of  the  Civil  War — A  Brilliant  Period  in  the  North — 

Anti-Race  Track  Legislation  and  its  Effects — Entering  Upon  a 

New  Career  Under  Changed  Conditions 


'HEN  we  come  to  consider  the  progress  of  the 
turf  in  the  United  States  during  the  last  quar- 
ter of  the  nineteentfi  century,  the  task  is  even 
more  appalling  in  its  magnitude  than  that 
undertaken  in  reviewing  the  earlier  records.  As  we  have 
already  pointed  out,  in  preceding  chapters,  the  great  dif- 
ficulty that  lies  in  the  way  of  evolving  a  thorough  and 
reliable  history  of  the  American  turf  in  the  first  century 
or  more  of  its  existence,  arises  from  the  fact  that  com- 
paratively little  attention  was  given  to  the  preservation 
of  records  in  those  times.  This  was  most  emphatically 
true  of  the  time  previous  to  1800,  and  it  is  only  measur- 
•ably  less  so  of  most  of  the  present  century.  Until  well 
toward  1850  no  one  seemed  to  consider  it  worth  while 
to  gather  the  perishing  records  for  permanent  preserva- 
tion. To  be  sure,  the  Stud  Book  antedates  that  time  and 
the  pedigrees  are  substantially  reliable  back,  perhaps,  to 
the  first  quarter  of  the  century.  But  pedigrees,  however 
important  to  the  breeder  and  professional  turfite,  consti- 
tute only  a  small  part  of  the  whole  history  of  the  turf 

To  the  general  public,  and  to  turfmen  as  well,  the  story 
of  the  great  races  and  of  the  owners  of  olden  times  with 
the  records  of  the  various  efforts  that  were  made  to 
stimulate  and  develop  breeding  and  racing  are  quite  as 
interesting  and,  from  certain  points  of  view,  quite  as 
valuable  as  the  mere  list  of  pedigrees.  It  is  in  these 
latter  particulars  that  the  history  of  the  early  turf  is 
notably  deficient.  The  periodical  press,  upon  which  we 
now  mostly  rely  for  the  preservation  of  the  fleeting  facts 
of  the  day  for  the  benefit  of  posterity  as  well  as  for  our 
own  profit  and  enjoyment,  was  then  almost  unknown  so 
far  as  it  related  to  the  turf  To  be  sure,  as  early  as  1829, 
the  publication  of  the  monthly  magazine,  entitled  The 
American  Turf  Register  and  Sporting  Magazine,  was  be- 
gun by  Mr.  John  P.  Skinner,  of  Baltimore.  Although 
there  was  much  valuable  information  in  this  periodical, 
it  was  not  altogether  reliable,  nor  did  it  pretend  to  any 
degree  of  thoroughness  regarding  the  events  of  the  turt 
during  its  existence.  Moreover,  it  lasted  only  fifteen 
years.  For  some  two  or  three  years  Mr.  Cadwalader 
R.  Colden,  of  New  York,  who  was  well  known  as  a 
writer  about  the  turf  over  the  signature  of  "An  Old 
Turfman,"  published  another  sporting  magazine  that 
was  very  admirable  in  its  way,  howsoever  inadequate 
and  disappointing  it  was  in  its  failure  to  cover  the  entire 


field.  Some  time  in  the  thirties  Mr.  William  T.  Porter 
founded  the  first  weekly  sporting  newspaper  ever  pub- 
lished in  this  country.  The  Spirit  of  the  Times.  More 
space  was  given  in  this  paper  to  other  kinds  of  sport 
than  to  racing,  such  as  hunting,  fishing,  gaming,  etc., 
but  on  the  whole,  the  periodical  entered  upon  an  un- 
occupied field  and  became  of  very  decided  usefulness. 
In  its  columns,  and  in  those  of  its  successors,  variously 
known  as  The  Old  Spirit,  Porter's  Spirit  and  Wilkes' 
Spirit,  the  delver  for  information  regarding  the  American 
turf  down  to  the  time  of  the  Civil  War,  finds  much  that 
is  valuable  and  interesting  and  out  of  which  it  is  possible 
to  construct  a  fairly  accurate  history  of  the  turf  of  that 
period.  Although  breeding  and  racing  assumed  consid- 
erable proportions  between  182^  and  1850,  the  sport 
was,  generally  speaking,  in  compact  shape,  that  is,  com- 
paratively few  horses  attained  to  great  prominence,  few 
breeders  and  owners  were  prominent,  and  the  racing 
events,  while  of  transcendent  interest,  were  not  notably 
numerous.  It  is,  therefore,  not  difficult  to  gain  some- 
thing of  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  general  condition 
of  the  sport  in  those  generations. 

Coming  down  to  the  immediate  present,  the  task  of 
reviewing  the  progress  of  the  turf  of  the  United  States 
during  this  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century  be- 
comes almost  appalling  in  its  magnitude.  Racing  has 
arisen  to  be  one  of  the  most  popular  forms  of  sport,  and 
the  gallant  thoroughbred,  as  a  subject  of  popular  admir- 
ation, is  scarcely  second  to  the  great  operatic  prima 
donna  or  the  famous  actress.  In  the  aggregate,  many 
thousands  of  persons  are  regular  attendants  upon  the 
race  meetings  in  the  various  parts  of  the  country  during 
the  season,  which  is  generally  considered  to  begin  in 
May  and  end  in  November.  Nor  does  this  activity 
cease  altogether  with  the  autumn  months.  Such  is  the 
popular  demand  for  the  sport  that  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  satisfy  it  anywhere  within  reasonable  limitation.  As  a 
result,  winter  racing  has  been  instituted  as  a  feature  of 
several  of  the  courses  in  the  South  and  in  California, 
and  for  a  short  time  was  even  indulged  in  to  a  limited 
extent  in  the  North,  where,  however,  the  spectacle  of 
game  blood  horses  tearing  their  way  through  mud  and 
snow  was  anything  but  agreeable  to  admirers  of  the 
noble  animal.    But  take  it  throughout  the  country,  start- 


ing with  New  York  in  the  North,  since  there  is  almost 


42 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF. 


no  running  known  in  the  section  furtiier  E;ist,  and 
going  tiirougii  the  West,  South,  Southwest  and  to  the 
Pacific  Coast,  it  is  scarcely  exaggeration  to  say  that 
there  is  practically  no  cessation  in  the  beat  of  the 
thoroughbred's  hoofs  upon  the  track  throughout  the 
entire  year.  It  is  a  common  thing  for  a  thousand  or 
more  horses  to  be  in  training  at  a  single  one  of  the 
more  important  race  tracks,  and  the  total  number  of 
thoroughbreds  of  each  season  is  almost  beyond  calcula- 
tion. 

The  difficulties  that  lie  in  the  way  of  even  a  compara- 
tively adequate  review  of  the  phenomenal  activities  con- 
nected with  the  turf  in  the  present  day  must  be  apparent 
to  everyone.  Volumes  would  be  required  and  a  lifetime 
of  work  would  be  called  for  to  treat  the  subject  compre- 
hensively and  thoroughly.  As  it  is,  the  Stud  Book  and 
the  various  turf  guides  are  plethoric  with  information, 
which,  however,  is  purely  statistical,  and  does  not  pre- 
tend to  give,  in  any  sense  whatsoever,  a  picture  of  the 
turf  as  it  really  exists,  with  the  influences  surrounding 
and  guiding  it  and  its  position  as  a  great  national  insti- 
tution. The  miscellaneous  literature  of  the  subject  has 
become  something  enormous.  Daily  newspapers  give  a 
great  deal  of  their  space  to  recording  the  movements  of 
the  thoroughbreds  and  of  those  who  are  interested  in 
them,  whether  as  owners,  breeders,  trainers,  racing 
officials,  or  followers  of  the  turf  generally.  Special 
periodicals  devoted  to  the  business  have  increased  in 
number  and  in  value,  and  it  takes  thousands  of  columns 
every  year  to  even  measurably  record  the  turf  activity  of 
the  period. 

With  this  superabundance  of  material  at  hand,  while 
so  much  of  it  is  of  a  desultory  and  ephemeral  character, 
one  may  not  hope  within  reasonable  limitations  of  time 
and  space  to  be  able  to  present  much  more  than  a  gen- 
eral idea  of  the  prominence  that  turf  affairs  have  assumed 
in  contemporaneous  times,  or  to  more  than  merely 
touch  upon  some  of  its  most  salient  features  with  the 
idea  of  fairly  exhibiting  its  present  status,  the  character 
of  the  gentlemen  who  are  now  conspicuously  recog- 
nized as  its  supporters,  the  ups  and  downs  of  its  career, 
some  of  the  more  notable  and  picturesque  features  that 
identify  it,  and  the  outlook  for  its  future  greatness. 
Looked  at  in  this  way,  it  becomes  absorbingly  interest- 
ing, not  only  to  sportsmen,  but  also  to  the  general 
reader,  who  is  perhaps  little  concerned  over  long  pedi- 
grees or  tables  of  records.  Certainly,  the  relation  of  the 
history  of  no  national  institution  of  this  period  could  by 
any  possibility  be  more  fascinatingly  interesting  than 
that  pertaining  to  the  American  turf. 

A  revival  of  racing  was  not  immediate  after  the  close 
of  the  hostilities  that  had  racked  the  North  and  South. 
The  widespread  destruction  of  important  business  and 
social  interests  that  had  been  the  inevitable  result  of  that 


terrible  contest  made  it  impossible  for  communities  to 
return  at  once  to  their  former  condition.  Profound 
governmental  and  other  questions  that  had  arisen  out  of 
the  struggle  between  the  two  sections  remained  so  long 
unsettled  that,  as  the  history  of  the  period  shows  us,  the 
animosities  between  North  and  South  were  scarcely  less 
violent  than  they  were  in  the  dark  days  when  the  ap- 
peal to  the  abitrament  of  arms  was  being  considered, 
and  when  partisan  passions  raged  fiercely.  Moreover, 
the  great  breeding  establishments  of  the  South  had  gone 
with  the  general  ruin  that  had  swept  over  that  section  of 
the  United  States,  while  hundreds  of  the  best  thorough- 
breds had  fallen  upon  the  battle  field.  In  years  gone  by 
the  turf  was  really  dependent  for  its  existence  upon  these 
Southern  stables  and  stud  farms.  Their  loss  now  was 
seriously  felt  all  over  the  country  and  was  impossible  of 
remedy,  except  by  a  slow  and  steady  growth  extending 
over  many  years  of  the  future. 

Gradually,  however,  the  atmosphere  began  to  clear, 
business  came  back  to  its  normal  condition,  men's 
minds  turned  more  and  more  from  the  strife  of  arms 
and  politics  and  sectional  controversies,  and  they  again 
found  time  to  devote  to  the  amenities  of  life.  Among 
the  interests  that  earliest  felt  the  influence  of  this  new 
national  life,  racing  was  most  conspicuous.  A  few 
years  had  served  to  bring  into  existence  almost  a  new 
race  of  thoroughbreds,  principally  based  upon  a  few 
noble  horses  who  had  escaped  the  perils  of  war  and  the 
demands  of  military  service.  Yearlings  from  Kentucky, 
Tennessee  and  other  great  breeding  States  came  out 
again,  and  although  at  first  they  were  few  in  number, 
their  presence  indicated  that  a  start  had  been  made  in  the 
right  direction.  This  gave  abundant  encouragement  to 
those  who  were  most  hopeful  of  seeing  a  return  of  the 
glorious  days  of  the  old  regime  in  racing. 

In  the  decade  that  included  the  period  of  the  Civil 
War,  particularly  in  its  latter  years,  some  of  the  greatest 
blood  horses  known  to  the  American  turf  made  their 
appearance.  To  a  considerable  extent  they  were  the  get 
of  Lexington  or  Leamington,  although  other  families 
continued  to  perpetuate  themselves  in  a  no  wise  unim- 
portant manner.  Lexington,  who  had  escaped  frilling  a 
victim  of  the  war,  was  again  engaged  in  repopulating 
the  paddocks  and  in  introducing  a  new  crop  of  sons  and 
daughters  who  should  perpetuate  his  fame  even  more 
grandly  than  those  who  had  preceded  them.  Of  Lexing- 
ton's sons,  Kentucky,  Asteroid  and  Norfolk  had  been 
first  in  the  public  eye.  while  Foster,  Preakness,  Harry 
Bassett,  Monarchist  and  others  were  just  at  the  begin- 
ning of  their  careers.  War  Dance  had  returned  from 
exile  in  Texas  to  new  and  valuable  service  in  the  stud. 
Imported  Australian  was  adding  new  strains  to  the  old 
Lexington  and  other  purely  American  blood  that  were 
soon  to  practically  recreate  the  American  thoroughbred. 


43 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Maggie  B.  B.,  one  of  the  most  valuable  brood  mares  ever 
known  to  the  turf  in  the  United  States,  saw  the  light  in 
the  latter  sixties,  while  Eolus  was  just  entering  upon  a 
brilliant  and  important  career.  Vandal  threw  Virgil  and 
other  sons,  and  was  taking  a  noble  part  in  the  recreation 
of  the  turf. 

Enquirer  and  other  sons  of  Leamington  were  giving 
abundant  promise  of  future  usefulness,  while  Billet, 
Glenelg,  Moitemer  and  other  representatives  of  the 
greatest  English  fomilies  were  arriving  from  abroad,  and 
by  their  engagements  in  the  stud  opening  a  distinctly 
new  as  well  as  most  important  chapter  in  the  annals  of 
breeding  on  this  side  of  the  water.  Well  it  might  be  that 
the  genuine  turfman  of  this  period  regarded  the  situation 
not  only  with  complacency,  but  with  a  profound  con- 
fidence that  the  brightest  days  that  the  noble  sport  had 
ever  known  were  about  to  dawn.  Nor,  as  history  has 
since  recorded,  was  this  confidence  in  any  wise  prema- 
ture or  misplaced.  The  older  generation  of  turfmen  had, 
to  a  considerable  extent,  passed  away.  Some  of  them, 
however,  still  lingered  upon  the  scenes  of  their  former 
triumphs,  and  were  no  less  enthusiastic  and  energetic 
than  in  the  days  long  gone  by.  The  places  in  the  ranks 
of  those  who  had  fallen  out  were  more  than  filled  by 
new  accessions,  and  the  public  began  to  take  an  interest 
in  racing  matters  such  as  it  had  scarcely  ever  before 
shown.  And  the  equine  champions  of  this  period  were 
in  every  respect  worthy  of  their  ancestors  and  equal  to 
the  demand  that  the  public  enthusiasm  made  upon  them. 

Within  five  years  after  the  Civil  War  had  been  brought 
to  a  close  men  had  found  time  to  consider  again  the 
delights  of  the  turf.  This  was  the  era  of  the  Ameri- 
can Jockey  Club  at  Jerome  Park  and  the  courses  at 
Saratoga  and  Monmouth  Park,  all  of  which  are  more 
fully  described  in  another  chapter  of  this  volume.  These 
three  courses  in  particular  sprang  at  once  into  the  full 
flower  of  public  approval,  and  were  above  all  else  the 
means  of  leading  to  the  complete  rehabilitation  of  the 
turf  Other  courses  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  were 
opened  at  Paterson  and  Secaucus,  N.  J.,  while  running 
meetings  were  held  at  Chicago,  Narragansett  Park, 
Springfield,  Mass.  ;  Boston,  Columbus,  O.,  and  other 
places  that  had  rarely,  if  ever  before,  seen  jockeys  in 
silken  jackets,  and  that  have  not  since  then  shown  more 
than  a  passing  admiration  for  the  thoroughbred. 

Stimulated  by  this  turf  activity  of  the  North,  and  also, 
of  course,  moved  by  their  inherited  predilection  for  the 
thoroughbred,  the  men  of  the  South,  those  who  had 
been  identified  with  the  turf  for  a  generation  or  more, 
as  well  as  many  younger  men  who  were  joining  the 
ranks,  took  up  again  the  work  that  they  had  laid  down 
in  '6i.  Beginning  to  recover,  at  last,  from  the  debilitat- 
ing effects  of  the  internecine  struggle  in  which  they  had 
been   engaged,    they   turned   their  thoughts   and   their 


energies  again  to  the  old-time  sport  that  had  for  a  cen- 
tury and  a  half  been  characteristic  of  the  section  of  the 
country  with  which  they  were  identified.  Mobile  had 
her  Magnolia  Course,  New  Orleans  her  Metairie  Course, 
Memphis  her  Chickasaw  Jockey  Club,  Nashville  her 
Blood  Horse  Association,  Louisville  her  Woodlawn 
Course  and  Lexington  her  Association  Course,  around 
all  of  which  the  most  delightful  historic  memories  clus- 
tered, and  that  now  returned  to  their  former  high  estate. 
St.  Louis  organized  the  Laclede  Jockey  Club,  Cincinnati 
had  her  Buckeye  Jockey  Club,  while  Zanesville  and 
Chillicothe,  O.,  and  numerous  other  smaller  places,  were 
also  becoming  interested  in  the  running  horse  and 
establishing  courses  where  there  was  always  good 
racing  to  be  seen. 

This  growth  of  public  interest  in  racing  was  steady 
and  rapidly  enlarged  in  proportions  from  this  time  on. 
Localities  where  racing  was  introduced  multiplied,  such 
was  the  unbounded  enthusiasm  that  had  sprung  up 
among  people  in  all  sections  of  the  country.  In  the 
early  years  of  the  succeeding  decade  running  meetings 
were  fimly  established  in  public  favor  in  Nashville,  New 
Orleans,  Richmond,  Lexington,  Louisville,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Denver,  Baltimore,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis,  Chilli- 
cothe, O. ;  Chicago,  Columbus,  O. ;  Philadelphia, 
Ogdensburg,  N.  Y. ;  Helena,  Mont,  and  elsewhere, 
while  the  great  courses  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  City 
were  at  the  height  of  their  unprecedented  popularity 
and  success.  The  racing  season  had  been  already 
extended,  so  that  on  the  regular  and'  most  important 
tracks  it  lasted  with  scarcely  an  interruption  throughout 
the  spring,  summer  and  autumn.  At  the  same  time  the 
demand  for  racing  outside  of  the  regular  season  was 
already  beginning  to  show  itself,  so  that  they  were  here 
and  there  supplementary  seasons  that  were  scarcely  sec- 
ond in  interest  to  the  more  important  and  generally 
recognized  meetings. 

It  must  not  be  thought,  however,  that  all  this  advance- 
ment, pronounced  though  it  was,  was  seen  immediately, 
or  its  importance  fully  recognized  until  after  long  years 
had  gone  by  and  men  were  able  to  look  back  and  con- 
sider the  events  of  those  times  in  the  light  of  their  rela- 
tions to  each  other  and  in  their  final  results.  A  great  deal 
of  this  newly  manifested  interest  in  the  turf  was,  it  must 
be  confessed,  of  a  somewhat  spasmodic  character  and 
did  not  outlive  the  immediate  period  in  which  it  first 
displayed  itself.  The  great  New  York  courses  long  main- 
tained their  supremacy  and  exercised  an  enduring  influ- 
ence. In  some  other  places  that  started  in  brilliantly  and 
with  great  promise  for  success  there  proved  to  be  less 
endurance,  and  the  sport  was  abandoned  there  almost  as 
quickly  as  it  had  been  taken  up. 

Notwithstanding  some  favorable  circumstances  pecu- 
liar to  the  South,  it  required  fully  ten  years  after  the 


44 


TTTE     AMERICAN    TURF 


Civil  War  iiad  closed  to  revive  any  pronounced  interest 
in  racing  in  tiiat  part  ol'  the  coLintry  oi'  in  the  West,  tiiat 
was  more  or  less  influenced  by  tiie  Soutii.  Tiie  people 
who  lived  below  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line  had  not  yet 
recovered  from  the  depressing  effects  of  the  sanguinary 
trouble  that  ended  in  1S64,  and  they  were,  on  the  whole, 
too  fully  engaged  in  seeking  to  restore  their  former  com- 
mercial and  industrial  welfare  and  in  considering  the 
grave  political  and  governmental  questions  that  pressed 
to  the  front  as  an  outcome  of  the  war.  They  had  little 
time,  little  money  and  little  disposition  for  sport  of  any 
kind.  With  their  country  laid  waste  by  the  armies  that 
had  marched  and  fought  over  it,  with  their  material 
possessions  wasted  and  their  lives  to  be  begun  all  over 
again,  it  was  the  practical  problems  of  the  hour  that 
confronted  them. 

Something  more  than  a  day  or  a  year  was  required  to 
bring  back  the  past  and  to  open  the  way  for  a  new  future. 
Even  as  late  as  1874  the  racing  events  of  the  South  and 
West  were  neither  prominent  nor  valuable.  New  Orleans, 
Nashville  and  Lexington  were  the  only  places  in  which 
racing  had  as  yet  begun  to  assume  anything  like  its 
ante-bellum  proportions,  and  even  in  those  places  the 
supporters  of  the  turf  were  not  able  to  offer  very  great 
financial  inducements  to  call  horses  of  the  first  class  to 
the  courses  supported  by  them.  The  events  on  those 
courses  were  mostly  filled  by  local  talent,  or  were  some- 
times contributed  to  by  breeders  and  owners  in  adjacent 
States.  The  Howard  Sewanee,  Phoenix  Hotel  and  other 
stakes  were  not  yet  large  enough  to  attract  much  out- 
side attention,  nor  was  a  victory  over  the  fields  that 
generally  ran  for  them  considered  of  much  importance. 
Attempts  were  made  to  start  racing  on  a  considerable 
scale  in  Louisville,  St.  Louis,  Chicago  and  elsewhere,  but 
in  no  case  did  notable  success  attend  the  enterprises. 
Chicago  tried  to  mix  the  incongruous  elements  of  trotting 
and  running  with,  of  course,  the  inevitable  failure  that 
has  ever  attended  such  ill-advised  attempts.  The  half  a 
dozen  seasons  or  more  that  the  course  was  open  there 
has  scarcely  left  a  memory,  and  certainly  no  important 
impress,  upon  the  turf  of  the  country.  As  for  St.  Louis, 
only  the  slightest  attention  was  paid  to  the  racing  intro- 
duced there,  for  owners  and  breeders  in  other  parts  of 
the  country  found  better  engagements  nearer  at  home. 
Even  in  Louisville  there  was  manifest  difficulty  in  reviv- 
ing interest,  despite  the  fact  that  that  city  was  so  near 
the  great  blue  grass  region. 

In  North  Carolina  almost  the  first  attempt  to  hold  a 
running  race  after  the  war  was  at  the  State  Fair  in 
Raleigh  in  1872.  The  event  is  interesting  as  affording  a 
striking  illustration  of  the  weakness  of  the  turf  in  that 
State  at  that  time,  and  it  is  also  a  fair  illustration  of  the 
condition  of  things  that  generally  prevailed  then  through- 
out the  South.     With  difficulty  even  the  semblance  of  a 


race  was  arranged.  A  chestnut  colt,  named  Jack  Roul- 
hac,  a  nameless,  thoroughbred  gray  mare  and  a  nameless 
gray  colt  were  entered.  The  chestnut  colt  ran  one  and 
one-half  miles  in  3  minutes,  30  seconds,  and  was  easily 
the  winner.  In  the  following  year  a  few  more  horses 
appeared  upon  a  similar  occasion,  and  Jack  Roulhac  was 
again  at  the  head  of  the  procession.  In  1875,  the  annual 
race  was  contested  by  Jack  Roulhac,  Notre  Dame  (a  bay 
mare  by  Lexington  out  of  Novice)  and  Mary  Long,  a 
bay  mare  by  Warminster.  In  1875,  there  was  some  very 
good  racing  at  the  State  Fair,  and  from  that  time  on 
the  condition  of  things  began  to  steadily  improve.  In 
1872,  Red  Dick  was  the  only  thoroughbred  stallion  stand- 
ing in  the  State. 

A  project  for  reviving  racing  in  the  South  on  a  broad 
scale  was  started  in  the  summer  of  1872.  Some  of  the 
leading  turfmen  of  the  country  made  an  appeal  to 
members  of  the  old  Charleston  Jockey  Club  and  the 
supporters  of  the  turf  in  Macon,  Savannah  and  Augusta. 
Recalling  "the  happy  hours  spent  under  the  old  regime," 
they  urged  that  measures  should  be  taken  to  re-establish 
racing,  particularly  in  the  cities  named,  and  pledged 
themselves  to  send  their  horses  and  to  do  all  in  their 
power  to  perpetuate  the  interest  of  racing  throughout 
the  old  Southern  circuit.  Among  the  prominent  owners 
and  trainers  who  joined  in  this  declaration  were  Colonel 
David  McDaniel,  Major  T.  G.  Bacon,  Major  Thomas  W. 
Doswell,  Dr.  J.  W.  Weldon,  Mr.  E.  V.  Snedeker,  Mr. 
David  McCoun,  Captain  W.  M.  Connor,  Mr.  Thomas 
Puryear,  Mr.  H.  P.  McGrath,  Mr.  R.  W.  Walden  and 
others  to  the  number  of  twenty-five. 

Down  even  to  the  time  of  the  early  seventies,  the 
glory  that  has  compassed  the  turf  in  this  generation  was 
still  in  the  future,  despite  the  gratifying  progress  that 
had  been  made  towards  its  revival  and  the  fixed  position 
that  it  had  been  able  to  attain  in  several  localities.  Not- 
withstanding the  multiplication  of  race  tracks,  Lexington 
and  Nashville  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  the  American 
Jockey  Club  and  Saratoga  in  the  East,  were  the  only 
ones  that  made  any'  pretense  of  offering  substantial 
inducements  to  breeders  and  owners  to  do  their  part 
toward  the  development  of  the  blood  horse.  Elsewhere 
there  was  little  that  made  it  worth  the  while  of  breeders 
to  expand  their  business  or  to  owners  to  subscribe 
to  stakes.  Those  who  have  made  the  closest  study  of 
the  history  of  the  turf  scarcely  need  to  have  it  pointed 
out  to  them  that  at  the  period  which  is  here  under  con- 
sideration, by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  important  racing 
in  the  United  States  was  upon  the  great  Northern  courses 
and  one  or  two  in  the  South.  Elsewhere  the  racing, 
however  interesting  it  might  be  and  however  suggestive 
of  a  great  future,  was,  on  the  whole,  of  secondary  im- 
portance and  valuable  mainly  as  a  starting  point,  rather 
than  as  marking  a  positive  and  valuable  achievement. 


45 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


The  great  race  courses  of  the  North  for  several  years 
monopolized  public  attention  to  a  degree  that  was  alto- 
gether to  the  disadvantage  of  other  sections,  temporarily 
at  least,  although  of  course  the  ultimate  influence  that 
went  out  from  Northern  institutions  was  beyond  all 
question  healthful.  The  rich  stakes  and  prizes  of  the 
East  drew  all  the  first-class  horses  from  other  parts  of 
the  country,  so  that  the  local  courses  of  the  old-time 
racing  region  were  practically  denuded.  Longfellow, 
Harry  Bassett,  Monarchist,  Enquirer,  Nellie  Gray,  Bonita, 
Tom  Bowling,  Vandalite  and  scores  of  other  great  cracks 
of  that  period  could  be  counted  upon, for  greater  success 
and  more  money  for  their  owners  by  running  at  Jerome 
Park,  Saratoga,  Monmouth  Park,  Baltimore  and  else- 
where, than  upon  the  courses  nearer  home,  where,  as 
yet,  it  was  impossible  to  offer  large  purses.  The  longer 
this  condition  of  things  continued  the  lower  fell  the 
condition  of  the  Southern  turf,  so  that  ultimately,  as  has 
been  pointed  out  by  one  authority,  "the  racing  clubs  of 
the  South  got  poorer  and  poorer,  while  those  of  the  East 
got  richer  and  richer.  Each  coming  year  those  of  the 
South  became  less  prominent,  those  of  the  East  more 
prominent." 

When  the  Louisville  Jockey  Club  was  organized  in 
1875  it  was  with  a  distinct  recognition  of  this  condition 
of  affairs  and  the  plan  of  opening  valuable  stakes  to  call 
back  the  great  thoroughbreds  to  their  native  heath  was 
inaugurated.  The  result  was  what  might  have  been 
anticipated,  and,  in  the  years  immediately  following, 
racing  on  the  Southern  courses  began  to  show  new  vigor, 
somewhat  even  at  the  expense  of  the  turf  at  the  North, 
which  for  a  decade  or  more  had  enjoyed  such  unex- 
ampled prosperity.  In  the  end  affairs  regulated  them- 
selves so  that  a  fair  balance  was  maintained  between  the 
two  sections,  but  for  a  time  the  struggle  for  supremacy 
was  fierce  and  unyielding  and  engaged  the  energies  and 
resources  of  turfmen  everywhere  to  the  fullest  extent. 

The  year  of  1876  was  a  memorable  one  in  the  history 
of  American  racing.  The  revival  of  interests  in  turf 
matters  had  been  by  this  time  fully  accomplished  and  the 
outlook  for  general  prosperity  during  the  centennial  year 
of  the  Republic  stimulated  the  expectations  of  every  one 
connected  with  the  sport.  The  outlook  was  most 
favorable  for  a  large  patronage  upon  racing  meetings  and 
for  renewed  activity  among  horsemen,  while  at  the 
same  time  many  great  thoroughbreds  were  coming  to 
the  front  whose  performances  seemed  to  justify  the  fullest 
expectations  of  those  who  looked  forward  to  sport  of 
an  exceptionably  important  character.  Such  flyers  as 
Bonaventure,  King  Alfonso,  Aristides,  Ten  Broeck, 
Longfellow,  Enquirer,  Salina,  Tom  Bowling,  Leander, 
Parole,  Vagrant,  Rhadamanthus,  Viator,  Sultana,  Sun- 
burst, Fiddlestick,  Brother  to  Bassett,  Tom  Ochiltree 
and  a  score  of  others  were  among  those  who  were  on 


the  cards,  some  of  them  having  already"  become  of 
approved  merit,  while  others,  who  have  since  attained 
to  fame,  had  yet  their  laurels  to  earn.  Four  hundred 
and  twelve  races  were  run  at  the  recognized  meetings  at 
Jerome  Park,  Long  Branch,  Saratoga,  Baltimore,  Wash- 
ington, Philadelphia,  Lexington,  Louisville,  Nashville, 
Cincinnati,  New  Orleans,  Savannah,  Charleston,  Austin 
and  San  Francisco.  The  minor  meetings  may  be  left 
out  of  consideration,  for  they  did  not  have  a  serious 
influence  upon  the  turf,  although  the  number  of  races 
run  in  connection  with  them  would  largely  augment 
this  quota. 

Of  these  four  hundred  and  twelve  races,  two  hundred 
and  eighty-four  were  dashes  of  from  one-half  a  mile  to 
four  miles  distance,  while  eighty-five  were  heats,  twenty 
hurdle  races  and  twenty-three  steeplechases.  The  total 
amount  of  money  run  in  stakes  and  prizes  amounted  to 
$371,130.  The  prominent  owners  who  participated  in 
these  events  were  Messrs.  August  Belmont,  Pierre 
Lorillard,  George  L.  Lorillard,  H.  P.  McGrath,  Dwyer 
Brothers,  M.  H.  Littell,  E.  A.  Clabaugh,  Frank  Harper, 
J.  A.  Grinstead,  A.  Keene  Richards,  E.  J.  Baldwin, 
Governor  Bowie  and  Captain  McDaniel.  When  the 
season  was  ended  the  record  showed  that  in  many  re- 
spects the  turf  performances  had  been  the  most  remarka- 
ble ever  witnessed  in  this  country.  Unprecedented 
speed  was  shown  by  horses  of  every  age  and  several 
records  were  substantially  reduced.  Palmetto,  the  two- 
year  old  daughter  of  Narragansett,  equaled  the  best 
distance  by  a  two-year  old  at  y&  of  a  mile,  Rhadamanthus 
sharing  with  her  the  honor  of  the  i  minute,  3>4  seconds, 
that  he  made  a  month  previous  in  the  same  year.  Belle 
of  the  Meade  twice  ran  a  one  mile  dash  in  i  minute,  44^ 
second.s,  and  was  ranked  as  one  of  the  best  daughters  of 
imported  Bonnie  Scotland.  First  Chance,  a  five-year 
old,  made  the  best  time,  i  minute,  15  seconds,  for  ^  of  a 
mile.  Vigil,  the  three-year-old  son  of  Virgil,  ran  2  miles 
in  3  minutes,  37^  seconds,  the  best  race  at  this  distance, 
weight  and  age,  and  Brother  to  Bassett,  the  same  age 
with  1 10  pounds  up,  ran  the  same  distance  in  3  minutes, 
35  seconds.  Aristides,  son  of  imported  Leamington,  ran 
2/3  miles  in  3  minutes,  45  seconds,  and  2}4  miles  in  4 
minutes,  27>^  seconds,  both  the  fastest  time  ever  made 
at  the  respective  distances.  Ten  Broeck  reduced  time 
on  three  occasions,  first,  when  he  made  2f'8  miles  in 
4  minutes,  58/^  seconds;  second,  when  he  ran  3  miles 
in  5  minutes,  26}^  seconds,  and  third,  when  he  beat 
down  the  record  for  4  miles  to  7  minutes,  15^  seconds. 

In  citing  these  extraordinary  performances,  the  point 
was  constantly  and  firmly  made,  and  scarcely  denied, 
that  the  horses  appearing  in  this  year  were  far  superior 
to  those  of  any  former  period.  Accepting  this  view  of 
the  case,  it  becomes  interesting  to  note  as  a  striking  indi- 
cation of  the  constantly  improving  quality  of  our  thor- 


I 


I 


46 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


OLighbrcds,  that  even  these  record-breaking  feats,  which 
were  considered,  in  their  day,  phenomenal,  have  since 
then  been  many  times  surpassed  by  having  many  sec- 
onds l<noci<ed  off  of  them.  The  only  two  records  that 
have  maintained  their  place  during  the  more  than  twenty 
years  that  have  elapsed  since  they  were  placed  are  those 
of  Aristides'  4  minutes,  27^4  seconds  for  two  and  one- 
half  miles,  and  Ten  Broeck's  4  minutes,  58>{>  seconds  for 
two  and  five-eighths  miles.  It  is  also  significant  of  the 
growing  interest  that  characterized  turf  affairs  at  that 
period  that  there  was  no  falling  off  in  the  ensuing  year 
as  regards  the  entries  and  other  general  preparations  for 
the  season.  This  was  especially  gratifying  when  it  was 
considered  that  the  extraordinary  features  connected 
with  the  observance  of  centennial  year  had  a  natural 
tendency  to  stimulate  an  exceptional  activity  in  the  turf 
world,  as  in  other  affairs,  that  engaged  the  attention  of 
the  pleasure-seeking  public.  The  conclusion  was  irre- 
sistible that  the  American  turf  was  firmly  established 
upon  more  solid  ground  than  ever  before,  and  that  the 
interest  of  sportsmen  and  of  the  public  generally  could 
no  longer  be  considered  of  a  trifling  or  ephemeral  nature. 
The  character  of  the  attendance  upon  race  meetings  had 
also  reached  a  higher  plane  than  ever  before,  having, 
in  this  respect,  shown  a  steady  and  gratifying  improve- 
ment for  a  decade  past,  and  holding  out  equal  promise 
for  the  future. 

Looking  over  the  field  as  it  exis  ted  at  this  particular 
time,  one  can  scarcely  fail  to  be  profoundly  impressed 
with  this  aspect  of  general  development  and  the  univer- 
sally high  standing  to  which,  at  last,  the  turf  had 
attained  in  nearly  every  part  of  the  country.  The 
revival  that  had  been  eagerly  looked  forward  to  and 
persistently  labored  for  had  been  a  long  time  in  com- 
ing, but  it  had  finally  arrived,  and  in  a  way  that 
delighted  all  who  were  in  any  way  concerned  for  the 
welfare  of  the  blood  horse  or  eager  to  raise  the  turf  to 
a  position  of  national  importance.  It  was  particularly 
between  1875  and  1880  that  exceptional  changes  were 
taking  place  in  the  status  of  racing.  The  record  of  1876, 
as  we  have  just  pointed  out,  was  e.xceptionally  brilliant, 
but  it  was  surpassed,  in  some  respects,  in  the  years 
immediately  following.  Some  definite  idea  of  the  char- 
acter of  this  remarkable  development  may  be  gained  by 
careful  examination  of  some  of  the  most  important  turf 
fixtures  of  the  country  for  several  successive  years  about 
this  time.  These  will  demonstrate,  more  than  any  argu- 
ment or  lengthy  dissertation  possibly  can  to  what  ex- 
tent jockey  clubs  and  horse  associations  were  growing 
in  power  and  influence  and  how  responsive  horsemen 
were  becoming  to  the  liberal  inducements  that  were  held 
out  to  them  from  various  quarters. 

A  comparison  of  the  stakes  and  entries  at  the  principal 
courses  in  the  country  for  the  closing  years  of  this  decade 


is  certainly  instructive.  The  recapitulation  will  give  a 
reasonably  fair  idea  of  the  status  of  the  turf  in  that  par- 
ticular period.  On  some  accounts  the  presentation  would 
seem  to  be  much  more  favorable  than  it  might  have  been 
in  other  years,  for  the  reason  of  the  advantageous  condi- 
tions that  attached  to  1876  as  being  our  first  centennial 
year,  the  members  of  jockey  clubs  and  racing  associations 
seeming  then  to  unite  in  special  efforts  in  the  interests  of 
the  sport.  Nevertheless,  these  figures,  even  though 
somewhat  incomplete,  may  be  accepted  as  giving,  at 
least,  a  reasonably  fair  suggestion  of  the  condition  of  the 
turf  as  it  existed  ten  years  after  the  close  of  the  Civil 
War  and  a  little  more  than  two  decades  ago.  There  is 
suggestion,  also,  in  the  discovery  that  notwithstanding 
the  unexampled  activity  of  the  centennial  year,  the  years 
immediately  following  showed  at  all  points  of  compari- 
son a  very  marked  and  gratifying  increase. 

In  1876,  the  Louisville  Jockey  Club  had  14  stakes  for 
which  there  were  366  entries,  the  same  stakes  having 
375  entries  in  the  following  year  and  392  in  1878.  The 
Kentucky  Association  had  11  stakes  with  166  entries  in 
1876,  14  stakes  with  291  entries  in  1877  and  15  stakes 
with  304  entries  in  1878.  The  Nashville  Blood  Horse 
Association,  in  1876,  closed  9  stakes  with  192  entries,  12 
stakes  with  244  entries  in  the  following  year  and  13 
stakes  with  228  entries  in  1878.  The  Queen  City  Jockey 
Club  had  84  entries  for  4  stakes  in  1876,  5  stakes  with  79 
entries  in  i'877,  and  5  stakes  with  in  entries  in  1878. 
The  three  stakes  of  the  Louisiana  Jockey  Club  had  35 
entries  in  1876  and  29  in  1877;  with  i  stake  added  in 
1878  there  were  J2  entries.  The  Columbus  Jockey  Club, 
against  3  stakes  with  43  entries  in  1877,  had  5  stakes 
with  78  entries  in  1878.  The  Maryland  Jockey  Club  also 
showed  a  gratifying  increase  during  these  three  years, 
its  stakes  for  1876  being  9  in  number  with  212  entries, 
in  1877,  10  with  274  entries,  and  in  1878,  13  with  ^'^^ 
entries. 

On  the  other  hand  there  was  a  distinct  falling  off  in 
the  business  of  the  two  great  Northern  courses  at  Sara- 
toga and  Jerome  Park.  Saratoga,  which,  in  1876,  had 
closed  10  stakes  with  355  entries  and  in  1877,  the  same 
stakes,  with  506  entries,  could  now  command  only  347 
entries  for  its  10  events.  The  American  Jockey  Club's 
presentation  showed,  however,  the  most  alarming  deca- 
dence. At  Jerome  Park  there  were  16  stakes  in  1876 
with  579  entries,  while  in  the  following  year  there  were 
775  entries  for  the  same  stakes.  In  1878,  however,  the 
Maturity,  Home  Bred  Produce  and  Maryland  Stakes  were 
dropped  and  the  remaining  fixtures  only  called  out  481 
entries.  The  St.  Louis  Jockey  Club  came  into  the  field 
with  nine  stakes,  for  which  there  were  257  entries,  and 
the  Association  at  Monmouth  Park  was  revived  and  had 
408  entries  for  its  12  stakes.  Altogether  the  record  for 
these  three  years  showed  in  its  grand  total  a  gratifying 


47 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


increase,  the  entries,  which  were  1,983  in  1876  and 
2,611  in  1877,  rising  in  1878  to  2,989.  A  statement  of 
the  number  of  races  run  and  their  value  for  several  years 
also  shows  the  wonderful  development  of  the  period. 
In  1874,  there  were  950  races  run,  of  the  value  of 
$496,772;  in  1875,  866  races  of  the  value  of  $490,649;  in 

1876,  782  races  of  the  value  of  $485,509.  With  1877,  the 
advance  became  very  noticeable  and  continued  there- 
after. In  that  year  907  races  were  run,  valued  at 
$441,652;  in  1878,  1,058  races,  valued  at  $461,395  and 
in  1879,  1,221  races  were  run,  valued  at  $545,064.     In 

1877,  fully  1,000  horses  started;  in  1878,  the  number 
had  increased  to  nearly  1,400,  while  in  the  following 
year  it  ran  up  to  over  1,500.  At  the  same  time  the 
number  of  brood  mares  in  the  country  was  about  2, 100, 
while  the  stallions  numbered  over  300  and  the  annual 
number  of  foals  was  estimated  at  fully  1,400. 

At  this  point  in  our  retrospect  of  the  turf  due  consider- 
ation must  be  given  to  California  and  its  contributions  to 
the  history  of  the  blood  horse.  It  would  be  an  agreea- 
ble task  to  go  exhaustively  into  this  particular  branch  of 
the  subject,  for,  notwithstanding  coming  late  into  the 
field,  California  has  already  had  a  part  in  the  turf  history 
of  the  United  States  that,  considering  the  few  years 
covered  by  it,  scarcely  holds  second  rank  to  any  other 
State  or  section.  In  its  earliest  days  the  Golden  State 
manifested  little  disposition  for  the  race  horse,  whether 
of  the  trotting  or  the  running  family.  Californians  were 
engrossed  in  the  all-absorbing  search  for  gold  and  ener- 
getically engaged  in  other  practical  operations,  so  that 
for  the  time  being  rational  sporting,  that  required  years 
for  its  full  development,  could  scarcely  be  expected  to 
meet  with  appreciation.  This  condition  of  affairs,  how- 
ever, was  not  destined  long  to  continue.  The  large 
fortunes  that  were  soon  accumulated  in  the  hands  of  the 
California  pioneers  enabled  their  fortunate  possessors  to 
find  a  relaxation  in  one  of  the  most  engrossing  as  well 
as  one  of  the  most  expensive  sports. 

Even  before  the  Civil  War  California  had  gone  in  for 
racing  to  some  extent.  The  people  there  were,  however, 
in  those  early  days  more  concerned  in  the  trotter  than  in 
the  thoroughbred,  and  trotting  matches  became  fre- 
quent on  tracks  that  sprung  up  all  over  the  State— first 
in  San  Francisco,  and  afterward  in  other  principal  cities 
and  towns.  After  the  war  interest  in  racing  of  both 
kinds  revived  in  California,  as  well  as  elsewhere  in  the 
country,  and  soon  took  the  form  of  an  increased  develop- 
ment in  the  direction  of  thoroughbred  performances. 
Until  1873,  however,  there  was  no  regular  organization 
for  the  advancement  of  sports  of  the  turf  in  San  Francisco, 
which  was  naturally  the  dominent  racing  centre  of  the 
Pacific  Coast.  Racing  had  been  conducted  up  to  that 
time  purely  as  a  private  business  enterprise,  backed  by 
individual  sportsmen.     As  far  back  as  1865,  when  Nor- 


folk defeated  Lodi,  there  had  been  some  good  racing 
from  time  to  time,  but  few,  if  any,  really  great  events 
that  could  attract  much,  if  anything,  more  than  mere 
local  attention.  However,  racing  continued  in  San 
Francisco  and  at  a  few  other  points  in  this  somewhat 
desultory  fashion  for  the  next  six  or  eight  years. 

It  was,  then,  in  1873  that  the  first  organized  effort  was 
made  to  give  direction  to  turf  affairs  on  the  Pacific 
Coast.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  the  Pacific  Jockey 
Club  sprang  into  existence.  Mayor  Andrew  J.  Bryant,  a 
successful  business  man,  partial  to  the  turf  and  well 
known  in  the  community  as  a  man  of  standing,  became 
president.  A  purse  of  $25,000  was  hung  up  by  the 
club  for  a  four-mile  and  repeat  race  open  to  all  comers, 
and  in  this  Joe  Daniels,  Hubbard  and  Thad  Stevens, 
famous  California  horses,  and  True  Blue,  a  good  Eastern 
flyer,  contended.  It  was  subsequently  charged  that 
this  race  was  fixed  in  the  interest  of  Thad  Stevens  and 
Joe  Daniels,  and  when,  in  1S74,  a  purse  of  $25,000  was 
hung  up  for  a  similar  event,  the  same  charges  that  the 
race  was  fixed  were  also  made.  .'Another  four-mile  heat 
race  for  $30,000,  postponed  from  November,  1875,  was 
run  in  February,  1876,  and  engaged  the  attention  of  such 
champions  as  Mr.  M.  A.  Little's  Foster,  Mr.  E.  J.  Bali- 
win's  Rutherford,  Mr.  J.  C.  Simpson's  Hock  Hocking, 
Mr.  A.  S.  Gage's  Katie  Pease,  Mr.  M.  A.  Walden's 
Revenue,  Jr.,  Mr.  Joseph  H.  Daniel's  Golden  Gate,  and 
Mr.  H.  Welch's  Chance.  Grinstead,  Wildidle,  Spring- 
bok and  Fanny  Hall  were  also  entered,  but  did  not  run. 
The  purse  was  carried  off  by  Foster  in  two  straight 
heats  in  7  minutes,  ^S}4  seconds  and  7  minutes,  53 
seconds.  There  was  the  same  dissatisfiiction  with  this 
race  as  with  those  that  had  preceded  it,  and  gradually 
turfmen  in  other  parts  of  the  country  became  impressed 
with  the  idea  that  racing  affairs  in  California  were  not 
conducted  in  a  manner  calculated  to  reflect  credit  upon 
the  sport,  or  to  warrant  those  who  were  most  interested 
in  the  elevation  of  the  general  standard  of  racing  to  give 
their  countenance  to  it. 

It  was  some  years  before  the  Eastern  turfmen  regained 
their  confidence  to  the  extent  of  becoming  patrons  of 
the  track  in  the  Golden  State.  In  recent  times,  how- 
ever, under  the  supervision  of  a  different  class  of  men 
from  those  who  were  identified  with  it  in  the  early 
seventies,  the  turf  on  the  Pacific  Coast  has  assumed  an 
importance  second  to  that  in  no  other  part  of  the 
country.  Courses  are  now  numerous,  especially  in 
California;  the  purses  and  stakes  are  of  a  generous 
character  that  has  made  them  attractive  to  the  best 
thoroughbreds  in  the  country,  and  the  general  manage- 
ment of  affairs  there  has  been,  on  the  whole,  as  enter- 
prising and  as  sportsmanlike  as  could  be  asked  for. 
Some  of  the  greatest  stock  farms  in  the  country,  not 
surpassed  in  extent  or  importance  by  any  of  those  in 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Kentucky  or  further  E;ist,  have  been  established,  among 
them  being  the  great  Rancho  del  Paso  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Hag- 
gin  and  the  Palo  Alto  of  the  late  Senator  Leland  Stan- 
ford. Further  East,  but  still  relatively  in  the  Far  West, 
we  must  count  the  Bitter  Root  Stock  Farm  of  Mr. 
Marcus  Daly  at  Hamilton,  Mont.  Such  men  as  the  late 
Senator  George  Hearst,  the  Honorable  Leland  Stanford, 
Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin,  Mr.  E.  J.  Baldwin,  and  many  others 
not  of  less  distinction  have  given  the  California  turf  the 
highest  standing  in  recent  years.  To  sunny  California 
have  gone  some  of  the  greatest  American  thoroughbreds 
of  the  period,  among  them  Salvator,  Firenzi,  Ben  Ali, 
Ban  Fox,  King  Fox  and  others. 

The  later  importations,  such  as  Leamington,  Bonnie 
Scotland,  Australian,  Glenelg  and  Phaeton,  that  have 
made  such  a  distinct  impression  upon  the  American 
thoroughbred  of  this  generation,  shortly  began  to  come 
to  the  front  in  a  strong  manner,  the  full  fruition  of  their 
labors  havingbeenseen  in  more  recent  times.  Leamington, 
however,  had  quite  established  himself  by  the  success  of 
his  son — Parole — in  England,  and  the  work  of  others  of 
his  progeny  in  the  United  States.  The  dislike  of  him, 
that  was  felt  by  many  on  account  of  the  apparent  deli- 
cacy or  want  of  constitution  in  his  stock,  fast  disap- 
peared, in  view  of  his  success  when  he  encountered  the 
rugged  crosses  of  the  old  American  stock,  his  fine  racing 
qualities  attaining  the  best  results  in  conjunction  with 
more  substance  and  constitution.  His  sons,  Aristides, 
Lyttleton,  Lynchburg  and  Enquirer,  also  earned  golden 
opinions  for  themselves  and  their  sire.  Longfellow, 
too,  had  some  good  performers,  and  Ten  Broeck  was 
perpetuating  in  the  stud  the  fame  of  his  sire,  imported 
Phaeton.  Imported  Australian,  who  had  always  stood 
in  the  shadow  of  Lexington's  greatness,  was  beginning 
to  be  recognized  more  and  more  at  his  true  value,  and 
was  making  it  clear  that  the  Australian  line  was  bound 
to  be  quite  as  permanently  linked  with  the  future  great- 
ness of  the  turf  in  the  United  States  as  that  of  any  impor- 
tation in  modern  times. 

Several  years  ago  it  was  remarked  that  in  no  decade  in 
the  history  of  horse  racing  in  this  or  any  other  country 
had  there  been  witnessed  such  a  remarkable  growth  as 
that  which  had  been  seen  in  the  United  States  during  the 
preceding  ten  years  or  more,  beginning,  say,  in  the  later 
seventies  and  extending  well  toward  1890.  During  this 
time  it  seemed  as  though  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
satisfy  the  public  with  racing.  New  jockey  clubs  and 
horse  associations  were  organized  all  over  the  country, 
and  there  were  few  important  cities  that  did  not  have 
one  or  more  new  courses  opened,  while  the  historic 
racing  centres,  whose  history  extended  back  over  a  gen- 
eration, seemed  about  to  renew  their  youth.  The  horses 
that  were  in  training  had  doubled,  tripled  and  quad- 
rupled in  number,   and  wealthy  sportsmen  were  again 


contributing  with  their  money  and  influence  to  the 
breeding  and  running  of  the  thoroughbred.  This  unex- 
ampled growth  really  started  in  the  later  seventies,  abun- 
dant proof  of  which  is  derived  from  the  records  for  those 
years  to  which  we  have  just  referred. 

In  a  measure  this  development  was  a  reflex  of  the 
phenomenal  activity  that  marked  the  history  of  that  rac- 
ing period  in  the  sixties  which  was  so  considerably 
dominated  by  the  fiimous  American  Jockey  Club.  The 
turf  received  a  considerable  setback  from  the  financial 
panic  of  1873,  but  soon  afterward  began  to  recover  with 
a  bound.  Although  this  renewed  activity  was  seen  in  a 
great  measure  in  many  widely  separated  parts  of  the 
country,  it  was  especially  notable  in  the  North.  The 
Monmouth  Park  Association,  which  had  fallen  some- 
what from  its  earlier  high  estate,  came  under  new  man- 
agement, and  its  course  was  so  improved  that  the  varied 
attractions  which  it  offered  and  the  wholesome  change 
in  the  character  of  its  directors  attracted  an  attendance 
larger  and  of  a  better  class  of  people  than  ever  before  in 
its  history.  Old  habitues  still  recalled  with  pleasure  the 
famous  inaugural  at  Long  Branch  in  1870,  when  the 
Americus  Club,  led  by  the  valiant  William  M.  Tweed, 
and  headed  by  the  Seventh  Regiment  Band  did  honor  to 
the  occasion,  but  later  supporters  of  Monmouth  felt  that 
the  famous  course  was  in  worthier  hands  than  ever  be- 
fore, and  better  calculated  to  advance  the  interests  of 
high-class  sport. 

The  American  Jockey  Club,  which  had  not  been  quite 
able  to  maintain  the  pace  that  it  had  set  for  itself  and  for 
all  its  rivals,  or  to  quite  hold  through  all  these  years  to 
the  brilliant  social  character  that  originally  distinguished 
it,  felt  the  impulse  of  the  new  order  of  things  and  was 
roused  to  life  and  activity,  so  that  its  meetings  were 
made  more  interesting  and  important  than  they  had  been 
for  many  years.  A  new  rival  to  the  old  courses  about 
New  York  was  established  in  the  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club,  with  its  admirable  grounds,  at  Sheepshead  Bay. 
Some  of  the  gentlemen  who  had  helped  to  make  the 
success  of  Jerome  Park  were  the  promoters  of  this  new 
enterprise,  and  their  wisdom  in  turf  affairs  was  fully 
demonstrated  by  the  inauguration  of  some  of  the  great 
fixtures  that  have  since  become  historic  and  are  now 
recognized  as  among  the  supreme  attractions  of  the  turf 
in  this  country. 

In  the  South  and  West  and  on  the  far-away  Pacific 
Coast  turfmen  continued  to  come  forward  in  increas- 
ing numbers,  and  race  courses  in  those  sections  carried 
on  the  sport  in  a  generally  enterprising  and  admirable 
manner  that  contributed  to  the  enjoyment  of  those  who 
loved  to  see  the  thoroughbred  in  his  best  performances. 
Nevertheless,  it  still  remained  indisputable  that,  for  com- 
pleteness and  perfection  of  appointments,  care  and  thor- 
oughness of  management  and  the  unexceptionably  high 


49 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


character  of  racing  that  was  constantly  offered,  no  courses 
in  the  country  surpassed  those  of  Jerome  Paric,  Mon- 
mouth Park  and  Sheepshead  Bay.  The  supremacy  of 
New  York— which  had  been  unchallenged  ever  since  the 
American  Jockey  Club,  Saratoga,  and  their  competitors 
entered  the  field — was  more  generally  conceded  than  it 
had  been  at  any  preceding  period  in  the  history  of  North- 
ern racing.  Under  the  favoring  conditions  that  then  ex- 
isted the  turf  of  New  York  became  so  firmly  fixed  in  its 
royal  position  at  the  head  of  the  line  that  it  has  been  able 
without  difficulty  to  hold  itself  there  ever  since.  It  may 
sometimes  seem  to  the  casual  observer  that  the  turf  his- 
torians of  this  period  areincHned  to  give  undue  prominence 
to  that  branch  of  the  subject  pertaining  particularly  to 
New  York.  A  little  thought,  however,  and  even  a  cur- 
sory examination  will  show  that  the  North,  in  every 
respect  save  that  of  breeding,  had  taken  the  place  that 
was  occupied  by  the  South  and  the  West  in  the  first  half 
of  the  century.  The  great  stud  farms  are  still  retained  in 
the  section  of  which  Kentucky  is  the  centre,  and  in 
California  and  nearly  all  of  that  branch  of  the  turf  business 
still  pertains  to  those  localities.  In  every  other  respect, 
however,  New  York  dominates  and  has  long  dominated, 
the  turf  of  the  country. 

It  would  be  an  agreeable  task  to  trace  further,  year  by 
year,  the  career  of  the  American  thoroughbred  and  the 
events  of  the  race  course  by  which  he  has  made  himself 
celebrated  in  the  third  decade  of  the  period  to  which 
consideration  is  here  being  given.  The  future  historian 
will  find  there  much  that  is  interesting  and  valuable. 
These  times  are  so  near  to  us  that  they  are  still  fresh  in 
mind,  and  are  not  yet  far  enough  removed  to  be  regarded 
discriminatingly  and  impassionately  from  the  purely  his- 
torical point  of  view.  The  career  of  the  turf  in  the 
eighties  was  not  altogether  as  satisfactory  as  its  most 
ardent  admirers  and  supporters  could  wish,  but  there 
were  brilliant  years  when  great  horses  gave  as 
wonderful  displays  of  their  mettle  as  had  ever  been  seen, 
and  such  active  millionaire  owners  as  Messrs.  Belmont, 
Hearst,  Scott,  Haggin,  Lorillard,  Cassett  and  others, 
were  foremost  in  the  pursuit  of  turf  honors.  In  the 
early  part  of  this  decade  the  sport  was  represented  by 
such  distinguished  owners  as  Messrs.  August  Belmont, 
George  L.  Lorillard,  Leonard  W.  Jerome,  Pierre  Lorillard, 
Dwyer  Brothers,  and  others  of  New  York;  J.  A.  Grin- 
stead,  H.  P.  McGrath,  J.  Jackson,  B.  G.  Thomas  and 
others  of  Kentucky;  J.  B.  Malone,  J.  S.  McCall,  J.  G. 
Greener  and  others  of  Tennessee;  O.  Bowie,  P.  A. 
Lynch,  E.  A.  Clabaugh,  and  others  of  Maryland;  T.  W. 
Doswell,  of  Virginia;  E.J.  Baldwin,  of  California;  and 
representatives  of  such  other  States  as  Missouri,  Illinois, 
Louisiana,  New  Jersey,  Texas,  Georgia,  the  Carolinas, 
Ohio  and  Pennsylvania.  In  one  particular  year,  1881, 
there   were    ninety-three    establishments,    representing 


nineteen  States,  engaged  at  Saratoga  alone  for  the  sum- 
mer meeting  at  that  popular  resort.  Over  1,200  horses 
were  then  in  training  in  these  stables,  and  during  the 
season  fully  700  horses  were  run  in  the  East. 

By  reason  of  death  or  otherwise,  several  of  the  most 
energetic  and  most  useful  supporters  of  the  turf  in  the 
North  and  West  were  withdrawn  from  the  field,  and, 
for  the  time  being,  the  much  dreaded  spirit  of  commer- 
cialism that  has  so  frequently  forced  its  way  upon  the 
race  course,  much  to  the  detriment  of  the  sport,  began 
to  make  its  periodic  appearance.  Later  on,  however, 
the  ranks  of  the  genuine  turfman  were  reinforceed  by 
fresh  blood  and  by  the  return  of  some  of  the  older 
leaders,  who,  for  a  time,  had  been  conspicuous  by  their 
absence.  The  accessions  were  numerous  and  important, 
among  them  being  such  gentlemen  as  Messrs.  William 
Astor,  Frank  A.  Ehret,  Marcus  Daly,  Foxhall  Keene,  A. 
P.  Walcott,  Pierre  Lorillard,  Jacob  Ruppert,  Charles 
Fleischman,  August  Belmont,  Perry  Belmont,  Oliver  H. 
P.  Belmont,  and  the  Dwyer  Brothers.  This  was  the  era 
particularly  of  such  famous  cracks  as  Eole,  Miss  Wood- 
ford, Loisette,  George  Kinney,  Drake  Carter,  Leo,  Bob 
Miles,  Himalaya,  Freeland,  Bushwacker,  Leonatus, 
Badge,  Hindoo,  and  his  son  Hanover,  Kingston,  and 
others  whose  names  are  legion. 

Soon  there  developed  what  has  been  fairly  de- 
nominated as  "the  high  priced  period  of  the  Ameri- 
can turf,"  when  gentlemen  of  unlimited  wealth  vied 
with  each  other  in  forming  large  stables  and  in  paying 
big  prices  for  thoroughbreds,  both  of  native  and  of 
foreign  product.  The  almost  incalculable  benefit  derived 
by  the  turf  from  the  enterprise  of  these  public  spirited 
gentlemen  scarcely  need  be  dwelt  upon  in  detail  here. 
The  labors  of  such  eminent  turfmen  as  Messrs.  Belmont, 
Withers,  Haggin,  Lorillard,  Scott,  Thompson,  and 
scores  of  others,  will  live  long  in  memory,  and  will  for- 
ever be  recognized  as  the  most  potent  influences  that 
have  led  up  to  and  brought  about  the  condition  of  the 
turf  to-day.  It  was  common  to  pay  thousands  for 
horses  then,  where  hundreds  had  been  paid  before,  and 
our  men  of  means  seemed  to  be  in  a  fair  way  to  emu- 
late the  spirit  of  their  forefathers,  and  to  follow  the 
examples  of  so  many  of  their  English  cousins,  with 
whom  racing  is  not  only  a  passion  but  a  dignified  pur- 
suit as  well.  Some  of  these  new  found  allies  lost  their 
interest  shortly,  but  their  ventures  had  due  effect  and 
must  be  regarded  as  valuable  contributions  to  the  turf 
activity  of  the  period. 

In  this  connection  we  may  not  pass  over  without,  at 
least,  brief  reference  the  dispersal  of  several  large  stables 
that  were  features  of  this  period,  and  that  in  many  ways 
were  suggestive  of  the  new  aspect  that  turf  affairs  were 
taking,  particularly  from  the  financial  point  of  view. 
The  sale  of  the  Nursery  stud  of  Mr.    August  Belmont 


50 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


in  1891  was  perhaps  the  most  important  in  the 
list  of  these  affairs.  It  showed  a  magnificent  collection 
of  the  choicest  thoroughbred  blood  that  money  could 
bring  together,  and  fetched  the  aggregate  sum  of  $630,- 
500,  a  total  that  exceeded  that  of  the  famous  breaking- 
up  sale  of  the  late  Lord  Falmouth's  stud  in  1884  by  some 
$70,000,  although  the  average  of  the  English  sportsman's 
sale  was  somewhat  higher  than  that  of  Mr.  Belmont's. 
Nor  must  we  overlook  the  sale  of  Mr.  Frank  A.  Ehret's 
horses  in  1892.  The  meteor-like  career  of  Mr.  Ehret's 
stable  closed  with  appropriate  glory.  Mr.  Ehret  was  on 
the  turf  only  a  few  years,  but  he  owned  some  of  the 
most  valuable  horses  then  in  training.  His  Don  Alonzo, 
by  Long  Taw  out  of  Round  Dance,  fetched  $30,000.  The 
famous  Dobbins,  then  an  untried  yearling,  was  sold  for 
$20,200.  Yorkville  Belle,  whose  performances  for  the 
"  white,  red  cap,  star  and  cuffs  "  were  among  the  sensa- 
tions of  the  two-year  old  class  in  1892,  fetched  $24,000. 
Fairy,  by  Argyle  out  of  Fairy  Rose  by  Kisber,  sold  for 
$io,GOO.  Sir  Francis,  by  imported  Mr.  Pickwick  out  of 
Thora  by  Longfellow,  for  $26,000;  Runyon,  by  Longfel- 
low out  of  Fanfare  by  imported  King  Ernest,  for  $13,- 
100;  Bowers,  by  imported  Great  Tom  out  of  Moselle  by 
Jack  Malone,  for  $13, 500;  and  Young  Arion,  by  Miser  out 
of  Glencairne  by  Glenelg,  were  among  the  highest 
priced  horses  on  this  occasion.  The  total  amount  of  the 
sale  for  nineteen  horses  and  seven  yearlings  was  $223,- 
250.  The  sale  of  the  Algeria  stud  of  the  Honorable 
■William  L.  Scott,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  that  of  the  Fern- 
cliffe  stud,  of  Mr.  William  Astor,  also  were  features  of 
this  period  of  big  stables  and  high  prices. 

Undoubtedly  the  publicity  that  was  given  to  the  prices 
which  wealthy  sportsmen  were  willing  to  pay  for 
thoroughbreds  of  distinction  or  of  promise,  the  increas- 
ing number  and  value  of  stakes  and  purses  offered  at 
the  principal  race  tracks  and  the  large  sums  of  money 
which  it  was  possible  for  a  well  managed  stable  to  carry 
off,  had  the  eifect  of  attracting  to  the  turf  many  men  who 
entered  the  ranks  of  racing  purely  as  a  business.  Before 
many  years  had  passed  away  this  developed  a  con- 
siderable change  in  turf  affairs,  whether  for  good  or  for 
ill  only  the  future  may  be  able  to  reveal.  Nowadays 
with  a  few  notable  exceptions,  racing  is  a  business  with 
the  majority  of  stable  owners.  While  the  turf  still 
remains  the  playground  of  the  wealthy  leisure  classes,  it 
is  also  the  theatre  of  operation  for  those  who  recognize 
its  possibilities  from  the  purely  financial  point  of  view. 
One  result  of  this  has  been  to  increase  the  importance 
of  the  breeding  business  to  much  larger  proportions  than 
ever  before  and  to  add  to  its  profits.  Furthermore,  the 
race-going  public  is  provided  with  a  healthful,  pleasant 
and  exciting  recreation  and  is  privileged  to  witness 
more  brilliant  turf  performances  than  in  the  past.  At 
the  same  time,  while  the  management  of  jockey  clubs 


and  associations  and  the  direction  of  turf  affairs  generally 
remains  as  it  does  in  the  hands  of  gentlemen  who  are 
inspired  by  their  love  for  the  "sport  of  kings,"  rather 
than  by  thoughts  of  the  money  to  be  made  therefrom, 
it  is  difficult  to  see  how  the  fact  that  a  racing  stable  may 
become  a  profitable  enterprise  can  have  a  deleterious 
effect. 

It  is  also  this  business  side  of  the  case  that  has  brought 
about  one  of  the  most  marked  changes  in  racing  in 
recent  times,  and  that  is  the  increase  in  races  and  the 
shortening  of  distances.  Nothing  more  clearly  empha- 
sizes the  difference  between  the  turf  as  it  exists  to-day 
and  as  it  was  in  previous  generations,  than  the  change 
from  the  old  three  and  four-mile  heat  racing  to  the 
shorter  dashes  that  now  dominate  the  race  course.  Out 
of  this  has  naturally  grown  important  changes  in  breed- 
ing and  training  that  have  had  undoubted  effect  upon 
the  general  character  of  the  native  race  horse.  In  early 
days,  as  we  have  many  times  had  occasion  to  remark, 
turfmen  and  turf  patrons  held  in  the  utmost  contempt 
races  that  were  shorter  than  heats  of  one,  two,  three  and 
four  miles.  No  stallion  could  attain  to  any  degree  of 
popular  favor  unless  he  could  maintain  himself  in  long 
races.  Hence,  supreme  attention  was  given  to  the  pro- 
duction of  thoroughbreds  who  could  combine  endurance 
with  the  highest  rate  of  speed,  and  it  was  not  uncommon 
for  the  horses  of  those  days  to  be  able  to  run  even  twelve, 
sixteen  or  twenty  miles  in  a  single  race.  They  had 
vast  recuperative  power  also  and  lasted  inany  years 
before  their  final  retirement. 

Now,  however,  the  short  dash  is  the  thing.  The 
change  as  to  distances  was  at  first  gradual,  dashes  in 
the  long  races  being  substituted  for  heats.  Next  the 
cup  distance,  which  was  2]i  miles,  was  made  a  favorite. 
For  a  decade  or  more  in  the  first  part  of  the  present 
period  every  race  course  of  prominence  had  its  cup  event 
and  cup  winners  became  almost  as  much  a  class  by 
themselves  as  were  the  old  four-milers.  This  particular 
race  held  decided  prominence  during  many  years, 
but  now  its  absence  is  marked.  Step  by  step  followed 
the  further  reduction  of  distances  until  finally  races  for 
fractional  parts  of  a  mile  have  become  predominant. 
As  a  result  of  this  new  condition  of  things  the  two-year 
old  is  the  all-important  factor  at  the  present  time.  For 
him  the  richest  prizes  are  offered  and  the  whole  ten- 
dency of  racing  is  to  encourage  the  production  of  the 
spirited,  speedy  youngster,  who  can  sprint  as  fast  as  the 
wind.  No  longer  is  the  well  seasoned,  sturdy  old  horse, 
who  has  passed  to  full  maturity,  accorded  the  first  place 
in  the  affections  of  the  multitude  or  in  the  desires  of  the 
turfmen.  As  a  rule,  to  be  "aged"  is  now  to  have 
passed  beyond  the  line  of  desirability. 

Moreover   relatively   fewer   horses   now   than    before 
become  "aged"    ere   the    race   course    has   ceased    to 


5T 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


command  them.  The  demands  that  are  made  upon  the 
youngsters  wear  them  out  in  shorter  time  than  did  the 
demands  made  upon  their  forefathers.  But  they  are  no 
less  fondly  remembered  than  they  would  be  if  they  were 
able  to  do  their  four  miles  and  repeat.  An  animal  that 
is  successful  in  his  two-year  old  and  his  three-year  old 
forms  can  now  reap  richer  rewards  than  those  who  were 
able  to  stay  for  four-mile  heats  a  quarter  of  a  century  and 
more  ago.  Even  though  the  severity  of  his  training 
and  his  work  should  so  overtax  his  powers  that  he  is 
never  able  to  race  again,  he  could  if  he  had  the  reasoning 
intelligence  console  himself  with  the  thought  that  he 
will  be  forever  remembered  as  one  of  the  world's  great 
race  horses.  Probably  Tremont,  the  unbeaten  black  whirl- 
wind, Saivator,  and  Tenny,  not  to  invidiously  neglect 
to  mention  others,  who  have  had  short  but  brilliant  turf 
careers,  will  occupy  as  high  a  position  in  the  temple  of 
equine  fame  and  be  as  long  remembered  as  any  of  the 
great  champions,  like  Boston,  Black  Maria,  Trifle, 
Lecomte  and  others  of  that  class.  It  is  no  slight 
work  that  is  put  upon  these  youngsters,  and  they  are 
fully  entitled  to  all  the  renown  that  comes  to  them. 
Commonly  they  run  in  single  seasons  more  races  than 
their  forefathers  did  in  an  entire  lifetime.  It  is  by  no 
means  extraordinary  for  them  to  run  twenty,  thirty,  or 
even  forty  races  in  a  year,  which  is  alone  enough  for  a 
strong  horse's  entire  career. 

Out  of  this  conspicuous  modification  in  the  character 
of  racing  has  arisen  a  demand  for  the  yearling  such  as 
was  not  dreamed  of  thirty  or  forty  years  or  more  ago, 
and  this  demand  has  resulted  in  very  pronounced  changes 
in  methods  of  breeding  and  has  affected  the  entire  busi- 
ness of  raising  thoroughbreds.  With  horses  as  with 
everything  else,  from  the  commercial  point  of  view,  the 
supply  must  meet  the  demand,  and  the  new  demand 
having  been  created,  it  was  inevitable  that  those  whose 
business  it  is  to  supply  the  turf  with  its  race  horses 
should  make  their  plans  accordingly.  Therefore,  we 
have  had  to  an  unexampled  degree  the  development  of 
the  young  and  speedy  sprinter  and  the  increasing  impor- 
tance of  the  yearling,  who  by  reason  of  the  royal  blood 
of  his  sire  and  dam,  gives  promise  of  bringing  a  fortune 
to  his  owner  in  his  two-year  old  or  three-year  old  form. 
Yearling  sales  have  become  prominent  features  of 
every  season  and  may  be  considered  to  be  quite  as  in- 
dicative of  the  character  of  the  turf  of  the  period  as  are 
the  race  meetings  that  are  more  conspicuously  in  the 
eye  of  the  public.  Year  by  year  these  yearling  sales 
have  been  growing  more  numerous,  more  important, 
from  the  amount  of  money  that  is  involved  in  them,  and 
more  significant  of  the  temper  of  the  racing  community. 
A  yearling  is  something  of  a  gamble  to  be  sure,  for  he 
may  turn  out  to  be  utterly  worthless,  but  his  possession 
really  offers  the  only  chance  for  the  great  prizes  of  the 


turf,  and,  if  he  shall  be  a  winner,  the  profits  on  the 
speculation  are  so  far  and  away  beyond  the  risk  that  no 
one  with  the  true  instincts  of  a  sportsman  can  do  other- 
wise than  make  the  venture.  A  few  instances  may  be 
cited  of  some  of  these  profitable  transactions,  but  it  will 
be  unnecessary  to  multiply  them  since  a  greater  number 
than  it  would  be  possible  to  set  down  here  must  come 
involuntarily  to  the  mind  of  every  turfman  the  moment 
the  suggestion  of  the  subject  is  made.  Sally  McClelland 
cost  Mr.  Byron  McClelland  $2,500.  She  was  a  chestnut 
yearling  filly  by  Hindoo  out  of  Red  and  Blue,  and,  in 
1890,  won  for  her  owner,  $56,000.  As  a  yearling  the 
Messrs.  Morris  paid  $625  for  Russell,  who  won  for  them 
as  a  two-year  old,  $56,123,  and  as  a  three-year-old, 
$15,595,  which  all  will  admit  was 'a  very  handsome 
profit  on  the  investment.  Eclipse,  who  was  sold  from 
the  Rancho  del  Paso  in  1889  for  $300,  brought  home  in 
1890,  $12,278.  His  Highness,  for  whom  Mr.  David 
Gideon  paid  $3,400  in  1890,  returned  to  his  owner  in 
stakes  and  purses  the  following  year,  $107,285. 

So  it  seems  that  this  steadily  increasing  demand  for 
yearlings,  based  on  the  expectation  or  hope  of  their 
great  performances  in  the  ensuing  two  or  three  years, 
has  had  the  result  of  stimulating  prices  and  of  making 
the  business  of  breeding  more  than  ever  profitable. 
These  yearling  sales  are  comparatively  of  modern  incep- 
tion, really  going  back  only  to  the  sixties,  as  the  time 
when  they  assumed  anything  of  prominence.  It  is  in- 
teresting to  recall  from  the  old  records  some  of  the  prices 
that  were  paid  for  other  unknown  yearlings  that  subse- 
quently became  horses  of  the  highest  fame.  In  1868, 
from  the  Woodburn  Stud,  Preakness  was  sold  for  $2,000, 
Chillicothe  for  $1,725,  Kingfisher  for  $490,  Foster  for 
$585,  Grecian  Bend  for  $2,000,  and  Annette  for  $600. 
The  following  year  Monarchist  was  sold  for  $1,900, 
Harry  Bassett  for  $315,  Salina  for  $450,  and  Wanderer 
for  $325.  Acrobat,  in  1872,  brought  $2,025,  and  Ruther- 
ford, $1,300.  Attila,  who  sold  for  $500,  and  Ballankeel, 
for  $750,  were  very  nearly  if  not  quite  equal  to  Acro- 
bat or  Rutherford.  Tom  Ochiltree,  as  a  yearling,  brought 
$500,  and  Katie  Pease  $520,  the  latter  turning  out  to  be 
the  best  two-year  old  in  the  West.  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard 
paid  $780  for  Parole,  and  his  brother,  Mr.  G.  L.  Lorillard, 
got  the  Duke  of  Magenta  for  $1,750. 

Spendthrift,  who  ranked  among  the  best  horses  of  his 
period,  cost  $1,000,  and  Monitor  $1,600,  while  Ferida 
cost  only  $325,  a  sum  that  she  earned  many  times  over. 
Foxhall,  who  lowered  the  colors  of  the  best  English  and 
French  horses,  was  sold  as  a  yearling  for  $650,  while 
Luke  Blackburn  brought  $510  and  Glenmore  $715.  At 
the  sale  of  the  Nursery  Stud  in  1891,  twenty-four  year- 
lings brought  $124,550,  some  of  them  running  as  high 
as  $30,000,  while  the  foals,  not  yet  separated  from  their 
dams,  commanded  altogether  more  than  $30,000.     Con- 


52 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


trast  these  prices  with  those  that  were  paid  for  the  get  of 
some  of  the  older  stallions.  The  last  of  Lexington's 
yearlings,  live  in  number,  were  sold  in  1877,  and  aver- 
aged $i,^7g  against  twelve  of  Leamington's  at  $1, 174. 16. 
in  1S78,  Virgil's  yearlings  brought  an  average  of$i,2i  5.83 
each  and  Leamington's  yearlings  the  same  year  $1,1 17.91. 
in  1 879,  the  last  of  Australian's  get,  four  in  number, 
brought$i, 400  each.  Instances  might  be  multiplied  almost 
indefinitely  showing  the  almost  incredible  differences 
between  the  yearling  cost  of  a  good  thoroughbred  and  his 
ultimate  profitableness  as  an  investment,  but  it  is  not 
necessary  to  enlarge  further  upon  that  point  at  this  time. 

There  is  another  side  to  the  case,  however,  that  illus- 
trates to  a  considerable  degree  the  uncertainty  of  this 
speculation.  Buying  a  yearling  is  not  exactly  like 
buying  "a  pig  in  a  bag,"  but  there  are  times  when  it 
would  seem  to  be  almost  as  grave  an  uncertainty  as  that 
proverbial  porcine  transaction.  For  instance  there  was 
King  Thomas,  son  of  Maud  Hampton,  who  brought  a 
big  price  as  a  yearling — $40,000,  and  never  won  a  race. 
Benjamin,  who  was  scarcely  heard  of  upon  the  turf,  cost 
his  purchaser  $4, 100.  Banneret,  for  $2,530;  Bay  Bush, 
for  $2,025;  Lava,  for  $625;  King  Pin,  for  $1,300,  and 
Mill  Boy  for  $2,025,  were  almost  flat  failures.  In  the  early 
seventies  there  were  New  York,  King  Bolt  and  Austra- 
lind,  who  were  sold  as  yearlings  for  $3,000,  $5,540  and 
$3,200  respectively,  and  hardly  earned  enough  to  pay 
the  expenses  of  their  training.  When  Mr.  Pierre  Loril- 
lard  secured  Parole  for  $780  he  paid  $3,000  for  Barricade, 
but  a  comparison  between  the  two  horses  on  that 
relative  standard  of  value  would  be  amusing  in  the  light 
of  their  future  careers.  Pawnee  cost  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard 
$5,500  and  Sioux  $2,500,  neither  one  of  whom  won  a 
race  in  his  colors.  Uncas,  a  fairly  good  horse,  cost  him 
$3,100.  Against  his  fortunate  purchase  of  Foxhall,  Mr. 
James  R.  Keene  was  obliged  to  place  Bushman,  at 
$4,000,  Gemsbock,  at  $2, 125,  and  Brother  to  Madge,  at 
$2,050,  from  neither  one  of  whom  was  he  able  to  make 
a  dollar. 

Not  the  yearlings  alone  have  commanded  big  figures. 
So  much  have  the  great  prizes  of  the  turf  enhanced  the 
value  of  all  thoroughbreds  that  the  prices  which  have 
been  paid  for  racers  of  established  merit  during  this  period 
have  been  out  of  all  comparison  with  the  figures  that 
even  the  greatest  blood  horses  commanded  in  times 
past.  This  is  another  striking  proof  of  the  vastness 
and  profitableness  of  racing  as  a  business  institution,  and 
also  shows  to  what  a  wonderful  extent  the  sport  is  now 
engaging  the  attention  of  sport  loving  men  of  wealth, 
who  allow  no  considerations  of  expense  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  gratification  of  their  desires  to  possess  good 
stables,  and  to  see  their  colors  first  by  the  post  in 
many  a  hard  fought  contest.  When,  fifty  years  ago, 
$10,000  or  $15,000  was  considered  a  big  price  to  pay  for 


even  a  famous  horse,  those  figures  pale  in  insignificance 
when  compared  with  the  sums  that  have  been  paid  for 
latter  day  cracks.  Through  no  fault  of  his  own,  Mr.  Charies 
Reed  failed  to  secure  the  great  English  Derby  winner, 
Ormonde,  although  he  made  a  special  voyage  to  Buenos 
Ayres  for  that  purpose,  and  offered  to  pay  $150,000,  but 
the  same  gentleman  was  glad  to  pay  $100,000  for  St. 
Blaise  at  the  sale  of  Mr.  Belmont's  Nursery  Stud.  At 
the  Belle  Meade  sale  in  1890,  Iroquois  went  for  $34,000, 
which  was  paid  for  him  by  General  W.  H.  Jackson. 

When  Mr.  Astor's  Ferncliffe  Stud  was  sold,  Mr. 
Wyndham  Walden  paid  $30,000  for  Galore,  which  was 
then  said  to  have  been  the  largest  price  ever  paid  for  a 
thoroughbred  stallion  at  a  free  auction  sale  in  this 
country,  but  this  price  became  insignificant  when  com- 
pared with  the  St.  Blaise  price  a  year  later.  It  is  to  be 
said,  however,  in  favor  of  Galore,  who  was  a  son  of  the 
English  horse  Galopin,  that  when  he  was  sold  he  was 
only  an  untried  stallion.  For  Galore,  Mr.  Clark  Max- 
well paid  $10,000  in  England,  and  he  cost  Mr.  Astor 
$15,000,  so  that  his  sale  for  $30,000  represented  a  very 
good  profit  indeed.  Imported  Mortemer  was  purchased 
by  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  for  the  Rancocas  Stud,  in  1880, 
for  $25,000,  but  in  course  of  time  depreciated  in  value, 
so  that  at  the  breaking  up  sale  of  Rancocas  he 
brought  only  $2,500.  La  Tosca  brought  at  the  end  of 
her  last  racing  season,  $15,000.  Magnetizer,  another 
member  of  the  Nursery  Stud,  brought  $16,000,  and  im- 
ported Toucques,  at  that  time  twenty-three  years  old, 
fetched  $10,500.  Maud  Hampton,  dam  of  those  two 
good  race  horses.  Ban  Fox  and  King  Fox,  was  sold  to 
Mr.  Haggin  for  $10,000.  In  1888,  her  yearling.  Silver 
King,  by  imported  St.  Blaise,  brought  $22,000.  The 
Honorable  William  L.  Scott,  at  the  breaking  up  sale  of 
the  Dangu  Stud,  in  France,  in  1882,  bought  the  great 
French  race  horse,  Rayon  d'Or,  for  $30,000,  a  price  that 
had  never  before  been  paid  for  an  imported  stallion. 

That  racing,  during  the  closing  years  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  has  again  become  one  of  the  popular  forms  of 
sport  in  the  United  States,  does  not  admit  of  doubt. 
During  the  season  from  May  to  November,  there  is 
racing  almost  every  day,  and  sometimes  the  meetings  on 
various  courses  even  overlap  each  other,  so  that  the 
sport  is  conducted  simultaneously  in  many  widely 
separated  parts  of  the  country.  In  the  aggregate, 
thousands  of  patrons  are  attracted  to  the  race  meetings 
and  the  amount  of  money  involved  in  the  raising  of 
thoroughbreds  and  in  conducting  the  races  has  become 
something  enormous.  The  primary  investment  required 
by  these  undertakings  amounts  to  many  millions  of 
dollars,  and  hence  racing  has  become  an  institution,  even 
more  than  it  is  a  sport,  being  now  a  vast  and  intricate 
business  in  which  thousands  of  men  are  regularly  em- 
ployed,    A  quarter  of  a  century  or  so  ago,  if  from  fifty 


53 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


to  seventy-five  race  horses  were  in  attendance  upon  a 
meeting,  tliat  was  considered  quite  enough  to  insure 
success.  Now,  at  any  one  of  the  leading  courses,  from 
seven  hundred  to  a  thousand  horses  can  find  accommoda- 
tion, while  it  is  almost  impossible  to  keep  any  account  of 
the  aggregate  number  of  thoroughbreds  that  are  annually 
in  training  in  the  United  States.  Their  number  runs  up 
into  several  thousands. 

Owners  of  racing  stables  have  multiplied  accordingly, 
and  despite  all  that  has  been  said  about  the  attractive- 
ness of  racing  solely  as  a  sport,  and  regardless  of  its  cost, 
the  purely  commercial  side  of  it  is  probably  more 
prominent  and  influential  now  than  ever  before,  and  is 
likely  to  develop  rather  than  to  decrease.  This  is  not  to 
say  that  the  spirit  of  the  old-time  sportsmen  has  entirely 
departed.  There  are  still  some  notable  turfmen  who  are 
engaged  in  the  sport  purely  for  love  of  it,  and  even 
though  it  may  be  gratifying  to  them  to  find  the  year's 
balance  on  the  right  side  of  the  ledger,  that  is  really  not 
the  prime  consideration  with  them,  it  is,  however, 
undoubtedly  true  that  by  far  the  greater  number  of  those 
who  engage,  either  in  breeding  or  in  racing,  do  so  with 
an  eye  wholly  to  the  profits  to  be  derived  from  it  as  a 
business  pursuit.  Nor,  at  the  present  time,  does  this 
seem  to  a  condition  of  affairs  that  may  be  considered 
reprehensible. 

Before  the  Civil  War,  and  even  at  least  at  one  time  sub- 
sequent thereto,  the  management  of  turf  affairs  had 
fallen  so  completely  into  unworthy  hands  that  the  race 
course  became  a  byword  and  reproach  in  the  minds  of 
all  honest  minded  men.  It  was  then  argued  that  the 
predominance  of  the  commercial  spirit  was  altogether 
responsible  for  this  degradation.  An  entirely  different 
condition  of  affairs  prevails  now,  for  although  the  busi- 
ness element  in  racing  has  come  more  conspicuously  to 
the  front  than  ever  before,  it  is  generally  agreed  that 
even  this  is  influenced  by  a  degree  of  sportsmanlike  spirit 
such  as  did  not  characterize  the  commercialism  of  the 
turf  in  those  earlier  periods  just  referred  to.  Further- 
more, the  necessity,  from  purely  commercial  points  of 
view,  of  holding  the  turf  to  a  high  standard  of  integrity 
and  to  maintain  it  with  an  irreproachable  character,  has 
impressed  itself  quite  as  strongly  upon  those  who  aim 
to  make  a  living  by  it  as  it  ever  has  upon  those  who  are 
engaged  in  it  as  a  sport,  rather  than  as  a  business.  The 
result  seems  to  be  that  both  classes  can  now  be  united 
in  support  of  racing  as  an  institution  which  must  be 
beyond  cavil,  and  command  the  approval  of  all  classes 
in  the  community,  as  it  has  in  other  periods  of  its 
existence. 

The  closing  decade  of  the  century  has  witnessed  very 
many  other  and  vital  changes  in  turf  affairs.  Looking 
back  over  the  past,  for  a  hundred  years  or  more,  we  can- 
not fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  fact  that  racing,  up  to 


the  end  of  the  Civil  War  was,  generally  speaking,  the 
sport  of  gentlemen,  high-minded  sportsmen  who  con- 
trolled the  race  meetings,  enforced  the  rules,  and  gave 
character  and  distinction  to  the  sport.  To  be  sure, 
there  were  sporting  men,  not  sportsmen,  even  in  the 
olden  times,  and  the  race  courses  were  not  entirely  free 
from  their  presence.  Meetings  took  somewhat  of  the 
character  of  the  old  country  fairs,  and  the  gambling 
gentry  brought  thither  their  games  of  chance  to  ensnare 
the  greenhorns  and  line  their  own  pockets.  In  the 
South  especially,  the  bar  room  and  the  cock  fight  were 
often  concomitants  of  the  course,  but,  on  the  whole, 
the  gambling  and  other  indulgences,  more  or  less  repre- 
hensible, were  confined  to  the  race  tracks  and  had  not 
extended  to  the  general  community,  as  it  has  in  the 
present  day. 

Nevertheless,  the  turf,  notwithstanding  the  high 
character  of  the  gentlemen  who  have  mostly  been  con- 
cerned with  it  from  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century 
down  to  the  present  time,  has  again  and  again  in  its 
career,  fallen  under  malign  influences,  that  for  the 
moment  overshadowed  it  darkly,  and  often  seemed 
likely  almost  to  bring  about  its  complete  destruction. 
Sometimes  the  threatening  elements  have  been  outside 
the  profession,  while  again  the  turf  has  been  mostly 
endangered  by  those  within  the  fold.  At  one  time  it  is 
the  spirit  of  intolerance  and  Puritanism  that  has  directed 
its  attention  to  the  overthrow  of  the  turf  on  principles  of 
ultramorality.  Again  we  find  that  self-seekers  and 
ambitious  money  makers  have  joined  the  ranks  of  turf- 
men only  to  sow  seeds  of  dissension,  to  introduce  nefa- 
rious practices,  and  to  prostitute  the  race  course  to 
selfish  ends.  Often  the  genuine  sportsmen  who  have 
bred  and  raced  horses,  purely  through  love  of  the 
thoroughbred  and  delight  in  his  performances,  have  been 
forced,  out  of  self-respect,  to  withdraw  from  all  associa- 
fion  with  the  turf  and  leave  it  for  the  time  being  in  less 
worthy  hands.  Again  it  will  be  seen  that  these  gentle- 
men, the  unselfish  promoters  of  turf  interests,  have 
joined  hands  in  combating  the  encroachment  of  evils 
that  may  have  crept  into  turf  administration,  and  by  their 
admirable  conduct  of  affairs  have  endeavored  to  disarm 
an  adverse  public  opinion  that  is  generally  the  outgrowth 
of  ignorance  and  intolerance.  It  is  worthy  of  note, 
moreover,  that  after  passing  through  these  periods  of 
trial  and  darkness,  racing  has  risen  again,  stronger 
than  ever  before  and  more  entitled  to  public  confidence 
and  patronage. 

During  the  nineties  the  turf  has  been  passing  through 
one  of  these  trying  experiences.  The  great  prosperity 
that  attended  the  institution  during  the  seventies  and 
eighties  attracted  to  it  an  element  that,  in  the  end, 
proved  itself  to  be  most  undesirable.  Practices  in  racing 
and  in  management  sprang  up  that  were  in  the  highest 


54 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


degree  dishononible,  and  that  lent  some  color  to  asser- 
tions that  were  freely  made  by  critics  of  the  turf  that  the 
institution  was  one  with  which  dishonesty  was  inevita- 
bly allied.  More  than  that,  the  spirit  of  gambling,  that 
had  been  growing  stronger  and  stronger  throughout  the 
country  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  or  more,  found  in  the 
race  course  an  opportunity  for  exploiting  its  practices 
that  was  readily  availed  of  by  the  devotees  of  chance. 
In  olden  times  most  of  the  betting  was  done  between 
individuals,  who  backed  their  favorites  more  or  less 
heavily,  as  their  means  permitted,  and  as  they  were 
witnessing  the  performances.  The  modern  scheme  of 
betting,  and  the  pool-rooms  through  which  individuals, 
who,  perhaps,  never  saw  a  horse  race  and  never  cared 
to,  and  would  scarcely  know  one  if  they  should  see  it, 
had  abundant  opportunity  to  indulge  their  pure  love  of 
gambling,  irrespective  of  any  interest  in  the  event  upon 
which  they  were  placing  their  stakes,  were  as  yet 
unknown.  It  remained  for  the  present  generation  to  see 
these  features  attached  to  the  race  course,  and  ultimately 
to  become  a  source  of  grave  danger  to  the  institution 
upon  which  they  thrived. 

Attention  being  after  a  while  drawn  to  this  feature  of 
the  racing  business,  promptly  the  overzealous  public 
proceeded  to  lay  the  blame,  more  or  less,  upon  the  insti- 
tution, rather  than  upon  the  purely  gambling  fraternity, 
that  was  utilizing  the  course  to  unworthy  ends. 
Agitation  ensued  all  over  the  country,  and  the  question 
soon  became  one  of  serious  political  importance.  Legis- 
latures were  called  upon  to  deal  with  it,  and  State  after 
State  passed  laws  which,  however  honestly  intended 
they  may  have  been,  resulted  in  untold  loss  to  the  busi- 
ness of  breeding  and  racing.  It  became  almost  impossi- 
ble to  conduct  racing  in  a  profitable  way  at  any  of  the 
great  race  courses,  so  unreasonably  stringent  was  much 
of  the  legislation  that,  although  aimed  at  recognized 
evils,  completely  failed  in  any  rational  solution  of  the 
problem.  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Connecticut,  Penn- 
sylvania, Illinois,  and  numerous  other  States  joined  in 
the  crusade  against  racing,  with  the  mistaken  idea  that 
the  only  way  to  drive  out  the  objectionable  gambling 
feature,  was  to  kill  entirely  one  of  the  largest  institutions 
of  the  country  and  in  its  various  allied  branches,  one  of 
the  most  valuable  business  pursuits  that  existed. 

One  of  the  results  of  this  agitation  and  legislative 
interference  was  precisely  the  contrary  to  what  had 
been  anticipated  by  its  most  energetic  advocates.  Some 
of  the  largest,  best  and  most  honorably  conducted  race 
courses  were  crippled  almost  beyond  recovery.  In  the 
case  of  Monmouth  Park,  supported  by  the  most  gentle- 
manly and  most  devoted  turfmen  that  the  country  had 
ever  known,  racing  was  entirely  abandoned,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Monmouth  Park  Association  being  law-abid- 
ing citizens,    and  unwilling  to  act,    or   appear   to   act. 


in  contravention  of  legal  enactments,  however  unjust 
those  might  be.  To  a  lesser  degree  a  similar  result  was 
seen  at  other  important  racing  centres.  At  the  same 
time  those  who  had  brought  discredit  upon  the  turf,  and 
by  their  practices  had  been  mostly  responsible  for  the 
sudden  turn  of  public  opinion  against  racing,  and  the 
severity  of  the  legislative  enactments  of  the  period,  only 
sought  a  way  to  escape  the  operations  of  the  law  with- 
out abandoning  the  sport.  Some  of  the  smaller  and  less 
responsible  courses  continued  to  exist  in  actual  violation 
of  the  law,  and  thus  brought  the  turf  more  and  more 
into  disrepute. 

The  evil  that  was  sought  to  be  cured  was  soon  found 
to  be  more  in  evidence  than  ever  before.  The  reputable 
side  of  racing  had  been  pretty  elTectually  swept  away, 
while  the  disreputable  had,  if  anything,  gained  in 
strength  by  reason  of  its  absolute  indifference  to  the 
law  and  the  consequences  of  its  violation,  and  also 
somewhat  from  the  lessening  of  rivalry,  resulting  from 
the  practical  withdrawing  of  many  of  the  larger  courses 
from  much  of  the  activity  that  had  heretofore  character- 
ized them.  One  of  the  peculiar  results  of  this  condition 
of  affairs  was  seen  in  the  introduction  of  winter  racing 
at  several  of  the  racing  centres  of  the  North.  This 
naturally  operated  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  courses  in 
the  South  that  had  generally  held  a  monopoly  of  racing 
during  the  winter  months.  The  feeling  that  was  thus 
engendered  prejudiced  the  Southern  racing  men  more 
and  more  against  the  North,  as  they  saw  the  winter 
racing  in  the  latter  section  interfering  with  the  success  of 
their  traditional  meetings.  Accordingly  the  larger 
courses  of  the -North  suffered  in  turn  from  the  natural 
apathy,  if  not  positive  disfavor,  of  the  Southern  men. 

So,  while  winter  racing  brought  the  institution  more 
and  more  into  contempt  with  the  reputable  part  of  the 
community,  whether  concerned  with  the  affairs  of  the 
turf  or  not,  it  created  ill  feeling  even  in  its  own  family. 
In  some  instances,  the  practice  was  found  to  be  directly 
destructive  of  the  best  interests  of  the  turf  in  particular 
localities.  Both  Washington  and  Baltimore  had  long 
been  struggling  against  an  adverse  public  sentiment  as 
regards  racing  affairs  of  every  description.  In  the  seven- 
ties and  eighties,  the  spring  and  fall  meetings  in  those 
cities  were  second  to  none  in  brilliancy  and  in  impor- 
tance, and  were  admirably  conducted.  These  localities 
seemed,  now,  to  suffer  even  more  than  other  parts  of  the 
country  in  the  general  turf  depression,  and  the  project 
for  winter  racing  there  put  an  even  more  decisive 
damper  upon  their  prospects.  In  the  early  nineties  the 
opening  of  the  St.  Asaph  Course,  near  Washington,  en- 
couraged those  who  hoped  that  the  days  of  high-class 
sport  might  be  again  returning  to  the  Capital.  The 
experiment  failed  to  meet  expectations,  however,  and 
after  a  few  years  St.   Asaph  passed  out   of  existence. 


55 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Meantime  the  Alexander  Island  track,  one  of  the  outlaw 
racing  places,  was  successfully  enjoined  from  doing  busi- 
ness, but  other  projects  for  winter  racing  were,  tempor- 
arily, more  successful,  with  the  result  of  adding  to  the 
difficulties  that  were  in  the  way  of  honest  racing  in  that 
part  of  the  country. 

In  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  legislation  that  has 
been  designed  to  restrict  racing  or  to  reform  abuses  that 
crept  into  the  management  of  race  courses,  as  well  as  to 
abolish  the  confessed  evils  of  the  pool  rooms  that  fixed 
themselves  upon  the  turf  as  a  convenient  medium  for 
carrying  on  their  questionable  practices,  the  State  of  New 
York  has  been  foremost.  This  has  been  due  to  several 
causes,  principally  the  special  predominance  of  the  State 
in  the  racing  aff;iirs  of  the  United  States  at  the  present 
time.  As  we  have  before  pointed  out,  the  racing  inter- 
.ests  of  New  York  have  assumed  such  position  by  reason 
of  the  generous  support  given  to  the  turf  in  the  metropo- 
lis, both  by  wealthy  promoters,  wealthy  sportsmen  and 
the  general  public,  so  that,  to  a  large  extent.  New  York 
has  become  far  and  away  the  leader  of  the  American 
turf  in  this  generation.  Naturally,  therefore,  the  oppor- 
tunity for  gambling  and  other  evil  practices  multiplied  in 
New  York  more  rapidly  than  elsewhere,  and  earlier 
called  out  the  criticism  and  opposition  of  the  public,  as 
well  as  the  profound  regret  of  all  honest  promoters  of 
the  turf  and  lovers  of  the  thoroughbred. 

First  to  feel  the  effects  of  this  condition  of  affairs,  New 
York  has  also  been  the  first  to  attain  to  an  apparently 
successful  solution  of  the  difficult  problem  by  which 
racing  shall  continue  in  an  honest  and  wholesome  man- 
ner and  be  practically  free  from  the  gambling  and  pool 
room  influences  that  so  long  succeeded  in  degrading  it. 
On  all  accounts  then,  turfmen  are  looking  toward  New 
York  and  studying  the  situation  in  that  State,  first, 
because  the  condition  of  affairs  in  the  Empire  State 
directly  and  seriously  affects  them  and,  second,  because 
the  same  questions  of  legislative  control  of  racing  affairs 
confront  them  in  their  own  homes.  Nowhere  in  the 
United  States  was  there  greater  need  of  reform  than  in 
New  York,  and  not  elsewhere,  as  yet,  has  there  been  any 
practical  solution  of  the  difficulties  upon  a  basis  satisfac- 
tory to  supporters  of  the  turf  and  to  the  moralists  who 
decry  everything  that  savors  of  freedom  in  rational 
sport.  The  sweeping  restriction  of  gambling  of  all 
kinds  that  was  placed  in  the  State  constitution  of  1894, 
and  that  was  aimed  largely  at  the  race  tracks,  was  not 
essentially  different  from  legislation  that  had  been 
attempted,  and  very  often  successfully,  in  other  States, 
and  always  to  the  detriment  of  racing. 

For  instance,  the  State  of  Illinois  passed  a  law  that 
practically  made  illegal  the  operation  of  all  race  courses 
where  pools  of  any  kind  were  sold.  Under  the  opera- 
tions of  this  law  racing  in  that  great  State  was  abso- 


lutely abandoned.  The  grounds  of  the  Washington 
Park  Club,  the  Chicago  Racing  Association,  the  Chicago 
Fair  Grounds  Association  and  of  other  clubs  and  associa- 
tions throughout  the  State  were  closed.  As  was  pointed 
out  by  the  advocates  of  more  liberal  treatment  of  the 
race  track,  this  legislation  cost  the  horse  owners  and 
breeders  of  the  State  many  millions  of  dollars  in  prizes 
that  would  have  been  distributed  among  them  had  the 
tracks  been  able  to  keep  open  and  continue  the  sport. 
More  than  that,  the  entire  business  of  raising  horses, 
whether  for  racing  or  for  other  purposes,  suffered  a  de- 
pression such  as  had  never  before  been  known  in  its 
history.  Connecticut  also  had  an  anti-pool  law,  passed 
in  1894,  that,  ostensibly  designed  to  suppress  gambling 
and  particularly  the  disreputable  pool  rooms,  only  suc- 
ceeded in  closing  all  the  honorable  race  courses  in 
the  State.  While  the  best  horses  sought  more  con- 
genial surroundings,  at  the  same  time  the  pool  rooms 
continued  to  flourish  and  to  do  business  without  inter- 
ference just  as  they  had  before. 

The  experience  of  New  York  in  coming  to  a  practical 
solution  of  this  problem  has,  therefore,  more  than  mere 
local  interest.  Not  only  is  it  a  part  of  the  history  of  the 
contemporaneous  turf,  but  it  seems  likely  that  it  has 
marked  the  turning  point  between  the  decadence  of  the 
immediate  past  and  the  prosperity  that  is  undoubtedly 
in  store  in  the  immediate  future.  A  large  and  an 
important  chapter  as  regards  the  entire  turf  of  the  United 
States,  is  that  which  must  detail  the  rise  and  fall  of  racing 
in  New  York  in  this  generation  and  the  methods  by 
which  it  has  once  more  been  placed  upon  sound  footing. 
As  soon  as  it  was  seen  that  the  operation  of  the  anti- 
gambling  section  of  the  new  constitution  would  work 
the  ultimate  destruction  of  all  racing  in  the  State, 
measures  were  promptly  set  on  foot  to  secure  special 
legislation  that  should  counteract  this  wrong  and  make 
it  possible  for  the  sport  to  continue  under  such  reason- 
able restrictions  as  would  commend  themselves  to  every- 
body. The  Percy-Gray  law  that  was  passed  by  the 
State  Legislature  in  1895,  is  now  generally  acknowledged 
to  be  the  best  measure  for  the  wholesome  promotion  of 
racing  interests  that  could  have  been  devised.  It  was 
advocated  by  Mr.  August  Belmont  and  other  gentlemen 
who  have  been  associated  with  him  in  their  devotion  to 
the  turf,  and  who  stand  foremost  in  the  social  and  com- 
mercial world  of  the  metropolis.  The  measure  was 
opposed  outwardly  by  extreme  moralists  represented  by 
Anthony  Comstock  and  others  of  his  class,  and  insid- 
iously by  the  pool  room  owners  and  gamblers,  who  saw 
that  under  its  provisions  the  opportunities  that  they  had 
previously  enjoyed  of  carrying  on  their  peculiar  business 
would  be  forever  lost  to  them. 

For  the  State  Commission  provided  by  the  terms  of 
this  enactment,  Governor  Levi  P.  Morton  selected  Messrs, 


56 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Auijust  Belmont,  Edwin  1).  MorsfMn  ;ind  John  Sanford. 
Those  gentlemen,  men  of  wealth  and  social  standing, 
engaged  in  large  business  enterprises,  and  at  the  same 
time  occupied  in  a  thoroughly  practical  way  with  the 
racing  and  breeding  of  blood  horses,  were  recognized 
as  peculiarly  fit  for  the  duties  which  devolved  upon 
the  Commission.  Mr.  Belmont,  representative  of  one 
of  the  most  distinguished  racing  families  of  modern 
times;  Mr.  Sanford,  one  of  the  most  prominent  breed- 
ers in  the  country  and  a  former  Member  of  Con- 
gress, and  Mr.  Morgan,  son  of  ex-Governor  Edwin  D. 
Morgan,  a  leading  banker  of  New  York  and  a  noted 
yachtsman,  were  depended  upon  for  such  direction  of 
racing  affairs  in  the  State  as  would  revive  racing,  elimi- 
nate the  law-breaking  element  that  had  previously  been 
connected  with  and  thrived  upon  it  and  give  an  example 
to  the  rest  of  the  country  of  how  it  might  be  possible  to 
reinstate  the  grand  old  "sport  of  kings,"  in  the  honorable 
position  that  it  had  enjoyed  in  times  gone  by. 

Now  that  the  law  has  had  a  three  years'  trial  and  has 
substantially  proved  the  wisdom  of  those  who  advo- 
cated it,  its  results  are  well  worth  considering,  since,  as 
we  have  said,  the  condition  of  affairs  in  New  York 
affects  the  turf  throughout  the  country  not  less  than  in 
this  State,  and  also  because  it  is  more  than  possible 
that  the  permanence  of  the  turf  as  a  national  institu- 
tion may  ultimately  depend  upon  some  such  legal 
status  as  that  which  now  upholds  it  in  the  Empire  State. 
In  1895,  the  limitations  imposed  upon  the  financial  end 
of  the  sport  were  painfully  apparent.  The  previous 
form  of  betting  having  been  abolished,  there  was  a 
marked  decrease  in  the  attendance  and  a  consequent 
diminution  of  gate  receipts.  The  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands who  had  hitherto  gone  to  the  courses,  less  from  a 
desire  to  see  the  racing  than  with  the  passion  to  stake 
their  dollars  on  the  result,  now  remained  away,  and  the 
associations  suffered  very  much  from  this  loss  of  support. 
Stockholders  in  racing  associations  saw  the  profits  that 
they  had  hitherto  enjoyed  becoming  more  and  more 
fleeting. 

While  this  was  regarded  at  first  as  being  a  very 
threatening  situation,  good  came  from  it  in  the  end. 
Gentlemen,  who  loved  the  sport  for  itself,  they  who 
were  sportsmen  and  not  gamblers,  found  it  necessary  to 
come  forward  generously  to  maintain  enterprises  that 
the  public  no  longer  supported,  and  they  kept  up  the 
value  and  number  of  stakes  and  purses,  quite  regardless 
of  any  profitable  financial  end  to  the  transaction.  They 
were  determined  that  the  turf  should  be  re-established 
and  purified,  cost  what  it  might.  It  was  thus  that  the 
racing  has  become  more  and  more  as  it  was  in  its 
palmiest  days,  with  the  very  best  element  in  control,  the 
honest  sporting  sentiment  infusing  new  life  into  its 
affairs,  while  the  less  honorable  features  of  the  sport  have 


been  relegated  to  a  position  in  the  distant  background. 
Once  more  it  is  seen  that  the  ' '  sport  of  kings  "  has  become 
the  sport  of  gentlemen,  while  there  is  no  place  in  its 
council  or  in  its  affairs  for  those  who  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  regard  it  simply  as  a  money-making  enterprise, 
sometimes  honestly,  but  more  frequently  dishonest  in 
motives  and  in  practices. 

Each  year  since  this  State  Racing  Commission  has  had 
control  of  racing  affairs  has  shown  a  distinct  advance- 
ment over  that  which  preceded  it.  This  improvement 
was  particularly  noticeable  in  1897,  the  third  year  of  the 
commission's  existence,  thus  conclusively  demonstrating 
the  complete  utility  of  the  new  law  and  vindicating  the 
opinions  of  those  who  were  instrumental  in  securing  its 
enactment.  As  it  exists  now  it  reflects  the  best 
European  legalism  upon  the  subject,  and  having  stood 
the  supreme  test  of  practice  is  now  generally  regarded 
as  presenting  beyond  all  controversy  a  solid  foundation 
upon  which  legitimate  racing  may  surely  stand  safe  from 
assault  from  without  or  from  evil  influence  within.  In 
this  light  the  way  has  been  blazed  for  the  future  whole- 
some and  profitable  existence  of  the  turf  in  other  sections 
of  the  United  States,  in  many  of  which  the  prospect  is 
still  unpromising,  hedged  about  as  it  is  by  adverse 
conditions. 

Under  the  operations  of  this  law  racing  has  been  con- 
ducted by  the  Westchester  Racing  Association,  the 
Coney  Island  jockey  Club,  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club, 
the  Brighton  Beach  Association,  the  Saratoga  Racing 
Association  and  the  Queen's  County  jockey  Club.  In 
1897,  the  racing  conducted  upon  the  tracks  of  these 
clubs  and  associations  under  license  of  the  racing  com- 
mission was  of  a  brilliant  character  and  the  meetings 
were  eminently  successful.  The  whole  number  of  days 
raced  by  the  six  associations  was  one  hundred  and  forty- 
four.  During  the  year  prizes  and  stakes  were  given  to 
the  amount  of  $916,080,  which  was  $109,564  in  advance 
of  that  competed  for  in  1896  and  $123,627  in  excess  of 
that  offered  in  1895.  The  Saratoga  Racing  Association, 
which,  in  1896,  closed  its  grounds,  reopened  in  the 
ensuing  year  and  had  a  successful  meeting.  Additional 
stake  features  were  opened,  and  one  of  the  assuring  tests 
of  the  returning  prosperity  of  the  turf  was  found  in  the 
largely  increased  number  of  nominations  made  to  these 
stakes.  Not  only  was  the  number  of  horses  engaged  the 
largest  since  1894,  but  the  list  represented  a  decided 
addition  to  the  number  of  different  interests  represented. 
There  was  also  a  gratifying  increase  in  the  amount  of 
the  State  tax  levied  upon  the  gross  receipts  of  the 
several  racing  associations.  This  increase  in  the  tax 
showed  that  there  was  an  increased  revenue  to  the 
racing  associations  arising  from  a  larger  patronage  from 
horsemen  and  spectators.  Thus  the  associations  have 
been   enabled   to  offer  greater  prizes  for  contests   and 


57 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


not  only  make  the  horse  more  profitable  in  the  market, 
but  also  to  encourage  liberal  and  intelligent  expenditure 
on  breeding  farms.  On  the  whole,  therefore,  the  show- 
ing made  by  the  Commission  was  exceedingly  gratifying, 
indicating,  as  it  did,  such  a  decided  revival  of  interest  in 
turf  affairs  and  a  substantial  advancement  over  previous 
years  towards  that  degree  of  prosperity  that  all  sports- 
men earnestly  hope  for  and  that  is  essential  to  the  very 
existence  of  the  turf  as  a  great  national  institution. 

The  extent  to  which  racing  has  developed  in  these 
later  days  of  the  century  is  clearly  seen  by  a  contem- 
plation among  other  things  of  the  number  of  racing 
meetings  that  are  annually  held.  All  sections  of  the 
country  are  represented  by  race  courses  from  San 
Francisco  to  New  York,  and  on  many  of  the  tracks  there 
are  two  or  even  three  meetings  every  season.  During 
the  year  of  1897,  to  bring  the  matter  close  down  to  date, 
nearly  threescore  important  racing  courses  were  opened, 
while  there  was  racing  on  numerous  other  less  im- 
portant tracks.  New  York  naturally  stands  at  the  head 
of  the  list  as  regards  the  importance  of  its  meetings  and 
the  high  standing  of  the  several  race  courses  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  metropolis. 


Earlier  in  the  year  the  racing  stables  began  at  New 
Orleans,  Bennings,  Little  Rock  and  Newport,  Ky. 
Immediately  thereafter  came  the  meetings  at  Memphis, 
Tenn. ;  Forsyth,  Ind.,  and  Aqueduct,  Long  Island,  fol- 
lowed by  Lexington,  Nashville,  Louisville,  St.  Louis, 
Latonia,  Oakley,  O. ;  Detroit,  Mich.,  as  well  as  the  New 
York  courses  before  mentioned.  Meantime,  and  to  a  con- 
siderable degree  independent  of  the  turf  of  the  East,  San 
Francisco  patronized  the  Ingleside  Course,  managed  by 
the  Pacific  Coast  Jockey  Club,  and  the  Oakland  Course, 
managed  by  the  California  Jockey  Club.  This  list 
might  be  considerably  added  to  without  ending 
the  enumeration  of  the  racing  centres  where  good 
sport,  honorably  conducted,  could  be  seen  during  the 
year  which  we  have  taken  as  a  sample  to  show  the 
activity  in  turf  affairs  prevailing  during  this  period. 
Other  years  immediately  preceding,  exhibited  a  similar 
state  of  affairs  and  at  this  writing  he  would  not  be  a 
reckless  prophet  who  should  predict  that  the  American 
turf  is  entering  upon  a  new  career,  which  in  brilliancy 
and  in  all  other  qualities  that  go  to  make  up  honorable 
success,  shall  surpass  even  the  noblest  records  of  the 
past. 


58 


FAMOUS    RACING   EVENTS 


Great  Four-Mile  Heats  of  Olden  Time — North  Against  the  South  in  the  Eclipse-Henry, 

Boston-Fashion    and    Other    Famous    Matches — Notable    Races 

OF  Later  Date,  Records  and  Winners 


/^"TXNE  of  the  eiirliest  as  well  as  greatest  racing 
1^1  events  in  the  annals  of  the  American  turf 
Vl  /  ^'"^  ^'^^  contest  between  American  Eclipse 
'^'^-^  and  Sir  Henry,  in  1823,  upon  the  Union  Course 
on  Long  Island.  At  this  time  and,  indeed,  for  long 
after,  rivalry  in  racing  was  largely  sectional.  One 
division  of  the  country  matched  its  champions  against 
those  of  another,  and  the  loyalty  of  the  supporters  of 
each  was  unswerving.  The  turf  then  was  too  limited  an 
affair  for  the  multiplied  races  that  are  now  customary, 
even  at  the  meetings  that  are  held  at  the  smaller  tracks. 
A  match  then  would  be  arranged  months  in  advance 
and  be  eagerly  discussed  in  all  parts  of  the  country 
where  horses  were  objects  of  interest  and  affection,  and 
the  result,  whether  victory  or  defeat,  would  carry  joy  or 
dejection  through  the  whole  communities.  In  the 
famous  contest  between  American  Eclipse  and  Henry, 
the  former  represented  the  North  and  the  latter  the 
South.  Henry  was  a  son  of  Sir  Archy  and  out  of  a 
mare  by  the  great  Diomed.  He  was  owned  by  Colonel 
William  R.  Johnson,  of  Petersburg,  Va.  American 
Eclipse  was  regarded  by  horsemen  everywhere  as  the 
foremost  representative  of  Northern  horses,  and  as  such 
excited  an  invincible  determination  on  the  part  of  the 
Southern  turfmen  to  humble  his  pride  with  one  of  their 
own  thoroughbreds. 

In  1822,  Mr.  Cornelius  W.  Van  Ranst,  the  owner  of 
Eclipse,  upon  challenge  of  Mr.  James  J.  Harrison,  of 
Brunswick,  Va.,  took  his  horse  to  the  Washington 
Course  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  to  run  a  match  against  im- 
ported Sir  Charles  for  $5,000  a  side.  Upon  November  20, 
the  day  fixed  for  the  race,  Sir  Charles,  having  met  with 
an  accident,  his  owner  forfeited  the  race.  Subsequently 
another  match  of  a  single  four-mile  race  for  $1,500  a  side 
was  arranged,  and  when  that  event  came  off  Eclipse 
won  with  consummate  ease,  his  opponent  breaking 
down  in  the  last  mile.  This  defeat  put  the  Southern 
turfmen  on  their  mettle,  and  Colonel  Johnson  made  a 
proposition  to  produce  a  horse  which,  at  the  opening 
of  the  next  season,  should  run  a  race  in  four-mile  heats 
against  Eclipse  over  the  Long  Island  Union  Course  for 
$20,000  a  side,  $3,000  forfeit.  This  challenge  was 
promptly  accepted  by  Mr.  John  C.  Stevens,  of  New 
York,  in  behalf  of  himself  and  of  several  other  Northern 
gentlemen.      All  winter  long  the  match  was  the  object 


of  the  greatest  interest  and  discussion  throughout  the 
country,  and  a  constant  stimulus  to  sectional  pride  and 
prejudice.  By  the  time  that  the  27th  of  May,  the  day  on 
which  conclusions  were  to  be  tried,  had  arrived,  the 
affair  had  assumed  the  transcendent  importance  of  a  na- 
tional matter.  All  New  York  journeyed  to  the  Union 
Course,  while  every  other  section  of  the  country  con- 
tributed its  quota  to  the  mass  of  excited  spectators  who 
numbered,  it  is  said,  no  less  than  sixty  thousand  people. 
The  representatives  of  the  South  had  brought  with  them 
five  selected  horses,  from  which  they  finally  chose  Henry 
to  carry  their  hopes  and  fortunes.  As  an  aged  horse, 
being  nine  years  old  at  the  time.  Eclipse  carried  126 
pounds,  while  Henry  bore  108. 

The  excitement  that  attended  the  race  from  start  to 
finish  was  fully  equal  to  all  that  had  been  anticipated 
concerning  it.  Crofts  rode  Eclipse  in  the  first  heat 
and  was  defeated  by  the  Southern  horse  by  half  a 
length.  In  the  second  heat,  Purdy,  a  jockey  of  wide 
experience,  who  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  Eclipse, 
had  the  mount,  and  brought  the  chestnut  in  a  winner. 
In  the  third  heat  Purdy  again  had  the  saddle,  while 
Arthur  Taylor,  a  trainer  and  rider  of  established 
reputation  and  of  great  success,  rode  Henry.  From  the 
start  Purdy  took  the  lead  with  Eclipse  maintaining  it 
throughout,  beating  Henry  so  thoroughly  that  in  the 
last  half  mile  he  was  unable  even  to  rally  for  a  good 
finish.  The  time  of  the  first  heat  was  7  minutes,  37^^ 
seconds;  the  second  heat  was  won  in  7  minutes,  49  sec- 
onds, and  the  third  in  8  minutes,  24  seconds;  the  aggre- 
gate time  being  2^  minutes,  50^^  seconds— an  average 
of  about  I  mile  in  i  minute,  59  seconds.  It  was  esti- 
mated that  fully  $200,000,  an  enormous  amount  for  those 
times,  changed  hands  on  that  day.  The  entire  country 
was  on  the  alert  for  news  of  the  event,  and  special  mail 
packets  and  couriers  were  despatched  from  New  York  as 
soon  as  the  race  was  ended,  to  acquaint  the  expectant 
ones  with  the  result.  The  judges  of  this  famous  race 
were  General  Ridgely,  of  Baltimore;  Captain  Cox,  of 
Washington,  and  John  Allen,  of  Philadelphia. 

The  echoes  of  that  great  equine  struggle  have  scarcely 
died  out,  even  in  the  present  day.  For  years  after  the 
event  discussion  of  the  relative  merits  of  the  two  horses 
was  carried  on  in  all  parts  of  the  country  with  the 
vehemence  and  persistency  that  would  characterize  any 


59 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


great  political  controversy.  The  supporters  of  the 
Northern  horse  were  firm  in  the  belief  that  if  Purdy 
had  ridden  in  the  first  heat  Eclipse  would  easily 
have  won  in  two  straight  heats.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  was  a  feeling  of  great  dissatisfaction  among  the 
Southern  representatives  over  the  defeat  of  their  cham- 
pion. They  eagerly  sought  for  another  match  between 
the  two  horses  for  any  stakes  ranging  from  $20,000  to 
$50,000,  but  the  propositions  were  politely  declined  by 
the  Northerners. 

It  was  felt  by  many  of  the  supporters  of  Henry  that 
the  absence  of  Colonel  Johnson,  who  was  unable  to  at- 
tend the  great  battle  which  he  himself  had  planned,  con- 
tributed to  the  defeat  of  his  horse.  One  of  the  time- 
honored  anecdotes  of  the  old  turf  relates  that  the  good 
Colonel  had,  on  the  preceding  evening,  been  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  attend  a  social  gathering  where,  among 
other  viands,  there  was  a  liberal  supply  of  lobster  and 
champagne.  In  consequence  he  was  physically  pros- 
trated when  he  should  have  been  at  the  track  directing 
the  policy  to  be  pursued  in  regard  to  his  champion,  and 
thus  gave  an  additional  advantage  to  his  opponents. 
The  celebrated  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  himself  a 
breeder  of  thoroughbreds  and  a  sportsman  of  no  small 
fame,  was  present  at  the  contest,  and,  as  a  comment  on 
the  result  and  its  possible  cause,  uttered  the  celebrated 
dictum,  "It  was  not  Eclipse  that  beat  Henry,  it  was 
the  lobsters." 

In  1825,  came  another  great  match,  which  stirred  the 
turf  world  in  the  United  States  to  the  utmost  pitch  of 
excitement — ^that  between  Ariel  and  Flirtilla.  The 
triumphs  of  Ariel,  who  was  a  daughter  of  American 
Eclipse,  and  who  was  then  regarded  as  the  greatest 
champion  on  the  turf,  had  aroused  the  interest  of  the 
Southern  sportsmen  to  the  keenest  point.  Sectional  re- 
gret over  the  defeat  of  the  great  Henry  had  not  yet  been 
obliterated  in  the  section  represented  by  that  favorite 
and  the  Southerners  desired  to  get  on  a  match  between 
Ariel  and  their  own  champion,  General  William  Wynn's 
five-year  old  bay  mare,  Flirtilla,  by  Sir  Archy  out  of 
Robin  Redbreast.  A  peculiar  interest  attached  to  this 
proposition  from  the  foct  that  the  Southern  mare  was  a 
half  sister  of  the  defeated  Henry,  and  thus  the  same 
strains  of  blood  would  be  brought  together,  as  in  the 
great  event  between  Eclipse  and  Henry  two  years  before. 
Mr.  Henry  Lynch,  the  owner  of  Ariel,  offered  to  run  his 
mare  four-mile  heats  against  any  horse  to  be  named,  for 
$1,000  on  each  turn  or  quarter  pole,  four  turns  to  the 
mile,  and  $10,000  on  the  main  race.  When  this  chal- 
lenge was  not  accepted  he  offered  to  run  Ariel  four-mile 
heats  against  any  horse,  mare  or  gelding  that  might  be 
named,  for  $20,000.  This  proposition  was  accepted 
by  Mr.  Wyche,  of  North  Carolina,  who  named  Flirtilla, 
and  who  also,  with  two  outside  bets,  increased  his  back- 


ing of  the  Southern  mare  to  $30,000.  Subsequently  the 
distance  was  changed  from  four  to  three-mile  heats. 
The  match  was  arranged  for  October  31,  1825,  on  the 
Long  Island  Union  Course,  and  aroused  an  enthusiasm 
and  sectional  rivalry  which  was  not  surpassed  by  that 
which  had  been  displayed  in  the  previous  contest  be- 
tween Eclipse  and  Henry. 

The  attendance  upon  the  Union  Course  upon  the  day 
of  the  race  was  almost  equal  in  numbers  to  that  which 
characterized  the  earlier  meeting  between  the  great 
champions  of  the  North  and  the  South.  Betting  was 
heavy  and  some  individuals  had  from  $7,000  to  $15,000 
at  stake.  Ariel  had  been  trained  by  Samuel  Laird,  and, 
in  place  of  Black  Harry,  who  had  ridden  her  previously, 
Madison  Laird  had  the  mount.  Flirtilla,  who  was  five 
years  old,  had  been  trained  under  the  personal  supervi- 
sion of  Colonel  William  R.  Johnson,  who  had  full  com- 
mand on  the  day  of  the  race.  She  was  ridden  by  Bob 
Wooden.  Ariel  was  not  in  the  best  condition  and  ex- 
perts in  horseflesh  had  doubts  about  her  being  able  to 
defeat  her  opponent.  Flirtilla,  on  the'  contrary,  was  fit 
to  run  for  a  man's  life.  In  the  first  heat  Ariel  led  off, 
with  Flirtilla  close  behind,  and  the  first  mile  was  run  in 
the  slow  time  of  2  minutes,  12  seconds.  At  that  point 
the  bay  mare  took  the  lead  and  kept  it  until  about  the 
close  of  the  third  mile,  when  the  gray  filly  again  cVial- 
lenged  her  and  passed  to  the  head,  keeping  up  a  rapid 
pace  to  the  end  of  the  race,  coming  in  three  or  four 
lengths  ahead.  The  last  two  miles  were  run  in  5  min- 
utes, 47  seconds,  and  the  heat  in  5  minutes,  39  seconds. 
In  the  second  heat  Flirtilla  challenged  at  the  start,  passed 
ahead,  and  kept  up  a  telling  pace.  Ariel  followed,  but 
kept  steadily  dropping  farther  and  farther  behind.  These 
relative  positions  were  maintained  until  within  a  few 
rods  of  the  winning  post,  when  suddenly  Flirtilla  be- 
came sulky  and  came  almost  to  a  full  stop,  allowing 
Ariel  so  nearly  to  overtake  her  that  she  won  the  heat 
only  six  inches  ahead  of  Ariel,  in  5  minutes,  54^^  sec- 
onds. The  third  heat  was  a  procession  for  Flirtilla  from 
start  to  finish,  the  filly  being  dead  beat  in  the  second 
round  and  full  one  hundred  yards  in  the  rear  at  the 
finish,  the  heat  being  run  in  5  minutes,  54  seconds.  The 
outcome  of  the  race  afforded  intense  satisfaction  to  the 
Southern  sportsmen,  who  felt  that  the  honor  of  their 
section  was  retrieved  and  that  they  were  thus  in  a  mea- 
sure compensated  for  the  defeat  of  Henry. 

Another  great  contest  in  which  Ariel  figured,  was  in 
the  race  for  the  Jockey  Club  Purse,  upon  the  course  at 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  in  June,  1829,  when  she  defeated 
Betsey  Ransom.  Since  the  contest  between  Eclipse  and 
Henry,  in  1823,  no  race  at  the  North  had  excited  more 
interest  than  this  later  event.  Both  horses  were  in  good 
condition.  When  they  started  on  the  first  of  the  four- 
mile   heats,  Betsey  Ransom  went  off  in  the  lead  at  a 


60 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


moderate  pace,  but  after  half  of  the  heat  had  been  com- 
pleted, struck  a  killing  pace  and  won  the  heat  in  7 
minutes,  ^2  seconds,  the  last  two  miles  being 
covered  in  3  minutes,  52  seconds.  In  the  second 
heat,  Betsey  Ransom  again  took  the  lead  and  kept 
it  until  the  fourth  mile  was  entered  upon,  when  Ariel 
came  close  up  and  from  that  time  on  entered  upon  a 
desperate  and  determined  struggle  for  supremacy.  In 
the  last  quarter  Ariel  was  about  half  a  length  ahead,  but 
came  under  the  wire  a  winner  by  only  half  a  neck  in 
8  minutes,  i  second.  The  third  and  last  heat  was 
a  repetition  of  the  one  which  had  preceded  it,  Betsey 
Ransom  leading  off,  with  Ariel  following  for  something 
more  than  three  miles,  and  then  taking  and  keeping  the 
lead  by  two  or  three  lengths  to  the  winning  post.  The 
time  of  the  third  heat  is  not  recorded. 

Nearly  a  decade  after  Eclipse  met  and  vanquished 
Henry,  and  carried  the  colors  of  the  North  above 
those  of  the  South,  Black  Maria  ran  her  most  memora- 
ble race  over  the  Union  Course.  The  event  was  for  the 
Jockey  Club  Purse  of  $600,  four-mile  heats,  and  was  set 
down  for  October  13,  1832.  Four  horses  started,  Mr. 
John  C.  Stevens'  Black  Maria,  by  Eclipse  out  of  Lady 
Lightfoot,  six  years  old;  Dr.  E.  A.  D'Arcy's  chestnut 
mare  Lady  Relief,  by  Eclipse  out  of  Maria  Slamerkin; 
Mr.  John  C.  Craig's  chestnut  filly  Trifle,  by  Sir  Charles, 
dam  by  Cicero,  four  years  old;  and  Messrs.  Bela  Badger 
and  John  C.Tillotsen's  brown  filly  Slim,  by  Flying  Childers 
out  of  Molley  Longlegs  by  Harwood,  four  years  old. 
Upon  the  day  of  the  event,  Trifle  was  the  favorite  among 
the  betters  as  well  as  among  the  spectators,  and  small 
odds  were  offered  on  her  against  the  field.  Bets  were 
freely  offered  that  Black  Maria  would  not  take  a  single 
heat.  Everybody  seemed  to  have  the  idea  that  the 
Southern  mare  would,  as  a  matter  of  course,  win, 
because  the  prejudice  in  favor  of  racers  foaled  south  of 
Mason  and  Dixon's  line  was  still  a  very  potent  quantity 
among  horsemen  of  that  period.  Trifle  was  a  perfect 
appearing  race  horse  of  a  bright  chestnut,  not  over  four- 
teen hands  and  a  half  high,  of  just  proportions,  undoubted 
bottom  and  considerable  power.  Lady  Relief  and  Slim 
were  unknown  quantities,  but  there  were  good  reports 
concerning  their  abilities. 

When  the  first  heat  opened  the  four  horses  went  off 
well  together,  with  Relief  at  the  head.  Slim  second. 
Trifle  third  and  Black  Maria  last.  At  first  it  was  a  wait- 
ing race,  but  at  the  beginning  of  the  third  mile  Black 
Maria  was  in  the  lead,  followed  close  by  Trifle,  with  the 
other  two  far  in  the  rear.  During  the  fourth  mile  Trifle 
headed  Black  Maria,  but  in  the  last  quarter  the  latter 
came  up,  shot  by  like  an  arrow  and  won  the  heat  with 
ease.  The  time  of  the  heat  was  8  minutes,  6  seconds. 
Black  Maria  still  had  few  genuine  supporters,  notwith- 
standing her  success  in  this  heat,  and  Trifle  continued  the 


favorite,  with  the  others  pretty  well  out  of  the  running 
in  public  estimation.  The  most  confidence  was  expressed 
in  Lady  Relief,  who  seemed  to  be  in  fairly  good  con- 
dition. The  second  heat  was  run  severely  from  start  to 
finish,  Lady  Relief  taking  the  lead,  with  Trifle  and  Black 
Maria  bringing  up  the  rear.  At  the  end  of  the  first  mile 
the  positions  were  changed,  with  Black  Maria  leading 
Trifle,  while  Slim,  at  the  end  of  the  third  mile,  gave  up 
and  quietly  walked  off  of  the  course.  The  two  leaders 
kept  at  each  other's  throatlatch  down  the  last  stretch 
and  passed  the  judges'  stand  together,  making  a  dead 
heat  in  7  minutes,  55  seconds. 

The  third  heat,  to  the  surprise  of  everybody,  belonged 
to  Lady  Relief,  after  the  third  mile.  She  kept  the  track  in 
spite  of  her  opponents  until  on  the  last  quarter  stretch, 
when  Trifle  shot  by  and  won  in  8  minutes,  1 3  seconds. 
The  three  horses  began  the  fourth  heat  full  of  spirit,  with 
Lady  Relief  at  the  head,  followed  by.  Trifle  and  then  Black 
Maria.  At  the  end  of  three  miles  and  a  half  Black  Maria 
closed  up  on  the  heels  of  the  daughter  of  Eclipse,  but 
was  unable  to  pass  her,  and  Lady  Relief  won  the  heat  by 
a  neck  in  8  minutes,  39  seconds.  So  it  was  a  twenty 
mile  race  after  all,  and  in  the  fifth  heat  they  started  with 
Lady  Relief  ahead  and  Trifle  and  Black  Maria  in  order 
as  before.  Entering  upon  the  fourth  mile  Black  Maria 
pushed  up  with  a  stride  that  counted  terribly  upon  Lady 
Relief,  led  around  the  turn  and  thundered  up  by  the 
judges'  stand,  hard  in  hand,  untouched  by  whip  or  spur, 
winning  the  heat  in  8  minutes,  47  seconds,  and  carrying 
off  the  purse.  This  race  was  the  more  phenomenal 
from  the  fact  that  the  track  was  heavy  and  yet  twenty 
miles  were  run.  It  was  a  terrible  strain  upon  the  horses, 
however.  For  months  Black  Maria  was  in  a  bad  con- 
dition and  did  not  come  out  again  until  the  following 
May.  Trifle  was  crippled  and  laid  up  for  a  year.  Lady 
Relief  died  within  a  few  weeks  from  the  effects  of  a  cold 
and  of  exhaustion.  Particular  interest  attached  to  Black 
Maria  and  her  career,  inasmuch  as  her  pedigree  combined 
the  blood  of  American  Eclipse,  with  that  of  his  antago- 
nist. Sir  Henry. 

Another  race  of  importance  on  the  Union  Course  was 
the  North  against  the  South,  a  post-match,  four-mile 
heats  for  $5,000  a  side,  half  forfeit,  May  31,  1836,  the 
North  to  name  at  the  post  any  horse  raised  north  01 
Maryland,  and  the  South,  in  like  manner,  any  horse 
raised  south  of  the  Potomac.  Colonel  William  R.  John- 
son, of  Virginia,  named  Colonel  John  Crowell's  chestnut 
horse,  John  Bascombe,  by  Bertrand,  dam  Pacolet,  five 
years  old.  Mr.  Robert  Tillotson,  of  New  York,  named 
the  chestnut  horse,  Post  Boy,  by  Sir  Henry  out  of  Gar- 
land, by  Duroc,  five  years  old.  Bascombe  took  the  track 
the  first  heat,  and  was  never  headed.  He  had  the  foot  of 
Post  Boy  and  the  only  fear  was  his  endurance.  Post  Boy 
collared  him  as  they  passed  the  gate  on  the  third  mile, 


61 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


which  was  run  in  i  minute,  ^4  seconds,  but  Bascombe 
kept  the  lead,  and  finally  won  the  heat,  with  something 
to  spare,  in  hand,  in  7  minutes,  49  seconds,  Post  Boy 
pulling  up  within  the  distance  pole;  rather  a  fast  heat 
over  a  heavy  course.  The  second  heat  was  a  repetition 
of  the  first,  except  that  after  the  first  mile,  in  2  minutes. 
Post  Boy  went  up  to  Bascombe  and  lead  him  by  a  throat- 
latch,  the  pace  mending  at  once.  The  horses  ran  locked 
throughout  the  second  and  third  miles,  and  so  continued 
until  half  round  the  fourth  mile,  when  Post  Boy  drew 
out  a  head  and  neck,  and  so  maintained  his  lead  to  the 
dangerous  north  corner,  when  they  came  round  the  last 
turn,  at  a  slashing  rate,  a  dead  lock.  The  jockey  on 
Bascombe  gave  him  a  push  that  sent  the  phenomenon 
from  Alabama  past  the  winning-post  a  clear  length  ahead, 
amid  enthusiastic  cheers,  that  made  the  welkin  ring  for 
miles.  The  time  was  7  minutes,  5i/4  seconds,  and 
would  have  been  better  by  four  or  five  seconds  had  the 
course  been  in  perfect  order.  Ineffectual  attempts  were 
made  for  another  match  race  between  John  Bascombe 
and  Post  Boy,  but  Colonel  Crowell  would  not  allow  his 
horse  to  run. 

The  next  important  event  in  this  era  was  the  great  race 
won  by  Colonel  Emery's  Lady  Clifden,  of  Maryland,  at 
the  Union  Course,  considered  at  the  time,  under  all  cir- 
cumstances, the  best  race  ever  run  in  America,  by  great 
odds.  In  the  following  order  these  horses  appeared  at 
the  post,  November  3,  1837:  Mr.  J.  C.  Stevens'  Fanny 
Wyatt,  four  years  old,  by  Sir  Charles,  dam  by  Sir  Hal; 
Colonel  Wynn's  Picton,  three  years  old,  by  imported 
Luzborough,  dam  by  Sir  Archy;  Colonel  Selden's  Lady 
Clifden,  four  years  old,  by  Sussex,  dam  by  Ratray;  Gen- 
eral Irvine's  Mingo,  six  years  old,  by  Eclipse,  dam  by 
Rattler.  Mingo  and  Fanny  Wyatt  were  about  equal 
favorites  and  then  Lady  Clifden. 

In  the  first  heat  Picton  led  throughout,  closely  pushed 
at  times  by  Mingo,  the  best  son  of  the  Northern 
champion  running  second  at  the  end  of  the  third  mile, 
about  a  length  behind,  until  Fanny,  at  the  north  turn, 
passed  him,  and  made  severe  play  with  the  footy  colt. 
*  Finding  the  colt  was  not  to  be  headed  Fanny  pulled  up 
and  Mingo  passed,  coming  in  second  with  Fanny  third. 
After  two  and  a  half  miles  of  the  heat.  Lady  Clifden  fell 
back,  resigning  her  chance  and  at  the  finish  just  dropped 
within  the  distance  stand.  Picton  won  the  heat  in  7 
minutes,  44  seconds.  In  the  second  heat  Picton  led  as 
before,  closely  pushed  by  Mingo,  until  during  the  third 
mile  Mingo's  age  and  bottom  told,  and  he  obtained  the 
lead.  Lady  Clifden  passed  him  on  the  turn,  after  a  severe 
struggle  and  headed  the  field.  Fanny  passed  Picton  and 
Mingo  and  went  up  to  the  Lady,  the  latter  leading  a 
length  in  the  clear,  and  winning  the  heat  in  7  minutes, 
43J^  seconds.  In  the  third  heat  they  got  off  well  to- 
gether. Lady  Clifden  leading,  Mingo  second,   a  beaten 


horse,  and  Picton  third.  Fanny,  after  passing  the  dis- 
tance stand,  gradually  crept  up,  and  at  the  winning  post 
saddle-lapped  her  conqueror.  Lady  Clifden  won  this 
heat  in  7  minutes,  56^^  seconds. 

Colonel  William  R.  Johnson  had  the  management  of 
the  winner  throughout  the  race  and  never  was  his  judg- 
ment, experience  and  tact  so  signally  displayed.  At 
that  time  he  had  in  the  same  stable  the  renowned 
Atalanta  and  Boston.  From  this  time  forward,  meeting 
after  meeting,  there  was  one  constant,  continued  succes- 
sion of  good,  nay,  great  horses,  on  the  turf,  from  Long 
Island  to  New  Orleans.  These  were  combats  of  the 
giants,  all  the  rest  child's  play.  Mingo  was  a  magnifi- 
cent horse,  quite  equal  to  Bascombe  and  Post  Boy;  one 
that  never  had  half  a  fair  chance,  a  good  winner  and  a 
good  performer.  Clarion,  also  of  the  North,  by  Mon- 
mouth Eclipse,  dam  by  Oscar,  was  as  beautiful  and  gal- 
lant a  horse  as  man  need  look  upon. 

Another  famous  race  on  the  Union  Course  was  that 
between  Boston  and  Fashion  on  May  10,  1842.  This 
was  also  a  sectional  contest  between  horses  of  the  South 
and  the  North,  for  $20,000  a  side,  and  was  marked  by 
all  the  dramatic  enthusiasm  that  characterized  other 
meetings  of  its  kind.  Boston,  the  Southern  representa- 
tive upon  this  occasion,  has  a  further  interest  for  the 
modern  lover  of  thoroughbreds  as  the  sire  of  the  immor- 
tal Lexington,  and  consequently  ancestor  of  many  of  the 
crack  performers  of  later  times.  The  race  was  in  four- 
mile  heats  and  the  contest  drew  another  enormous 
crowd,  estimated  at  seventy  thousand  people.  The 
grand  stand  was  crowded  with  a  large  array  of  those 
distinguished  in  political,  social  and  sporting  life,  and 
for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  on  both  sides  of  the 
course,  spectators  were  packed  in  solid  phalanxes.  In- 
tense interest  prevailed  as  the  heats  were  run.  The  race 
was  described  by  Mr.  W.  T.  Porter,  the  celebrated  turf 
writer,  "  as  most  thrilling  and  exciting  and  as  throwing 
in  the  shade  the  most  celebrated  of  those  wonderful 
achievements  which  have  conferred  so  much  distinction 
upon  the  high-mettled  racer  of  America."  Although  the 
course  was  deemed  not  quite  so  well  adapted  for  speed 
as  on  some  other  occasions,  Boston's  trainer,  Arthur 
Taylor,  thought  he  required  more  seasoning  to  make  a 
bruising  race.  On  the  other  hand,  Fashion  was  brought 
to  the  post  in  condition  to  run  for  a  man's  life.  She  was 
admirably  trained  and  faultlessly  managed  in  the  race. 

At  the  start,  in  the  first  heat,  Boston  went  off  with  the 
lead  at  a  rattling  pace.  Fashion  was  two  lengths  behind 
to  the  end  of  the  mile,  run  in  1  minute,  53  seconds,  but 
soon  after  made  play  and  the  pace  improved.  Boston 
led  throughout  the  second  mile,  run  in  i  minute,  50^ 
seconds,  the  two  miles  in  3  minutes,  4^/2  seconds,  and 
again  through  the  third  mile,  run  in  i  minute,  54  seconds, 
the  three  miles  in  5  minutes,  37^  seconds.     Early  in  the 


I 


62 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


fourth  mile,  under  whip  and  spur,  Fashion  passed  Bos- 
ton at  a  flight  of  speed  rarely  equaled.  The  cheers  sent 
from  the  throats  of  thousands  might  be  heard  for  miles. 
But  Boston  gave  her  no  respite.  He  lapped  her  down 
the  back  stretch  for  three  hundred  yards.  Here  Gilpat- 
rick  took  a  strong  and  bracing  pull  on  him,  and  when  he 
again  let  him  out  unfortunately  pulled  him  inside  so  near 
the  fence  that  the  horse  struck  his  hip  against  a  post 
hard  enough  to  jar  him  very  much  and  was  observed  to 
falter.  He  soon  recovered,  and  though,  at  this  moment. 
Fashion  led  him  nearly  three  lengths,  he  gradually  closed 
the  gap  around  the  turn  to  within  a  few  feet  and  nearly 
caught  her  at  the  distance  stands.  One  shouted  "  Bos- 
ton's on  you,"  but,  under  the  whip.  Fashion  responded 
and  came  in  about  a  length  ahead,  apparently  something 
in  hand  to  spare,  closing  the  heat  in  7  minutes,  32,/^  sec- 
onds, the  fastest,  by  all  odds,  ever  run  in  America.  The 
Boston  party  had  expected  to  win  in  7  minutes,  34  sec- 
conds,  if  put  up  to  that.  Had  they  offered  to  beat  the 
time  of  Eclipse  and  Henry,  3  to  i  would  have  been  laid 
against  it.  For  the  first  two  miles  Boston,  in  the  opinion 
of  many  shrewd  judges,  had  the  foot  of  the  mare,  and  it 
was  thought,  had  he  trailed  her,  the  result  of  the  first 
heat  might  have  been  different. 

For  the  second  heat,  the  horses,  having  recovered  in  a 
few  minutes,  came  to  the  post  again  comparatively  fresh, 
Fashion  led  off  with  a  moderate  stroke.  Boston  occa- 
sionally lapped  her  during  the  two  first  miles,  and  during 
the  third  mile  succeeded  in  taking  the  track.  The  scene 
which  ensued  was  indescribable.  Such  cheering,  such 
betting,  and  so  many  long  f;ices  were  never  seen  or  heard 
of  before.  This  took  the  life  out  of  Boston.  Instead  of 
pulling  him  steadily  and  refreshing  him  with  a  slight 
respite,  Gilpatrick  kept  him  at  his  work  after  he  took  the 
track  and  ran  the  third  mile  in  i  minute,  5ij4  seconds. 
The  pace  was  tremendous.  Fashion  rallied  and,  as  Bos- 
ton had  not  another  run  left  in  him,  she  passed  him  op- 
posite the  quarter-mile  post  and  the  thing  was  out.  She 
now  gradually  dropped  him  and,  without  another  effort 
on  his  part  to  retrieve  the  fortunes  of  the  day,  she  came 
home  a  gallant  and  easy  winner  in  7  minutes,  43  seconds. 
Boston  pulled  up  inside  of  the  distance  stand.  It  was 
afterward  ascertained  that  his  feet  were  sore  from  a 
recent  and  too  long  deferred  sweat  that  Colonel  John- 
son considered  necessary  on  his  arrival  at  the  course 
only  a  few  days  before  the  race.  Although  Mr.  Taylor, 
the  trainer,  was  of  the  same  opinion  as  to  its  necessity, 
he  would  not  assume  the  responsibility  of  it,  as  Colonel 
Johnson  had  been  daily  expected  for  more  than  a  week. 
This  circumstance  is  supposed  to  have  decided  the 
result.  This  match  race  prepared  Boston  for  the  race 
three  days  thereafter,  when,  in  three  heats  of  four  miles, 
he  beat  Mariner,  8  minutes,  13  seconds,  7  minutes,  46 
seconds  and  7  minutes,  58  seconds.     One  historian  of 


the  day,  commenting  upon  the  affair,  said  "though 
beaten,  it  is  conceded  on  all  h.ands  that  Boston  has 
acquired  a  more  vast  renown  by  this  wonderful  race 
than  by  his  thirty-tlve  previous  victories  combined.  He 
is  worth  more  since  than  he  was  before  the  match." 
In  the  sporting  world  the  result  of  the  contest  was  sen- 
tentiously  put  in  this  way,  "  All  that  can  be  said  is  that 
Boston  has  beaten  himself  and  Fashion  has  beaten 
Boston." 

A  strong  rivalry  sprang  up  between  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee  early  in  the  history  of  the  American  turf. 
Matches  between  horses  representing  their  respective 
States  were  of  frequent  occurrence  and  stirred  the  en- 
thusiasm and  patriotism  of  the  people  to  an  extreme 
point.  The  most  famous  contest  of  this  character  was, 
perhaps,  the  great  race  between  Wagner  and  Grey  Eagle 
at  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  the  autumn  of  1839.  Wagner, 
who  was  then  a  five-year  old,  carried  the  honor  of  Ten- 
nessee and  Grey  Eagle,  a  four-year  old,  stood  for  Ken- 
tucky. The  race  took  place  on  September  30,  the 
nominations  having  closed  on  the  first  of  January  pre- 
ceding the  event,  so  that  the  impending  contest  had 
been  the  subject  of  discussion  for  fully  nine  months. 
The  stake,  which  was  for  all  ages,  four-mile  heats, 
closed  with  ten  subscribers  at  $2,000  each,  half  forfeit. 
Only  four  of  the  nominations  started,  Wagner,  Grey 
Eagle,  Queen  Mary  and  Hawk  Eye. 

Upon  the  day  of  the  race  the  most  brilliant  assembly 
that  had  ever  been  seen  upon  such  an  occasion  gathered 
on  the  course  at  Louisville.  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  not 
only  from  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  but  even  from  more 
distant  parts  of  the  North  and  South,  were  present  in 
large  numbers,  and  by  their  attendance  added  to  the 
brilliancy  of  the  affair.  A  chronicler  of  the  period  says, 
"  the  number  of  ladies  in  attendance  was  estimated  at 
eight  hundred,  while  nearly  two  thousand  horsemen 
were  assembled  on  the  field.  The  stands,  the  fences, 
the  trees,  the  tops  of  carriages  and  every  eminence  over- 
looking the  course  were  crowded ;  probably  not  less  than 
ten  thousand  persons  composed  the  assembly,  compris- 
ing not  only  several  distinguished  Senators,  and  nearly 
the  entire  Kentucky  delegation  in  Congress,  with  their 
families,  but  all  the  elite  of  the  beauty  and  fashion  of  the 
State."  Henry  Clay  and  John  Jay  Crittenden,  the  two 
United  States  Senators  from  Kentucky,  were  there  with 
ex-Senator  Porter,  of  Louisiana,  and  with  them  Gover- 
nor Poindexter,  General  Atkinson,  Major  Stewart,  Gen- 
eral Hardin,  Judges  Rowan  and  Woolly  and  other  dis- 
tinguished citizens,  principally  of  the  South,  with  repre- 
sentatives from  Ohio  and  other  Northern  and  Western 
States. 

From  the  day  the  stake  closed  betting  had  gone  on 
spiritedly  with  Wagner  always  the  favorite.  From  New 
York  to  New   Orleans,  for  many   months,  odds   were 


63 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


freely  offered  on  Wagner  against  the  tleld,  but  the  State 
loyalty  of  the  Kentuckians  never  wavered  for  a  single 
moment.  They  backed  Grey  Eagle  magnificently  for 
the  first  heat  and  even  for  the  race,  and  it  is  said  that 
not  a  Kentuckian  on  the  ground  put  a  dollar  on  Wag- 
ner, even  after  their  favorite  had  lost  the  first  heat.  The 
race  was  another  of  those  old-time  four-mile  heat  con- 
tests, and  the  first  two  heats  were  won  and  the  event 
settled  by  Wagner,  who  came  in  a  neck  ahead.  The 
time  of  the  heats  was  7  minutes,  48  seconds,  and  7 
minutes,  44  seconds.  The  finish,  which  was  one  of  the 
most  sensational  in  the  history  of  the  American  turf, 
was  thus  described  by  the  late  Mr.  William  T.  Porter, 
the  brilliant  turf  writer  of  that  period: 

"From  the  Oakland  House  home  it  was  a  terrible 
race.  By  the  most  extraordinary  exertions  Wagner  got 
up  neck  and  neck  with  the  gallant  grey  as  they  swung 
round  the  turn  into  the  quarter  stretch.  The  feelings  of 
the  assembled  thousands  were  wrought  up  to  a  pitch 
absolutely  painful.  Silence  the  most  profound  reigned 
over  that  vast  assembly  as  these  noble  animals  sped  on 
as  if  life  and  death  called  forth  their  utmost  energies. 
Both  jockeys  had  their  whip  hands  at  work,  and  at 
every  stroke  each  spur,  with  a  desperate  stab,  was 
buried  to  the  rowel  head.  Grey  Eagle  for  the  first 
hundred  yards  was  clearly  gaining,  but  in  another 
instant  Wagner  was  even  with  him.  Both  were  out 
and  doing  their  best.  It  was  anybody's  race  yet;  now 
Wagner,  now  Grey  Eagle  has  the  advantage.  '  It  will 
be  a  dead  heat!'  'See,  Grey  Eagle's  got  him!'  'No, 
Wagner's  ahead!'  A  moment  ensues— the  people  shout 
— hearts  throb — ladies  faint — a  thrill  of  emotion — and  the 
race  is  over.  Wagner  wins  by  a  neck  in  7  minutes,  44 
seconds,  the  best  race  ever  run  south  of  the  Potomac; 
while  Kentucky's  gallant  champion  demonstrates  his 
claim  to  that  proud  title  by  a  performance  which 
throws  into  the  shade  the  most  brilliant  ever  made  in 
his  native  State." 

Discussion  over  the  relative  merits  of  the  two  horses 
was  intensified  rather  than  quieted  by  this  performance. 
Everybody  agreed  that  Wagner  was  better  managed 
and  better  ridden  than  Grey  Eagle,  and  the  friends 
of  the  latter  horse  based  their  dissatisfaction  with  the 
result  upon  the  firm  belief  that  their  favorite's  defeat 
was  alone  attributable  to  the  bad  riding  of  his  jockey. 
One  turf  authority  of  the  period  wrote:  "  What  might 
have  been  the  result  of  the  race  we  cannot  pretend  to 
say,  but  we  assert  with  perfect  confidence,  our  belief 
that  with  Gilpatrick  on  his  back,  Grey  Eagle  would 
have  won  the  second  heat.  .  .  .  The  two  horses 
were  so  nearly  matched  that  good  generalship  and  good 
riding  did  the  business."  It  was  not  in  the  nature  of 
things  that  the  matter  should  be  allowed  to  rest  where 
it  was.     The  Southern  blood  was  up,  and  under  the  cir- 


cumstances a  second  race  between  the  great  champions 
became  inevitable.  Backers  of  both  horses  set  on  foot 
measures  to  have  another  test  at  the  same  meeting.  The 
match  was  really  forced  by  the  admirers  of  Grey  Eagle, 
but  unprejudiced  outsiders  looked  upon  the  affair  with 
grave  doubts,  for  it  was  generally  considered  that  neither 
horse  was  in  a  physical  condition  that  warranted  sub- 
jecting him  to  another  severe  strain  upon  his  prowess  so 
shortly  after  the  other. 

On  October  5,  the  Saturday  following  the  Monday  on 
which  the  first  race  had  taken  place,  the  second  one  was 
run  upon  the  same  course  for  the  Jockey  Club  purse  of 
$1,500,  conditions  as  before,  four-mile  heats.  In  addi- 
tion to  Wagner  and  Grey  Eagle,  Captain  Willa  Viley's 
four-year  old  brown  filly,  Emily  Johnson,  own  sister  to 
Singleton,  by  Bertrand  out  of  Black-Eyed  Susan  by 
Tiger,  was  entered.  Cato,  who  had  piloted  Wagner  to 
his  previous  victory,  again  had  the  mount,  and  Stephen 
Welch,  despite  his  failing  with  Grey  Eagle  five  days 
before,  again  rode  that  horse,  as  no  substitute  could  be 
found  for  him.  The  antepost  betting  was  all  in  Wag- 
ner's favor,  at  2  and  3  to  i,  even  the  friends  of  Grey 
Eagle  regretfully  conceding  that  another  severe  race 
within  a  week  might  be  too  much  for  him.  When  it 
was  announced  that  a  second  four-mile  contest  between 
these  two  champions  was  on  the  card,  an  immense 
crowd  of  spectators  gathered  to  witness  the  affair,  for 
the  entire  country,  for  fifty  or  seventy-five  miles  about 
Louisville,  turned  out  almost  as  one  man,  while  many 
visitors  came  from  Cincinnati  and  other  distant  points. 
As  before,  on  the  day  of  the  race,  the  ladies  constituted 
a  considerable  proportion  of  the  spectators. 

When  the  word  was  given  Wagner  went  off  in  the 
lead  with  Emily  second  and  Grey  Eagle  last,  but  at  the 
first  half  mile  post  the  three  were  lapped.  Then  Grey 
Eagle  drew  out  a  little,  but  up  the  stretch  Wagner  came 
again  in  front.  Grey  Eagle,  however,  soon  leading  again 
and  coming  to  the  stand  by  half  a  length,  being  about 
two  lengths  ahead  at  the  end  of  the  fourth  mile.  In 
spite  of  a  brilliant  rally  by  his  opponent,  he  increased 
the  distance  and  when,  after  Wagner  had  declined, 
Emily  Johnson  challenged  him,  he  was  still  kept  to 
the  head.  He  could  not  now  be  overtaken  and  came 
home  a  gallant  winner  by  nearly  a  length,  Emily  Johnson 
taking  the  second  place  and  Wagner  being  third.  The 
first  mile  was  run  in  2  minutes,  5  seconds,  the  second  in 
I  minute,  55  seconds,  the  third  in  i  minute,  56  seconds, 
and  the  fourth  in  i  minute,  55  seconds,  making  the  time 
for  the  heat  7  minutes,  51  seconds. 

Supporters  of  Grey  Eagle  now  felt  as  much  elated  as 
they  had  heretofore  been  depressed.  Kentucky  was 
still  a  unit  in  support  of  its  champion  and  the  odds 
changed  from  2  and  5  to  1  in  favor  of  Wagner,  until 
Grey  Eagle  had  the  call  at  4  to  },  many  large  sums  of 


64 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


money  being  staked.  In  the  second  heat  the  pace  at  the 
start  was  little  better  than  a  hand  gallop  for  the  first  half 
mile,  with  Wagner  in  the  lead.  The  Kentucky  horse 
soon  locked  his  rival  from  Louisiana,  and  they  made  the 
first  mile  neck  and  neck  in  2  minutes,  8  seconds. 
Immediately  after  passing  the  stand  Grey  Eagle  went  to 
the  front,  but  at  the  end  of  the  second  mile,  which  was 
run  in  i  minute,  52  seconds,  the  champions  were  again 
neck  and  neck.  At  the  end  of  the  third  mile,  in  i  min- 
ute, 5S  seconds,  Wagner  had  his  head  and  neck  in  front 
and  for  the  last  mile  there  was  one  of  the  fiercest  struggles 
that  had  ever  been  seen  upon  the  Southern  turf,  at  the 
end  of  which  Wagner  came  through  a  winner  by  a  neck, 
having  run  the  last  mile  in  i  minute,  48  seconds,  and  the 
heat  in  7  minutes,  43  seconds.  It  was  said  "that  for 
an  untried  four-year  old  Grey  Eagle's  performance  was 
without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  the  American  turf," 
and  although  defeated,  he  had  covered  himself  with 
glory.  In  the  final  spurt  for  the  finish,  Emily  Johnson 
was  quite  lost  sight  of  and  did  not  even  save  her  distance. 
The  third  heat  was  a  catastrophe,  as  the  beautiful  grey 
horse  broke  down  soon  after  passing  the  half  mile  post 
in  the  second  mile,  Wagner  winning  the  heat;  but  no 
time  was  kept. 

Perhaps  few  events  connected  with  the  turf  about  the 
middle  of  the  century  attracted  more  attention,  or  were 
productive  of  more  animated  discussion  among  horsemen 
and  other  frequenters  of  the  race  course  than  the  struggle 
for  supremacy  between  those  two  great  half  brothers, 
Lexington  and  Lecomte,  and  the  wonderful  performances 
of  the  latter  in  reducing  the  record  that  then  stood  for 
four-mile  heats.  The  first  great  race  between  these 
splendid  thoroughbreds  came  off  in  April,  1854,  for  the 
great  State  Post  Stakes,  on  the  Metairie  Course,  in  New 
Orleans,  four- mile  heat  for  all  ages.  The  subscription 
to  the  stake  was  $5,000,  representatives  of  the  States  of 
Louisiana,  Alabama,  Kentucky  and  Mississippi  being  the 
subscribers.  The  Kentucky  horsemen  named  Lexington, 
Lecomte  represented  the  State  of  Mississippi,  while 
Alabama  was  represented  by  Highlander  and  Louisiana 
by  Arrow.  Interest  in  the  event  was  at  fever  heat  and 
many  of  the  most  distinguished  gentlemen  of  the  period, 
among  them  ex-President  Millard  Filmore,  occupied 
seats  in  the  judges'  and  the  grand  stand.  It  was  thought 
by  the  shrewdest  turfites  of  the  time  that  the  breeding 
of  the  swift-footed  Lecomte  promised  better  results  than 
that  of  his  white-legged  and  white-nosed  half  brother. 
In  this  expectation,  however,  they  were  grievously 
mistaken,  for  the  son  of  Alice  Carneal  won  in  two 
straight  heats,  distancing  Highlander  and  Arrow  and 
leaving  Lecomte  not  a  very  good  second,  the  time  being 
8  minutes,  8}i  seconds,  and  8  minutes,  4  seconds. 

Of  course  the  supporters  of  Lecomte  were  not  at  all 
satisfied  with  this  result  and  were  still  willing  to  pin  faith 


upon  their  horse.  Accordingly  a  week  later,  on  the 
eighth  day  of  the  month,  the  two  rivals  again  came 
together  on  the  same  course  for  the  Jockey  Club  Purse 
of  $2,000,  the  chestnut  gelding  Reube,  by  imported 
Trustee  out  of  Minstrel  by  Medoc,  also  contending  for 
the  honors.  This  was  really  the  first  great  contest 
between  the  two  future  champions  and  the  event  called 
out  a  great  attendance  upon  the  race  course,  more  than 
ten  thousand  people  being  present.  The  ladies  made 
a  goodly  show  on  the  stands  reserved  for  them,  and 
were  not  at  all  averse  to  betting  upon  their  favorite 
Lexington.  The  race  was  intensely  exciting.  As  one  of 
the  newspaper  reports  put  it,  "since  the  great  race  of 
Fashion,  on  Long  Island,  in  1842,  and  George  Martin's 
7  minutes,  33  seconds,  and  7  minutes,  43  seconds,  in 
New  Orleans,  in  1843,  there  had  been  nothing  like  it; 
and  in  all  its  incidents  from  the  start  to  the  victory,  it 
will  always  be  remembered  as  pre-eminently  the  greatest 
four-mile  race  on  record."  Betting  was  extremely  heavy, 
Lexington  being  the  favorite,  first  at  even  money  against 
the  field,  and  afterward  100  to  80  against  the  field,  and 
100  to  60  against  Lecomte. 

The  result  of  the  race  was  a  great  surprise,  nobody 
having  calculated  upon  or  anticipated  the  great  victory 
that  Lecomte  was  able  to  achieve.  Reube  cut  no  figure 
in  the  running,  although  in  the  first  heat  he  made  by 
far  the  best  time  he  had  ever  made  in  his  life;  but  he 
was  wholly  outclassed,  barely  escaping  being  distanced 
in  the  first  heat,  while  in  the  second  he  was  not  even 
able  to  escape  being  caught  behind  the  red  flag. 
Lecomte  led  off  in  the  first  heat  and  kept  his  position 
throughout  the  four  miles,  although  Lexington  several 
times  made  a  brush  and  partly  closed  the  gap.  At  no 
time,  however,  was  he  able  to  outfoot  his  rival,  and 
Lecomte  won  by  six  lengths,  in  much  the  quickest  time 
ever  made  in  the  world,  7  minutes,  26  seconds.  Betting 
now  changed  with  Lecomte  the  fiivorite,  100  to  40 
against  the  field.  Lexington  led  the  way  from  the  score 
for  nearly  two  miles  in  the  second  he^t,  maintaining  a 
distance  of  about  two  lengths.  Upon  entering  the 
third  mile,  Lecomte  overhauled  and  passed  him,  and 
throughout  this  mile  there  was  a  constant  struggle 
between  the  two,  with  Lecomte  slightly  in  the  lead. 
Holding  this  lead  throughout  the  next  mile  he  came 
home  a  winner  by  four  lengths,  in  7  minutes,  ^8^ 
seconds,  and  was  proudly  hailed  "  as  the  best  race  horse 
ever  produced  on  the  turf."  The  respective  miles  of 
each  heat  were  run  in  i  minute,  53  seconds,  i  min- 
ute, 54  seconds,  i  minute,  49)^  seconds,  and  i  min- 
ute, 49>^  seconds  for  the  first  heat,  and  2  minutes, 
2  seconds,  i  minute,  58  seconds,  i  minute,  46  seconds, 
and  I  minute,  52^  seconds  for  the  second  heat. 

Now  the  dissatisfaction  rested  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
backers  of  Lexington,  and  another  test  of  the  respective 


65 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


merits  of  the  two  horses  was  proposed.  Upon  the 
refusal  of  the  owners  of  Lecomte  to  make  a  third  match, 
Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broecl<,  Lexington's  owner,  determined 
to  settle  the  question  in  another  way,  by  running  his 
stallion  over  the  Metairie  Course  against  time.  He 
claimed  that  when  he  was  defeated  by  Lecomte,  the 
stallion  was  not  in  good  condition  and  was  badly  ridden, 
and  was  confident  that  he  would  be  successful  in  another 
triaL  He  issued  a  challenge  for  Lexington  to  run  a 
single  four  miles  against  the  fastest  time  at  that  distance 
on  record  in  America  for  the  sum  of  $20,000,  or  to  run 
him  against  any  named  horse,  a  race  of  four-mile  heats. 
As  an  alternative  proposition,  he  offered  to  run  Lexing- 
ton over  the  Union  Course,  on  Long  Island,  in  October 
of  the  same  year,  on  a  wager  of  $25,000  against  $20,000. 
After  a  long  controversy  between  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  and 
Colonel  T.  J.  Wells,  who  was  then  the  owner  of 
Lecomte,  two  distinguished  Virginia  horsemen,  Colonel 
Calvin  Green  and  Captain  John  Belcher,  accepted  the 
challenge  to  run  Lexington  against  time. 

The  trial  came  off  April  2,  1855,  in  the  presence  of  an 
immense  concourse  of  people.  The  track  was  in  excellent 
order,  the  horses  in  fine  condition  and  the  weather  con- 
ditions perfect,  the  day  being  one  of  the  loveliest  of  the 
season.  The  judges  for  this  historic  occasion  were 
General  Stephen  M.  Westmore,  who  represented  the 
Virginia  turfmen,  who  were  backing  time,  Mr.  Arnold 
Harris  to  represent  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  and  Mr.  John  G. 
Cocks,  president  of  the  Metairie  Jockey  Club.  The 
timers  were  the  Honorable  Duncan  F.  Kenner,  Captain 
William  J.  Minor  and  Mr.  Stephen  D.  Elliott.  The  betting 
was  heavy  and  Lexington  was  a  strong  favorite  at  100 
to  75  against  time  and  a  few  takers  at  that  figure.  The 
celebrated  Gilpatrick  had  the  mount,  and  started  in  at  a 
hot  pace,  making  the  first  mile  in  i  minute,  47X  seconds. 
The  second  mile  was  made  in  i  minute,  52^  seconds, 
the  third  mile  in  i  minute,  51^2  seconds  and  the 
fourth  mile  in  i  minute,  48^  seconds,  the  entire  four 
miles  in  7  minutes,  19^  seconds,  carrying  103  pounds. 
This  knocked  off  6}(  seconds  from  the  great  feat  of 
Lecomte  in  the  earlier  race,  and  it  remained  the  world 
record  for  a  single  four-mile  brush  until  twenty  years 
later  when  it  was  lowered  by  Ten  Broeck  and  Fellow- 
craft.  And  yet,  great  as  was  the  triumph  of  Lexington, 
many  who  witnessed  the  race  were  confident  that  had  it 
been  necessary,  he  could  have  finished  the  four  miles  in 
at  least  10  seconds  less  time. 

Again,  in  April,  1855,  the  giants  met  in  a  third  fierce 
struggle.  By  this  time  the  entire  country  had  become 
excited  over  the  rivaly  between  the  two,  and  there  was 
a  general  consensus  of  opinion  that  the  respective  merits 
of  the  horses  must  be  again  put  to  the  test.  The  owners 
and  backers  of  Lexington  were  confident  of  his  prowess, 
while  those  who  spoke  for  Lecomte  declared  that  his  7 


minutes,  26  seconds  was  better  than  Lexington's  7  min- 
utes, 19%^  seconds,  from  the  fact  that  the  latter  had  all  the 
advantage  of  running  alone  and  choosing  the  close  side 
of  the  track  and  having  a  long  start,  so  that  he  received 
the  word  "  go  "  at  full  speed.  Arrangements  were  made 
for  the  running  of  the  two  horses  on  April  24,  over  the 
Metairie  Course,  for  a  Jockey  Club  purse  of  $1,000,  with 
an  inside  stake  of  $2,500  each.  Lexington  was  the 
general  favorite  of  the  public,  and  stood  in  the  betting  at 
100  to  80.  Gilpatrick  bestrode  Lexington  and  the  negro 
jockey  of  General  Wells  was  in  the  saddle  of  Lecomte. 
When  the  signal  to  start  the  first  heat  was  given,  the 
two  horses  went  up  the  quarter  stretch  neck  by  neck. 
Lexington,  slowly  drawing  ahead,  flew  by  the  stand  at 
the  end  of  the  first  mile,  three-quarters  of  a  length  in  the 
lead,  in  i  minute,  49^2  seconds.  About  the  middle  ot 
the  second  mile,  the  son  of  Reel  made  a  desperate  effort 
and  laid  himself  alongside  his  rival,  nose  by  nose,  but 
was  able  to  hold  this  advantage  only  a  few  seconds,  for 
Lexington  drew  himself  a  clear  length  in  the  lead  at  the 
close  of  the  second  mile,  which  was  run  in  i  minute,  51 
seconds.  Throughout  the  third  mile  Lexington  was  not 
headed  at  all,  and  covered  the  distance  in  i  minute,  51 
seconds,  and  made  the  last  mile  in  i  minute,  52^ 
seconds,  going  with  a  spirit  as  if  he  had  just  begun  to 
run,  while  Lecomte,  only  by  a  desperate  rally,  escaped 
by  a  few  lengths  the  humiliation  of  being  distanced. 
The  time  of  the  heat  was  7  minutes,  2^}i  seconds,  un- 
precedented as  being  the  fastest  heat  that  was  ever  made 
in  a  match.  When  the  time  arrived  for  starting  the 
second  heat  the  owner  of  Lecomte  withdrew  his  horse 
while  the  purse  and  the  laurels  were  awarded  to  the 
Kentucky  champion. 

The  last  great  match  between  the  North  and  South 
was  run  May  13,  1845,  four-mile  heats,  for  $10,000  a 
side,  between  Mr.  Kirkland's  Peytona,  a  five-year  old  by 
imported  Glencoe,  dam  by  imported  Leviathan,  repre- 
senting the  South,  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Gibbons'  Fashion, 
eight  years  old,  standing  for  the  North.  The  course 
was  extremely  hard  under  a  thick  layer  of  dust,  after  a 
long  drouth,  and  was  not  as  well  adapted  for  speed  as 
on  some  former  occasions.  In  the  first  heat  Peytona 
outfooted  Fashion  from  the  stand  and  kept  the  lead 
throughout  by  about  two  lengths,  winning  well  in  hand 
in  7  minutes,  39^  seconds.  In  the  second  heat  Peytona 
again  trailed  Fashion  and  won  cleverly  by  half  a  length 
in  7  minutes,  45 X  seconds.  The  winner,  who  was 
bred  in  Alabama,  was  in  all  respects  an  extraordinary 
mare,  fully  16  hands,  3  inches  in  height,  with  a  stride 
that  was  said  to  cover  27  feet.  No  better  pedigree  than 
hers  for  eight  generations  back  to  Tasker's  Selima  then 
existed.  Her  sire,  Glencoe,  her  dam  by  imported 
Leviathan,  her  grandam  by  Sir  Archy,  and  their  ances- 
tors back  to  imported   Othello,  Selima  and  Godolphin 


66 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Arabian    constituted     tiic    very    aristocracy    of    equine 
blood. 

Among  otiier  notable  turf  events  of  the  decade  or 
more  just  preceding  the  Civil  War,  the  exploits  of 
Charleston,  Sue  Washington,  Dallas,  Kate  Hunter,  Don 
Juan,  Marksman,  Birdcatcher  and  others  merit  some- 
thing more  than  mere  passing  attention.  Of  first  rank 
among  these,  perhaps,  may  be  named  the  achievement 
of  Charleston  on  the  Chattahooche  Course  at  Columbus, 
Ga.,  in  March,  18^7.  The  race  was  a  colt  stakes  for 
three-year  olds.  Three  horses  came  to  the  post,  Char- 
leston by  imported  Sovereign;  Don  Juan  by  imported 
Glencoe,  dam  Darkness  by  Wagner,  and  Birdcatcher  by 
Oliver,  a  son  of  Wagner,  dam  by  American  Eclipse.  The 
first  heat  was  won  by  Charleston  lapped  the  entire  mile 
by  Don  Juan,  the  time  being  i  minute,  46  seconds. 
In  the  second  heat  the  three  horses  closed  into  a  cluster 
about  the  termination  of  the  first  quarter,  after  a  bad 
start  on  the  part  of  Charleston,  and  ran  to  the  head  of 
the  stretch,  when  Charleston  increased  the  rate  of  going, 
which  ended  in  a  dead  heat  between  Charleston  and 
Don  Juan,  with  Birdcatcher  a  good  third,  time  i  minute, 
46  seconds.  In  the  third  heat  Don  Juan  got  off  well 
ahead,  with  Birdcatcher  second  and  Charleston  in  the 
rear,  in  which  order  they  came  home,  Don  Juan  winning 
the  heat  in  1  minute,  48>4  seconds.  In  the  fourth  heat 
Don  Juan  led  off,  with  Birdcatcher  and  Charleston 
following,  but  Charleston  moved  up  and  took  the  lead 
some  six  hundred  yards  from  home,  winning  the  heat 
and  race  with  apparent  ease,  time  i  minute,  47)^  seconds. 
This  was  said  then  to  have  been  the  best  race  ever 
run  at  mile  heats  by  three-year  olds  in  the  United  States. 

Charleston  belonged  to  the  stable  of  Messrs.  Puryear 
&  Watson,  Colonel  David  McDaniel  owned  Don  Juan 
and  Mr.  H.  E.  Barton  owned  Birdcatcher.  Adding 
the  time  of  the  successive  heats  together,  it  will  be  seen 
that  they  make  an  aggregate  of  only  7  minutes,  8 
seconds  for  four  miles,  which  is  1 1  ^  seconds  less  than 
the  wonderful  time  made  by  Lexington  in  his  great 
exploit  on  the  Metairie  Course  in  New  Orleans  in  1855. 
But  four  days  later  at  this  same  meeting  Charleston  was 
beaten  by  Sue  Washington  and  Frankfort  for  the  Post 
Stakes,  four-mile  heats,  winning  only  the  first  heat  in  7 
minutes  and  39  seconds.  Another  record  breakingfeat  of 
the  early  period  of  the  American  turf  were  Charleston's 
fourth  heat  in  i  minute,  46  seconds  over  the  Washing- 
ton Course,  Charleston,  S.  C,  the  first  three  heats 
having  been  run  respectively  in  i  minute,  49^  seconds; 
1  minute,  47^^  seconds  and  i  minute,  30  seconds. 
Charleston  beat  Nicholas  I.  and  Ada  Tevis  over  the 
same  course,  2-mile  heats,  in  3  minutes,  4^ji  seconds; 
3  minutes,  }()%  seconds  and  3  minutes,  44  seconds. 
Again  on  the  same  course  he  beat  a  Darkness  colt 
in  3  minutes,  40j4  seconds  and  3  minutes,  43  seconds. 


Another  great  four-mile  race,  which,  in  many  respects, 
was  one  of  the  most  exciting  ever  run  in  the  South,  was 
over  the  Chattahooche  Course,  at  Columbus,  Ga.,  in 
April,  1857.  The  entries  were  Messrs.  Campbell  and 
Barton's  Lizzie  McDonald,  formerly  Sue  Washington, 
Mr.  Thomas  Puryear's  Charleston,  and  Colonel  David 
McDaniel's  Frankfort.  Before  the  hour  of  starting, 
Charleston  was  a  favorite  over  Lizzie  McDonald,  it  beins: 
reported  that  the  latter  had  made  a  bad  trial  run.  The 
betting  was  about  even  between  Charleston  and  the  field, 
the  latter,  however,  being  slightly  the  favorite.  In  the 
first  heat  Lizzie  McDonald  had  the  track,  with  Charles- 
ton second,  and  Frankfort  outside.  At  the  close  of  the 
first  mile  Charleston  took  the  track,  and  from  that  time 
led  on  the  line,  coming  home  the  winner  in  7  minutes 
and  39  seconds,  Frankfort  just  dropping  in  to  save  his 
distance.  As  the  track  was  in  a  very  heavy  state  from  the 
rain  of  the  previous  day,  this  was  regarded  as  one  of 
the  best  heats  ever  run  in  America.  In  the  second 
heat  Charleston  had  the  track  and  kept  it  throughout 
until  on  the  home  stretch  Frankfort  dashed  in  ahead  in 
lightning  speed,  leading  Charleston  by  a  head,  who  was 
a  neck  before  Lizzie  McDonald.  The  time  was  7  min- 
utes, 40  seconds.  Lizzie  McDonald  won  the  third  heat  in 
8  minutes,  the  last  two  miles  being  run  in  3  minutes,  47 
seconds.  Charleston  was  drawn  before  the  fourth  heat 
was  entered  upon,  and  Lizzie  McDonald  easily  took  the 
heat  in  8  minutes  and  i<y}4  seconds,  thus  winning  the 
race.  It  is  not  a  pleasant  fact  to  recall  that  Frankfort  ran 
himself  to  death  on  this  occasion,  expiring  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  race.  Charleston  also  sulTered  considerably 
from  his  efforts,  but  it  is  said  of  Lizzie  McDonald  that 
"next  day  she  appeared  as  fine  as  silk  and  as  playful  as 
a  kitten." 

Three  cracks  of  their  day,  Charleston,  Nicholas 
I.  and  Engineer,  were  entered  to  meet  in  a  fierce 
struggle  on  the  Fashion  Course  on  Long  Island, 
September  29,  1857.  The  event  had  been  looked  for- 
ward to  with  deep  interest  by  turfmen  and  the  public 
generally.  The  great  reputation  of  the  three  horses,  ' 
and  the  renown  of  their  sires,  encouraged  expectation  of 
a  notable  trial  of  endurance  and  speed.  Previous  to  the 
day  of  the  race,  Nicholas  I.  had  the  fiivor  in  the  betting, 
at  1,000  to  900,  against  both  his  rivals,  and  1,000  to  600 
against  Charleston,  while  $500  even  was  offered  between 
Charleston  and  Engineer.  The  stake  was  for  $5,000.  An 
immense  crowd  of  spectators  witnessed  the  event  A 
report  of  the  time  says  that  "every  conceivable  charac- 
ter of  vehicle,  from  a  railway  car  to  a  coal  cart,  was  put 
in  requisition  to  take  anxious  people  to  the  course,  and 
at  half-past  two,  the  time  named  for  the  race,  the  black 
masses  that  lined  the  stands  and  strewed  the  field,  gave 
evidence  of  a  larger  number  of  spectators  than  had  ever 
before  been  seen  upon  that  ground.     Crowds  of  ladies 


67 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


graced  the  scene  and  displayed  a  bank  of  beauty  and  of 
fashion  that  would  have  honored  any  occasion." 

An  unfortunate  accident  befell  the  gallant  Charleston 
the  day  before  the  race,  when  he  was  in  prime  condition. 
A  stirrup  iron  struck  the  tendons  of  his  ankle,  so  as  to 
cause  him  to  go  lame.  This  made  it  necessary  to  draw 
him  from  the  race,  and  only  Nicholas  1.  and  Engineer 
started.  Nicholas  I.  was  by  Glencoe  out  of  Fanny 
Rhodes  by  Wagner,  and  was  four  years  old  at  the  time 
of  this  event.  His  defeat  of  Sue  Washington  and  Toler 
over  the  Fashion  Course  in  the  previous  June,  in  7  min- 
utes, 40  seconds,  and  7  minutes,  43  seconds,  had  given 
him  a  prestige  which  had  been  added  to  by  his  defeat  of 
Sue  Washington  and  Philips  over  the  same  course  in 
the  same  month  in  7  minutes,  39  seconds,  and  7  min- 
utes, 44>3  seconds.  He  was  owned  at  one  time  by  Mr. 
Richard  Ten  Broeck,  afterward  by  Mr.  William  H. 
Gibbons,  and  then  by  Mr.  John  R.  Hunter.  He  twice 
beat  the  best  time  of  Sir  Henry  and  American  Eclipse, 
and  at  four  years  old  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
promising  horses  that  the  country  had  up  to  that  time 
produced. 

Engineer  was  a  five-year  old,  by  Revenue  out  of 
Andrewetta,  the  dam  of  Bostona  and  others.  He  was 
bred  by  the  Honorable  John  M.  Botts,  of  Virginia. 
Andrewetta  was  sired  by  the  celebrated  Andrew  out  of 
an  Oscar  mare  of  high  reputation.  She  ran  several  races, 
and  at  Raleigh,  N.  C,  in  a  stake  for  four-mile  heats, 
distanced  the  field  in  7  minutes,  46  seconds.  Engineer, 
when  he  appeared  against  Nicholas  1.,  was  the  hero  of 
two  good  races,  the  first  being  two-mile  heats  on  the 
Fashion  Course  in  3  minutes,  42)^  seconds,  3  min- 
utes, 43^^  seconds,  and  3  minutes,  45>^  seconds,  and 
the  second  being  two  three-mile  heats  in  5  minutes,  42^5^ 
seconds  each.  Charleston  was  by  imported  Sovereign 
out  of  Milwood  by  imported  Monarch  out  of  Fanny,  by 
Eclipse.  Both  his  sire  and  grandsire  were  imported  by 
Colonel  Wade  Hampton,  of  South  Carolina.  His  dam 
was  bred  by  Colonel  Hampton,  and  his  grandam 
was  run  by  Colonel  Johnson  and  Colonel  Hampton  for 
several  campaigns.  As  a  two-year  old,  Charleston  won 
the  South  Carolina  stakes  at  the  Washington  Course  in 
February,  1836,  and,  in  December  of  the  same  year, 
was  second  to  Sue  Washington  at  Columbus,  Ga.,  beat- 
ing Nicholas  I.,  Dallas  and  Shocco.  After  winning  the 
Hutchinson  Stakes  over  the  Washington  Course  in 
Charleston,  four-mile  heats,  in  1857,  he  also  at  the  same 
meeting  beat  Nicholas  1.,  Ada  Tevis,  and  Doswell's 
Revenue  filly,  winning  the  last  two  heats  in  3  minutes, 
39/4  seconds,  and  3  minutes,  45  seconds.  He  also  had 
other  notable  achievements  to  his  record. 

With  Charleston  withdrawn,  this  race  over  the  Fash- 
ion Course  between  Nicholas  I.  and  Engineer  was  a 
foregone  conclusion.      The  famous  jockey,   Gilpatrick, 


rode  Nicholas  I.,  and  allowed  Engineer  to  lead  the  way 
in  the  first  heat,  running  his  horse  easy  some  three 
lengths  behind.  Toward  the  end  of  the  third  mile  he 
closed  up  on  Engineer  and,  passing  him  on  the  home 
stretch,  led  by  the  stand  into  the  fourth  mile  a  length 
ahead.  From  this  time  on  he  trailed  his  rival  until  down 
the  home  stretch  Engineer  closed  up  toward  his  flank. 
Nicholas  I.,  however,  gradually  increased  his  distance, 
putting  on  more  speed  and  passed  the  stand  five  or  six 
lengths  in  advance,  winning  the  heat  in  7  minutes,  4^ 
seconds.  In  the  second  heat  Engineer  took  the  lead  as 
in  the  first  and  ran  freely  with  several  lengths  in  hand, 
being  five  lengths  ahead  at  the  end  of  the  first  mile,  and 
two  lengths  ahead  at  the  end  of  the  second  mile.  When 
near  the  half  mile  pole  on  the  third  mile,  Nicholas  I.  took 
the  lead  easily  and  passed  into  the  fourth  mile  six 
lengths  ahead,  winning  the  heat  in  7  minutes,  47^^ 
seconds. 

The  crowd  which  attended  the  fall  meeting  on  the 
Fashion  Course,  in  1858,  was  said  to  have  been  the 
largest  that  had  ever  patronized  ^ny  racing  meeting  in  the 
North  since  that  which  gathered  on  the  old  Union  Course 
to  witness  the  memorable  match  between  Fashion  and 
Peytona.  On  this  later  occasion  when  Nicholas  1.,  Tar 
River  and  Sue  Washington  fought  for  supremacy,  there 
was  an  assemblage  of  some  twelve  thousand  people,  very 
many  of  whom  were  ladies.  The  meeting  was  especially 
memorable  from  the  fact  that  a  heat  was  run,  which,  in 
the  estimation  of  many  experts,  when  the  difference  in 
favor  of  the  old  Union  Course  and  the  newer  Fashion 
Course  as  to  fastness  was  considered,  was  superior  to 
the  great  exploit  of  the  famous  chestnut  mare  Fashion 
years  previously.  In  this  great  four-mile  contest  only 
Nicholas  I.,  Tar  River  and  Lizzie  McDonald  started, 
although  there  were  eight  nominations.  In  the  betting 
Nicholas  1.  stood  even  with  Lizzie  McDonald  and  100  to 
80  against  the  field,  but  Tar  River  also  had  his  backers, 
and  considerable  sums  were  placed  on  him  at  40  to  100 
against  the  field.  Gilpatrick  rode  Tar  River,  and  led  off 
in  the  first  heat  with  Nicholas  1.  a  length  behind  and  Sue 
Washington  trailing.  The  race  continued  in  this  fashion 
to  the  end,  Tar  River  making  the  running  and  Nicholas  I. 
and  Sue  Washington  coming  up  close  behind.  Tar 
River  won  handily  in  7  minutes,  50^4^  seconds,  with 
Nicholas  I.  second  and  the  mare  third. 

In  the  second  heat  Nicholas  I.  took  the  lead  with  Tar 
River  thundering  upon  his  haunch  and  forcing  him  close 
throughout  the  first  two  miles,  with  the  mare  only  a 
length  or  two  behind.  The  son  of  Glencoe  passed  into 
the  third  mile  flying,  with  a  lead  only  of  a  length,  and 
into  the  fourth  mile  the  same  obstinate  struggle  of  the 
two  leaders  continued.  The  mare  gave  out  just  as  they 
passed  the  stand  into  the  fourth  mile,  but  Nicholas  came 
in  the  winner  of  the  heat  by  two  lengths,  with  Tar  River 


68 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


second  and  Sue  Washington  distanced,  in  tiie  last  time  of 
7  minutes,  ^s  seconds.  Tiie  third  heat  belonged  to 
Nicholas  1.  from  start  to  tinish,  although  seveial  times 
Tar  River  gallantly  came  up  close  and  contended  for  the 
lead.  Nicholas  I.  finished  two  or  three  lengths  ahead,  in 
7  minutes  and  so  seconds.  This  race  was  considered  the 
best  that  had  ever  taken  place  over  the  Fashion  Course, 
and  as  game  a  contest  as  had  ever  been  seen  anywhere. 
Nicholas  I.,  by  his  achievement,  fully  established  his  rep- 
utation as  one  of  the  foremost  race  horses  in  the  country 
at  that  time. 

It  was  at  the  May  meeting  of  i86i,  on  the  Woodlawn 
Course  at  Louisville,  that  Molly  Jackson  ran  her  memor- 
able three-mile  race.-  This  meeting  was  altogether  one 
of  the  few  brilliant  events  of  that  epoch,  and  the  four- 
year  old  chestnut  filly  was  the  star  of  the  occasion. 
She  started  in  on  the  opening  day  by  winning  the  four- 
mile  race  for  the  Challenge  Cup  in  7  minutes,  ^43^  sec- 
onds, in  such  easy  style  that  it  was  clear  she  could  have 
come  home  some  seconds  faster  if  she  had  been  called 
upon  to  do  it.  Another  great  feat  of  this  meeting  was 
the  performance  of  Idlewild,  who  ran  the  second 
heat  of  a  mile  heat  race  in  i  minute,  44}^  seconds,  the 
best  time  at  that  distance  that  had  ever  been  seen  in 
Kentucky.  Molly  Jackson  was  by  Vandal,  out  of  a 
dam  by  Margrave.  On  this  occasion  she  was  pitted 
against  three  descendants  of  the  great  Boston,  Mr.  J.  S. 
Hunter's  four-year  old  colt,  Sherrod  by  Lecomte  out  of 
Picayune;  Mr.  John  M.  Clay's  four-year  old  colt,  Colton 
by  Lexington,  out  of  Topaz  by  Glencoe,  and  Mr.  H.  B. 
Foley's  four-year  old  filly,  Bettie  Ward  by  Lexington, 
out  of  a  dam  by  Whalebone. 

In  the  betting  prior  to  the  race  Molly  Jackson  was 
the  favorite  with  Colton  picked  for  second  place.  Three 
heats  were  run,  the  first  of  which  was  won  easily  by 
the  favorite  by  two  lengths,  with  Colton  second,  the 
time  being  5  minutes,  35>3  seconds,  the  third  mile  of 
the  heat  being  run  in  i  minute,  45^2  seconds.  The 
second  heat  was  run  in  5  minutes,  34^  seconds,  being 
won  by  Sherrod,  who  led  the  Vandal  filly  at  the  finish 
by  half  a  length.  Molly  Jackson  retrieved  herself  in  the 
third  heat,  which  she  won  in  the  phenomenal  time  of  5 
minutes,  28^  seconds,  with  Sherrod  second,  Bettie 
Ward  third  and  Colton  fourth.  The  ninth  mile  of  this 
great  race  was  run  in  i  minute,  48^  seconds,  the  pre- 
ceding two  miles  of  the  heat  being  run  respectively  in  i 
minute,  50^  seconds,  and  i  minute,  49^  seconds. 
Only  once  had  this  time  been  beaten  in  a  three-mile 
heat,  and  that  was  by  Brown  Dick,  who  ran  in  5 
minutes,  28  seconds,  having  the  advantage  of  carry- 
ing weight  as  a  three-year  old.  The  mile  record  in 
this  race  was  only  1 1  ^  seconds  more  than  the 
present  record  time  for  a  mile  dash,  and  the  time  of 
the  third  heat  is   only  J^  of  a  second   more  than   the 


best  record  time  for  a  three-mile  heat  made  by  Norfolk 
in  1865. 

The  racing  season  of  1872  was  made  particularly 
memorable  by  contests  between  several  of  the  greatest 
horses  of  the  modern  American  turf.  Particularly  the 
rivalry  between  Harry  Bassett,  Longfellow  and  Mon- 
archist, stirred  up  the  racing  public  to  the  highest  pitch 
of  excitement.  The  interest  in  such  events  of  recent 
years  as  the  Suburban,  Futurity  and  Brooklyn  Handicap 
may,  perhaps,  give  an  idea  of  that  which  was  felt  in 
those  early  events  a  quarter  ot  a  century  ago,  to  which 
we  are  here  referring.  No  races  of  less  importance,  how- 
ever, have  in  later  years  attracted  any  such  general  atten- 
tion on  the  part  of  either  turfmen  or  the  general  public. 
Harry  Bassett,  who  had  then  scarcely  passed  his  prime, 
was  considered  by  many  to  be  the  greatest  runner  of  his 
generation,  and  he  held  a  high  position  as  a  popular 
favorite  among  those  who  knew  little  more  about  racing 
than  the  names  and  stories  of  the  winners.  Longfellow 
was  still  a  popular  and  professional  favorite,  and  Mon- 
archist was  looming  up  as  a  coming  champion,  destined 
to  perpetuate  the  memory  and  carry  the  colors  of  his 
great  sire,  Lexington,  for  many  years  to  come.  The 
partisans  of  the  Leamington  blood,  represented  by  Long- 
fellow, and  the  believers  in  the  virtue  of  the  Lexington 
stock,  represented  by  Harry  Bassett  and  Monarchist, 
were  especially  stirred  up  by  the  rivalry  between  these 
three  great  champions,  whose  merits  were  everywhere 
discussed  with  a  fervor  that  sometimes  was  dangerously 
near  to  acrimony. 

The  meeting  between  Longfellow  and  Bassett  in  the 
race  for  the  Monmouth  Cup  on  the  second  day  of  the 
Long  Branch  meeting,  July  2,  1872,  was  the  first  of  these 
noted  events  of  that  season.  It  was  the  first  time  that 
Longfellow  had  met  Harry  Bassett,  and  great  concern 
was  felt  in  the  affair  all  over  the  country.  The  event 
was  thoroughly  well  advertised  and  attracted  to  Long 
Branch  hundreds  of  visitors  who  rarely,  if  ever  before, 
had  seen  a  race  track.  When  Longfellow  was  brought 
from  Louisville  to  Long  Branch  he  had  the  dignity  of  a 
special  car  which  bore  on  a  great  placard  the  announce- 
ment, "  Longfellow  going  to  Long  Branch  to  meet  his 
friend,  Harry  Bassett."  All  along  the  route  of  his  jour- 
ney he  received  the  attention  that  is  generally  accorded 
to  a  dignitary  on  his  travels,  and  few  people  who  read 
the  newspapers  were  allowed  to  remain  in  ignorance  of 
the  forthcoming  event. 

Not  less  than  thirty  thousand  people  were  present 
upon  the  day  set  apart  for  the  Monmouth  Cup  race,  and 
in  this  vast  concourse  speculation  was  pretty  evenly  di- 
vided regarding  the  relative  merits  of  the  two  champions. 
If  anything,  however,  Longfellow  was  the  favorite. 
This  arose  somewhat  from  the  effect  of  the  recent 
brilliant  victories  of  his  near  kinsman  and  companion. 


69 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Lyttleton,  and  the  odds  that  were  originally  strongly  in 
favor  of  Harry  Bassett,  declined  somewhat  as  the  day 
and  hour  of  the  race  approached.  Still,  it  was  the 
opinion  of  the  great  majority  of  those  who  had  sup- 
ported him  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  lose.  He 
came  to  Long  Branch  fresh  from  two  victories,  in  one  of 
which  he  distanced  Metella,  his  sole  opponent,  running 
the  last  mile  of  a  second  two-mile  heat  in  i  minute,  46 
seconds.  In  a  sense  this  particular  cup  race  partook 
somewhat  of  the  old-time  interstate  feature  that  charac- 
terized so  many  of  the  early  American  races,  Harry 
Bassett  being  the  property  of  Colonel  David  McDaniel, 
of  Virginia,  while  Longfellow,  owned  by  Mr.  John 
Harper,  carried  the  colors  of  Kentucky.  Longfellow  had 
never  been  beaten  in  a  true-run  race  when  he  was  in 
condition,  his  great  race  with  Helmbold  at  Saratoga 
being  lost  because  he  was  entirely  unfit.  Harry  Bassett 
also  had  the  highest  reputation  as  one  of  the  truest, 
steadiest  and  most  trustworthy  runners  ever  stripped  on 
the  course. 

When  the  horses  came  out  the  appearance  of  both  ex- 
cited admiration  and  renewed  the  fondest  expectations 
of  the  partisans  who  were  backing  them.  Longfellow, 
large  in  stature  and  length,  was  in  the  pink  of  condition 
and  fit  to  run  for  a  man's  life.  It  was  remarked  that  few 
horses  are  ever  brought  to  the  post  in  better  shape  than 
he  appeared  on  that  day.  On  the  other  hand,  Harry 
Bassett,  to  all  outward  appearances,  bore  no  unfavorable 
comparison  with  his  rival.  He  looked  well,  but,  as  the 
event  proved,  was  not  after  all  in  quite  the  condition 
that  he  should  have  been  in  order  to  insure  success. 
When  the  signal  was  given  for  the  start  Harry  Bassett 
had  a  little  the  best  of  it  and  made  the  running.  Long- 
fellow came  close  behind  him  with  a  beautiful  sweep- 
ing stroke  that  enabled  him  to  cover  the  ground  with 
ease  and  to  hold  his  own.  Soon  the  slight  difference 
between  them  was  closed  and,  although  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  first  turn  Harry  Bassett  led  by  a  length,  they 
were  neck  and  neck  at  the  end  of  the  first  mile,  which 
was  run  in  i  minute,  44  seconds.  From  this  point  on  it 
was  Longfellow's  race,  he  gradually  increasing  the  dis- 
tance, first  by  a  neck  and  then  inch  by  inch  until,  at  the 
mile  and  a  half,  which  was  run  in  2  minutes,  37^  sec- 
onds, he  was  a  good  length  and  a  half  ahead.  Then 
Harry  Bassett's  faint  heart  showed  itself  With  his  rival 
leading  him  he  sulked  and  quit,  while  Longfellow  won 
in  a  canter  in  4  minutes,  34  seconds,  having  fully  sixty 
yards  to  the  good.  The  result  was  a  severe  blow  to 
those  who  had  pinned  their  faith  upon  the  son  of  Lex- 
ington and  Canary  Bird,  but  it  showed  conclusively  that, 
however  much  speed  and  endurance  Harry  Bassett  might 
have,  and  however  much  courage  he  might  display 
when  he  was  leading  the  field  or  making  the  pace,  he 
lost  spirit    when    he    was    headed    and   could   not  be 


depended  upon  to  snatch  victory  from  impending 
defeat. 

Only  two  weeks  later  Longfellow  and  Harry  Bassett 
met  again,  this  time  at  Saratoga,  in  the  race  for  the  Sara- 
toga Cup.  The  event  is  of  historic  interest  as  being  the 
final  appearance  of  Longfellow  upon  the  turf.  The  out- 
come of  the  race  for  the  Monmouth  Cup  had  stimulated 
interest  in  this  second  meeting  of  the  champions  and  the 
attendance  was  one  of  the  largest  that  had  ever  graced 
the  Saratoga  Course.  When  the  trumpet  sounded  for 
the  great  performance  of  the  day  Harry  Bassett  first  ap- 
peared and  made  a  splendid  impression,  being  appar- 
ently in  perfect  condition  and  in  far  superior  fettle  than 
he  had  been  at  Long  Branch.  The  dark  brown  and 
mighty  son  of  Leamington  was  likewise  in  good  condi- 
tion, and  his  long,  sweeping  stride,  as  he  went  along 
the  stretch  in  a  preliminary  gallop,  impressed  all  who 
saw  him  with  a  full  sense  of  his  prowess.  The  chestnut 
horse.  Defender,  was  also  run,  but  with  no  expectation 
that  he  would  be  in  at  the  finish.  The  odds  were  heavy 
on  Longfellow  and  just  before  the  flag  fell  ran  up  as 
high  as  1,000  to  250. 

All  three  horses  got  away  at  the  first  effort,  Harry 
Bassett  and  Longfellow  leading  off  together  with  De- 
fender behind,  the  latter  horse  resolutely  maintaining  his 
place  throughout  the  race,  but  gradually  letting  in  more 
light  between  himself  and  the  leaders  as  the  course  was 
covered.  When  the  grand  stand  was  passed  at  the  end 
of  one  mile,  which  was  run  in  i  minute,  45>^  seconds, 
Harry  Bassett  was  leading,  and  in  another  quarter  had 
increased  his  lead  to  a  length.  From  that  point  on  it  was 
a  struggle  of  equine  giants.  First  one,  and  then  the  other 
was  a  nose,  a  neck,  a  length  ahead,  and  at  the  end  of 
two  miles,  which  was  run  in  about  3  minutes,  30  sec- 
onds, Longfellow  again  had  Harry  Bassett  headed.  At 
this  point  the  son  of  Leamington  changed  his  feet  and 
in  a  second  faltered  in  his  stride,  allowing  his  rival  to 
pass  him  and  to  win  the  race  easily  in  3  minutes,  59  sec- 
onds. When  the  horses  came  off  the  course  it  was 
apparent  that  Longfellow  was  broken  down;  in  fact,  he 
finished  the  race  on  three  feet,  giving  away  on  the  near 
side  forward.  The  sole  of  his  foot  was  cut  by  a  broken 
plate  and  the  tendons  were  injured  so  that  he  could 
scarcely  stand.  Although  suffering  and  partly  crippled, 
he  was  game  to  the  end  and  ran  to  the  finish  with  an 
extraordinary  display  of  force  and  endurance,  being 
finally  beaten  only  by  one  short  length.  He  never  re- 
covered from  this  injury  and  the  race  course  never  saw 
him  again. 

Harry  Bassett  now  reigned  supreme  on  the  turf  in  the 
estimation  of  many  individuals,  but  it  remained  for  his 
half-brother  Monarchist  to  lower  his  colors  a  few  months 
later  in  the  same  season.  It  was  at  Jerome  Park  in 
October  in  the  race  for  the  Maturity  Stakes,  three  miles, 


I 


70 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


that  these  two  champions  first  met.  Aithou2;h  Monarch- 
ist had  achieved  notable  triumphs  in  his  three-year  old 
form,  having  ah'eady  won  the  Mansion  House  Stal<es  at 
Monmouth  Park  and  the  Louisiana  and  Grand  Inaugural 
Post  Stakes  at  New  Orleans  earlier  in  the  season,  there 
were  few  who  believed  him  able  to  come  to  the  front  on 
this  occasion.  Harry  Bassett  was  a  strong  favorite;  in 
fact,  so  far  as  the  betting  was  concerned  Monarchist 
scarcely  had  any  place  at  all,  the  odds  being  lo  to  i 
against  him. 

At  the  start  Harry  Bassett  got  away  in  front,  but  Mon- 
archist quickly  closed  up  and  stuck  to  his  rival  firmly,  so 
that  the  first  half  mile  was  run  almost  head  by  head. 
Then  Harry  Bassett  drew  away  by  a  length,  but  Mon- 
archist declined  to  allow  him  to  hold  this  advantage, 
contesting  inch  by  inch  and  finally  pushing  his  head  in 
front  at  the  furlong  pole  in  the  last  mile,  won  out  by 
fully  three  lengths.  Again  the  lack  of  courage  in  Harry 
Basset  was  manifest,  for  he  quit  when  he  found  that  the 
race  was  no  longer  his.  Monarchist  was,  to  be  sure,  in 
first  rate  condition,  but  it  was  generally  believed  that 
Bassett  could  not  have  failed  winning  had  he  possessed 
the  courage  of  his  competitor.  The  time  of  the  race  was 
5  minutes,  }4%  seconds,  which  was  slow.  But  the 
track  was  heavy  and  the  turning  of  the  course  did  not 
contribute  to  high  speed.  An  interesting  comparison 
has  been  made  between  the  time  of  this  race  and  the 
time  of  other  three  mile  races  about  the  same  period. 
Norfolk  ran  three  miles  in  California  in  5  minutes,  27 
seconds,  carrying  100  pounds,  while  Monarchist  carried 
108  pounds;  Idlewild,  in  her  famous  four-mile  race,  ran 
the  last  three  miles  in  5  minutes,  27X  seconds,  carrying 
1 17  pounds;  Mollie  Jackson,  in  her  third  and  winning 
heat  at  Woodlawn  as  a  four-year  old,  with  loi  pounds, 
made  a  record  of  5  minutes,  28^  seconds;  and  at  Sara- 
toga, Fleetwing  ran  three  miles  in  5  minutes,  31^ 
seconds. 

A  week  after  the  race  for  the  Maturity  Stakes  Mon- 
archist and  Bassett  met  again  at  Jerome  Park  in  a  purse 
for  all  ages,  four  miles.  Three  sons  of  Lexington  joined 
in  the  fierce  rivalry  of  this  occasion— Harry  Bassett,  Mon- 
archist and  King  Henry.  The  interest  that  might  have 
attached  to  a  contest  between  horses  representing  differ- 
ent sires  was  here  absent,  but  the  standing  of  the  two 
champions  and  their  notable  performances  heretofore, 
especially  Monarchist's  recent  Maturity  victory,  was 
sufficient  to  guarantee  a  profound  public  attention  to 
any  event  in  which  they  were  engaged.  Monarchist 
again  demonstrated  his  superiority  by  winning  this  race 
in  7  minutes,  33>2  seconds,  with  Bassett  second  and 
King  Henry  a  poor  third. 

Few  races  in  contemporaneous  times  have  excited  more 
general  interest  than  the  famous  match  between  Ten 
Broeck  and  Mollie  McCarthy  under  the  auspices  of  the 


Louisville  Jockey  Club,  July  4,  1878.  Ten  Broeck  had 
long  been  regarded  as  standing  at  the  head  of  the  Ameri- 
can turf,  and  his  name  upon  the  card  of  any  event  was 
sure  to  awaken  the  greatest  enthusiasm.  Mollie  Mc- 
Carthy was  the  champion,  of  California,  and  upon 
the  Pacific  slope  was  regarded  as  quite  invincible. 
The  relative  merits  of  the  two  horses  had  been  under 
discussion  more  or  less  for  a  long  time,  and  turfmen 
generally  looked  forward  with  eagerness  to  a  test  race 
between  them.  The  California  people  were  particu- 
larly urgent  in  regard  to  the  matter,  for  they  believed,  or 
affected  to  believe,  that  their  favorite  mare  could  easily 
lower  the  colors  of  the  great  son  of  Phaeton.  A  match 
was  accordingly  arranged  and  the  mare  was  brought  on 
from  California. 

Upon  the  day  of  the  match,  which  was  the  third  day 
of  the  extra  July  meeting  of  the  Louisville  Jockey  Club, 
there  was  an  enormous  crowd  in  attendance,  estimated 
to  be  between  twenty-five  and  thirty  thousand  people, 
by  far  the  largest  that  had  ever  been  upon  these  grounds. 
Visitors  from  all  over  the  country  were  present,  and  es- 
pecially many  from  the  Pacific  coast.  Kentucky  was 
faithful  to  its  belief  in  Ten  Broeck  and  backed  him 
heavily,  his  superb  condition  strengthening  the  hopes  of 
those  who  had  placed  their  faith  and  their  money  upon 
him.  Mollie  McCarthy  did  not  make  as  favorable  an 
impression,  although  she  was  very  handsome  in  appear- 
ance, thoroughly  blood-like  and  with  unmistakable  signs 
of  quality.  The  race,  as  arranged,  was  for  four-mile 
heats.  On  the  first  heat  the  two  horses  got  away  at  an 
even  start,  the  mare  inside,  and  ran  evenly  to  the  quar- 
ter in  28  seconds.  By  the  time  they  had  passed  the 
half-mile  pole  the  mare  was  a  little  ahead  and  in  this 
position  they  raced  to  the  stand  in  i  minute,  49^  sec- 
onds. To  all  appearances,  at  this  point,  the  race 
belonged  to  California,  for  Mollie  McCarthy  was  running 
beautifully  and  easily  without  effort,  while  Ten  Broeck 
was  making  heavy  work  of  it. 

Throughout  the  second  mile,  which  was  run  in  i 
minutes  45^  seconds,  the  relative  position  of  the  two 
contestants  remained  practically  unchanged,  and  it  was 
not  until  they  had  passed  the  two-mile  and  a  half  post 
that  Ten  Broeck  drew  ahead  and  led  by  an  open  length. 
At  the  completion  of  the  third  mile  he  had  the  lead  by 
fully  twenty  yards  in  5  minutes,  53  seconds.  For  the 
next  half  mile,  although  the  mare  was  beaten,  she 
struggled  gamely  on,  continuing  the  proverbial  stern 
chase  that  is  always  a  long  one.  Losing  ground  at 
every  stride,  her  courage  failed  her  and  she  gave  up 
the  contest.  Ten  Broeck  was  able  to  gallop  home 
leisurely  with  the  mare  distanced,  the  time  of  the  heat 
being  8  minutes,  19^  seconds.  The  time  was  very 
slow,  for  the  track  was  in  a  bad  condition,  sticky  and 
stiff  with  mud   from  a  rain  the  previous  night.     Both 


71 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


horses  felt  the  effect  of  the  hard  pace  at  which  they  were 
run,  Mollie  McCarthy  being  in  a  complete  state  of  collapse 
and  Ten  Broeck  plainly  showing  the  effect  of  his  severe 
work. 

Probably  when  the  world-renowned  Lexington 
achieved  his  record-breaking  feat  of  four  miles  in  7 
minutes,  19^  seconds  in  185s,  few  who  were  fiimiliar 
with  the  turf  and  knew  the  possibilities  for  great  accom- 
plishments that  lay  in  the  American  thoroughbred 
imagined  that  the  record  would  stand  unchallenged  for 
nearly  a  generation.  There  were  other  great  four-milers 
in  those  days,  and  the  number  was  constantly  added  to 
of  those  whose  speed  and  endurance  gave  promise 
able  to  rival  the  best  of  those  who 
them.  Nevertheless,  nineteen  years 
Lexington's  record  was  lowered,  al- 
many    times    challenged    in    regular 


being 


of  their 
had  preceded 
elapsed  before 
though     it    was 


races,  if  not  in  specially  arranged  matches.  Only 
after  the  Civil  War  had  passed  and  the  modern 
American  turf  was  entering  upon  one  of  the  most  brill- 
iant periods  of  its  existence,  was  another  serious  attempt 
made  to  cut  down  this  record.  It  is  somewhat  the  more 
surprising,  perhaps,  that  this  should  have  been  enter- 
tained at  a  time  when  the  character  of  the  American  thor- 
oughbred and  of  the  events  in  which  he  displayed  him- 
self were  undergoing  important  and  significant  change, 
the  day  of  the  staunch  old  four-miler  having  nearly 
passed  away,  while  the  reign  of  the  speedy  horse  for 
sharp,  quick  work  at  short  distances  had  almost  exclu- 
sively supervened.  But  that  the  staunchness  of  the  great 
heroes  of  the  early  race  course  was  in  nowise  absent 
from  their  descendants  in  consequence  of  these  changes 
in  racing  practice  was  a  tenet  that  was  sedulously 
adhered  to  by  many  of  the  most  prominent  turfmen,  and 
it  was  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  them  when  the  oppor- 
tunity was  presented  to  have  this  theory  put  to  test. 

Fellowcraft,  to  whom  was  set  the  work  of  demon- 
strating the  ability  of  the  contemporaneous  thoroughbred 
to  hold  his  own  in  comparison  with  the  great  horses  of 
previous  generations,  was  a  son  of  imported  Australian 
and  Aerolite,  his  dam  being  by  Lexington,  out  of  Florine. 
In  his  pedigree  he  thus  combined  the  excellences  of  the 
great  horse  whose  record  he  now  challenged,  and  who 
stood  unrivaled  in  the  affections  of  the  American  public^ 
with  that  of  the  new  strain  which  was  already  being 
looked  upon  with  much  favor,  and  in  certain  quarters 
was  regarded  as  certain  to  overtop  the  hitherto  unap- 
proachable blood  of  Lexington,  Boston,  Sir  Archy  and 
Glencoe.  Fellowcraft's  match  against  Lexington's  time 
came  off  at  Saratoga  in  August,  1874,  as  one  of  the 
regular  events  of  the  Saratoga  meeting,  and  attracted 
widespread  attention.  The  success  of  the  great  son  of 
Australian  in  beating  the  time  of  his  maternal  grandslre 
by  X  of  a  second,  arid  fixing  the  record  for  four  miles  at 


7  minutes,  igyi  seconds,  was  regarded  then,  as  it  is  now, 
as  a  wonderful  achievment.  It  was  only  to  be  compared 
with  Lecomte's  7  minutes,  26  seconds,  Lexington's  7 
minutes,  29^  seconds  and  7  minutes,  19^  seconds,  and 
Idlewild's  7  minutes,  26}^  seconds,  in  a  race  on  Long 
Island  in  1863  when  she  beat  Jerome  Edgar  and  Danger- 
ous. In  Fellowcraft's  race  Wanderer  and  Katie  Pease 
were  started  to  compete  with  him,  and  ran  with  such 
extraordinary  speed,  bottom  and  gameness  that  they  both 
finished  close  up,  even  sharing  honors  with  the  winner. 
It  was  generally  conceded  that  Fellowcraft's  two  oppo- 
nents on  this  occasion  fully  won  for  themselves  the  right 
to  stand  in  the  same  class  as  the  greatest  four-milers  of 
the  American  turf 

For  two  years  after  the  event  just  recorded,  the 
record  of  7  minutes,  ig}^  seconds  remained  unchallenged. 
Then  the  great  Ten  Broeck  took  issue  with  Fellowcraft, 
and  in  1876  was  engaged  to  run  for  a  special  purse  of 
$1,000.  The  race  took  place  as  an  extra  day  event  at 
Louisville  in  September,  1876.  There  were  two  entries. 
Mr.  D.  J.  Grouse's  bay  colt  Add,  four  years  old,  by 
Revolver,  running  against  Ten  Broeck.  The  betting  was 
on  even  terms,  but  the  Revolver  colt  had  no  place 
from  the  moment  the  start  was  made.  When  the  signal 
was  given  Ten  Broeck  struck  a  slow  pace,  but  was 
leading  at  the  quarter  and  improving  his  speed,  and 
made  a  mile  in  i  minute,  52^  seconds.  In  those  figures 
there  was  little  promise  of  success  for  a  record-breaking 
result,  but  the  jockey  quickened  his  pace  and  the  horse 
covered  the  second  mile  in  i  minute,  4<y}4  seconds, 
which  was  as  much  too  fast,  perhaps,  as  the  former 
mile  was  too  slow.  Nevertheless,  Ten  Broeck  did  not 
slacken  to  any  great  extent,  but  ran  the  three  miles  in  5 
minutes,  25  seconds.  Add  was  left  a  dozen  lengths 
behind  when  the  fourth  mile  was  entered  upon,  and  it 
was  necessary  to  send  another  horse  on  to  the  course  to 
stimulate  Ten  Broeck  to  keep  up  his  speed.  The  last 
mile  he  made  in  i  minute,  50^  seconds,  and  covered 
the  entire  distance  in  7  minutes,  15)^  seconds,  thus  beating 
Fellowcraft's  record  by  3%  seconds. 

Ten  Broeck's  record,  for  four  miles,  then  stood  unap- 
proached  for  twenty-one  years.  At  last,  in  1897,  it  was 
lowered  by  Lucretia  Borgia  to  7  minutes,  1 1  seconds,  at 
which  point  it  now  remains.  Lucretia  Borgia  was  a 
famous  California  thoroughbred,  a  chestnut  filly,  daugh- 
ter of  Brutus  and  Ledette.  Her  sire,  Brutus,  was  the 
son  of  MacGregor  and  Teardrop,  MacGregor  being  by 
Macaroni,  dam  Necklace,  and  Teardrop  being  by  Scottish 
Chief  dam  Niobe.  Ledette  was  a  daughter  of  Nathan 
Coombs  and  Gypsy,  Nathan  Coombs  being  by  Lodi, 
dam  Miami,  and  Gypsy  being  by  Hercules,  dam  Miami. 
In  the  fifth  generation  the  ancestors  of  Lucretia  Borgia 
were  Sweetmeat,  Jocose,  The  Fallen  Buck,  Bracelet, 
Lord  of  the  Isles,  Miss  Ann,  Loup  Garou,  Miserrima, 


72 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Yorkshire,  Topaz,  Belmont,  Maria  Downin,n'  and  Kings- 
ton. It  will  be  noticed  that  hei'  pedigree  is  entirely 
devoid  of  those  crosses  which  have  made  the  American 
thoroughbreds  famous  in  generations  past,  and  which, 
until  very  recent  years,  have  been  considered  as  almost 
indispensible  in  breeding  for  the  turf. 

Lucretia  Borgia  was  a  small  mare,  weighing  not  more 
than  7CK)  pounds.  She  was  bred  by  Mr.  Charles  Boots, 
and,  until  three  years  old,  was  known  as  the  Ledette  filly. 
As  a  two-year  old  she  showed  that  she  was  speedy  and 
was  matched  against  Seraphin.  This  match  never  came 
off,  however,  for  an  unfortunate  reason  that  resulted, 
however,  in  giving  the  mare  the  new  name  by  which 
she  has  since  been  known.  Only  a  few  days  before  the 
time  set  for  the  match  she  fell  off  in  condition.  An 
investigation  showed  that  poison  had  been  administered 
to  her.  She  was  brought  around,  although  not  in  season 
to  appear  in  this  race,  but  on  account  of  the  poisoning 
episode  was  named  Lucretia  Borgia.  For  years  previous 
to  her  day,  the  four-mile  California  record  had  been  held 
by  Marigold,  7  minutes,  2o}(  seconds.  For  the  benefit 
of  a  local  charity  a  match  was  arranged  for  Lucretia 
Borgia  to  beat  this  record,  and  the  event  called  out  a 
large  attendance  of  the  best  people  of  San  Francisco 
upon  the  day  the  race  was  run,  June  5th.  Probably  no 
one  anticipated  the  wonderful  result.  Clawson  had  the 
mount,  and  the  mare  carried  87^  pounds.  She  took 
the  start  in  fine  shape,  and  the  first  mile  was  done  in  the 
remarkable  time  of  i  minute,  50  seconds.  She  followed 
this  up  by  making  the  second  mile  in  i  minute,  45^ 
seconds,  the  third  mile  in  i  minute,  4']}4  seconds,  and 
the  last  mile  in  i  minute,  48^  seconds.  The  four  miles 
was  covered  in  7  minutes,  1 1  seconds,  which  was  not 
only  9^  seconds  better  than  the  California  record,  but 
4}i  seconds  better  than  Ten  Broeck's  world's  record, 
8>^  seconds  better  than  Fellowcraft's  record,  and  8^ 
seconds  better  than  the  great  record  of  Lexington,  forty- 
two  years  before,  which  was  then  considered  unap- 
proachable. 

As  has  already  been  pointed  out,  the  great  four- 
mile  contests  that  electrified  previous  generations  of 
American  turf  followers  have  forever  passed  away.  In 
place  of  them  as  measures  for  stimulating  popular  inter- 
est in  racing  contests,  and  for  affording  to  owners  and 
breeders  those  substantial  financial  encouragements  by 
which  alone  the  turf  can  be  kept  alive,  have  been  sub- 
stituted scores  of  stake  and  purse  events  that  are  not  less 
interesting,  as  tests  of  powers,  than  those  older  events, 
and  even  more  valuable  from  the  money  point  of  view. 
Every  meeting  in  the  great  centres  of  the  country  now 
has  on  its  cards  several  of  these  fixtures,  that,  during  the 
last  twenty-five  years  or  less,  have  risen  to  the  dignity  of 
national  importance.  To  a  very  large  extent,  the  history 
of  contemporaneous  racing  in  this  closing  part  of  the 


century  has  centreti  around  them.  Many  of  them  have 
become  historic  and  are  looked  forward  to  every  season 
with  the  highest  expectation.  Their  records  have 
added  many  notable  pages  to  the  annals  of  the  American 
turf  and  some  of  them  have  been  in  nowise  surpassed 
by  anything  of  similar  character  in  the  Old  World. 

An  enumeration  and  review  of  all  these  events  that 
have  particularly  distinguished  and  made  brilliant  the 
American  turf  of  the  present  period,  would  alone  fill  sev- 
eral volumes  and  might  be  of  the  greatest  interest  and 
value  to  all  lovers  of  the  American  thoroughbred.  Such 
an  exhaustive  review  is,  perhaps,  scarcely  necessary  in 
this  connection.  The  names  and  the  character  of  these 
races  have  become  familiar  as  household  words  to  every 
one  interested  in  the  slightest  degree  in  racing  matters. 
Pleasant  memories  cling  around  such  affairs  as  the  Ran- 
cocas  Handicap,  the  Baltimore  Cup  and  the  Dixie,  Ches- 
apeake and  Bowie  Stakes  at  Baltimore,  the  Ohio  Derby 
and  Jockey  Club  Stakes  at  Cincinnati,  the  Blue  Grass, 
St.  Leger,  Kentucky  Derby,  Great  American  Stallion 
Stakes  and  the  Louisville  Cup  at  Louisville,  the  Kentucky 
Stallion  Stakes  at  Lexington,  the  Alabama,  Flash,  Travers 
and  Saratoga  Stakes  and  the  Saratoga  Cup  at  Saratoga, 
the  Long  Branch  Handicap  and  the  Monmouth  Cup  at 
Long  Branch,  the  Manhattan,  Jerome,  Nursery,  Belmont, 
Maturity,  Champagne  and  other  stakes  at  Jerome  Park, 
the  Westchester  Cup  and  the  Fordham  Handicap  and 
scores  of  other  cups  and  stakes  that  are  not  secondary  in 
interest  to  those  that  have  been  enumerated  and  whose 
names  will  readily  occur  to  every  reader.  An  account  in 
detail  of  the  racing  that  has  been  associated  with  a  few  of 
these  affairs  will  give  a  general  idea  of  the  character  of 
the  contests  that  have  combined  to  make  the  American 
turf  of  this  period  pre-eminently  notable. 

In  recent  years  the  Suburban  has  taken  a  place  in  the 
front  rank  of  American  turt  events.  There  are  other" 
stakes  that  have  had  a  longer  history  and  that  would 
naturally  be  supposed  to  secure  more  general  attention 
from  the  associations  connected  with  them.  The  great 
value  of  the  Suburban  Stakes,  however,  has  commanded 
the  entries  of  the  best  horses  and  the  event  has  always 
been  a  subject  of  widespread  discussion  and  calculation 
throughout  the  country  for  months  in  advance  of  its  cul- 
mination. The  Suburban  was  established  in  1884  by 
the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club.  It  is  a  handicap  sweep- 
stakes for  all  ages,  entries  $100,  half  forfeit,  with  $2,500 
added  money;  the  second  horse  to  receive  $500  of  the 
added  money  and  twenty  per  cent,  of  the  stakes,  and 
the  third  horse  to  receive  ten  per  cent,  of  the  stakes.  The 
entries  have  often  run  up  to  seventy-five  or  one  hundred, 
and  even  more,  and  the  entrance  and  added  money 
combined  have  made  the  race  one  of  the  most  valuable 
known  to  the  American  turf  The  Suburban  distance  is 
i}{  miles. 


73 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


In  the  first  running  of  tlie  Suburban  Mr.  E.  J.  McEl- 
meel's  General  Monroe  carried  off  the  prize.  General 
Monroe  was  not  a  great  race  horse,  but  staunch  and 
gamy,  and  his  success  in  this  race  was  due  to  a  fortunate 
combination  of  circumstances,  rather  than  to  his  own 
conspicuous  merit.  In  after  years  he  fiiiled  to  hold  the 
reputation  that  he  had  secured  as  a  Suburban  winner, 
finally  becoming  a  selling  plater  and  falling  a  victim  to  a 
bullet  that  was  put  through  his  head  to  relieve  him  from 
the  consequences  of  a  broken  leg.  A  popular  and  well 
merited  victory  in  the  Suburban  was  that  of  Mr.  Pierre 
Lorillard's  Pontiac  in  the  second  year  of  the  fixture,  1885. 
Pontiac  was  an  English  horse,  although  he  was  foaled  in 
this  country.  As  a  yearling  he  was  taken  back  to  Eng- 
land and  added  to  Mr.  Lorillard's  stable,  but  made  no 
particular  impression  upon  the  turf  there  and  at  the  end 
of  his  three-year  old  form  was  brought  back  to  this 
country.  There  was  nothing  in  his  first  performances 
on  the  turf  here  to  make  him  a  promising  Suburban 
starter.  Nevertheless,  he  won  in  handsome  style, 
defeating  the  favorite.  Monogram,  who  went  to  the  post 
at  odds  of  2J^  to  i  in  afield  of  fifteen.  Pontiac's  victory 
was  a  most  decisive  one  and  he  cantered  home  far  ahead 
of  the  entire  field,  while  Monogram  never  had  any 
chance  whatsoever. 

The  Suburban  of  1886  was  a  sensational  affair.  Public 
interest  was  concentrated  largely  upon  Jim  Guest,  who 
belonged  to  Captain  Samuel  Brown,  of  Pittsburg.  The 
same  stable  was  also  represented  by  Troubadour,  who 
was  so  poorly  thought  of  that  in  the  winter  betting 
100  to  I  was  freely  offered  against  him.  Before  he  came 
to  the  post,  however,  there  was  an  awakening  on  the 
part  of  the  talent  and  he  started  a  strong  second  favorite 
to  Lizzie  Dwyer  at  4  to  i.  Edward  Corrigan  owned 
Lizzie  Dwyer,  who  stood  a  favorite  up  to  the  last 
moment  at  3  to  i,  and  it  has  been  said  that  "she  started 
with  more  wagered  on  her  chances  than  any  animal 
ever  had  in  the  turf  history  of  this  country."  The  day 
before  the  race  occurred  Troubadour  ran  the  Suburban 
distance,  with  full  weight  up,  in  the  phenomenal  time 
of  2  minutes,  ^^i  seconds.  When  the  flag  dropped  to 
the  start  he  was  the  first  off  and  had  the  race  won  before 
he  had  passed  out  of  the  first  quarter. 

The  Suburban  for  1887  was  in  all  respects  a  failure. 
The  horses  that  started  were  of  an  ordinary  character, 
and  none  of  them  were  in  form  to  assure  particularly  in- 
teresting sport.  Eurus,  who  won,  was  from  the  stable 
of  Mr.  A.  J.  Cassett  and  had  never  had  the  reputation  of 
being  a  horse  who  could  be  depended  upon.  He 
could  run  well  when  he  was  apparently  so  disposed 
and,  again,  would  absolutely  refuse  to  budge.  After  his 
death  it  was  discovered  that  he  had  been  for  years 
suffering  with  a  tumor,  which  fact  probably  accounted 
for  the  many  eccentricities  that  had    characterized  his 


turf  career.  There  were  some  rather  amusing  features  in 
the  Suburban  that  he  won.  The  favorite,  Richmond, 
who  started  at  2  to  i,  had  no  show  whatsoever  for 
the  race,  while  Quito,  who  was  a  good  second  favor- 
ite, and  Ben  Ali,  who  was  also  strongly  backed,  were 
never  in  it  at  all,  being  left  standing  at  the  post,.  The 
Suburban  of  1888  was  won  by  Elkwood,  half  brother  01 
Eurus,  his  sire,  Eolus,  being  the  only  sire  who  has  yet 
begotten  two  Suburban  winners.  Elkwood  was  a  rank 
outsider  in  the  betting,  even  his  owner,  Mr.  Walter 
Gratz,  declining  to  back  him.  And  yet  he  made  a 
splendid  finish,  winning  the  race  by  a  head  from  Terra 
Cotta,  who  had  run  in  hard  luck,  being  pocketed  around 
nearly  the  entire  course.  When  the  Suburban  of  1889 
was  called  only  nine  of  the  entries  started  and  none  of 
these  were  horses  of  great  merit.  Mr.  August  Belmont's 
Raceland  was  an  easy  winner  and  his  victory  was 
popular.  Terra  Cotta  again  ran  second  with  Gorgo 
third. 

Salvator,  who  won  the  Suburban  of  1890,  was  the 
greatest  race  horse  that  has  been  on  the  American  turf  in 
the  closing  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  son 
of  Prince  Charlie,  his  reputation  is  scarcely  second,  per- 
haps, even  to  such  great  turf  idols  as  Lexington, 
Lecomte,  Iroquois  and  others  who  have  held  first  place 
in  public  estimation  and  admiration.  In  his  two  and  in 
his  three-year  old  form  he  was  sometimes  defeated  by 
such  horses  as  Longstreet  and  Proctor  Knott,  but,  de- 
spite those  reverses,  he  showed  a  form  when  he  was  in 
condition  that  was  little  short  of  marvelous  and  that  en- 
deared him  to  everybody.  Only  nine  horses  started  in 
this  Suburban,  but  among  them  were  such  cracks  as 
Salvator,  Tenny,  Firenze,  Raceland,  Prince  Royal  and 
Longstreet.  Salvator  was  a  hot  favorite.  He  carried 
127  lbs.  and  came  in  a  good  winner  after  a  gallant  fight 
that  lasted  from  start  to  finish,  the  only  horse  in  the 
field  that  gave  him  much  concern  being  Cassius,  who 
had  not  been  considered  in  the  running  at  all.  Fully 
thirty  thousand  persons  saw  Salvator's  great  victory  and 
it  was,  as  has  been  truly  said,  "the  first  time  the  event 
offered  a  contest  worthy  of  the  pride  of  place  accorded 
to  it  as  a  leading  classical  feature  of  the  American  turf." 

Three  rank  outsiders  came  in  first,  second  and  third 
in  the  Suburban  of  189 1  with  Loantaka  at  the  head.  The 
odds  of  25  to  I  were  laid  against  Loantaka  in  the  ring 
and  it  is  said  that  his  owner,  Mr.  David  McCoun,  would 
never  have  started  him  had  it  not  been  for  the  strenuous 
insistance  of  his  jockey,  Martin  Bergen,  who  believed 
that  he  had  a  good  fighting  chance.  Montana,  ridden  by 
"  Snapper"  Garrison,  came  in  at  the  head  of  the  field  in 
1892,  a  victory  that  was  extremely  popular.  In  this  race 
Lamplighter,  who  was  third,  ran  a  great  race,  being 
beaten  only  a  neck  and  a  head  for  first  honors.  In  1893, 
Lamplighter  was  a  favorite  for  the  great  handicap,  which 


74 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


looked  like  a  foregone  certainty  for  him.  But  again  he 
ran  third,  the  race  being  won  by  Lowlander,  an  out- 
sider, who  was,  however,  looked  upon  with  a  slight 
degree  of  expectancy.  Ramapo's  Suburban  in  1894  was 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  performances  that  had  ever 
distinguished  the  event.  There  were  twelve  starters, 
the  winner  being  a  strong  favorite  at  8  to  5.  In  the 
tield  were  such  cracks  as  Sir  Walter,  Henry  of  Navarre, 
Banquet  and  Pickpocket,  stars  of  the  first  magnitude  in 
the  equine  world,  and  yet,  notwithstanding  the  noble 
character  of  his  opponents,  Ramapo  was  easily  the  best 
horse  in  the  race,  and  one  of  the  very  best  that  has 
ever  succeeded  in  winning  the  Suburban  in  the  fifteen 
years  of  its  existence.  The  race  was  a  magnificent 
spectacle  from  start  to  finish  and,  when  Ramapo  flashed 
by  the  stand  in  2  minutes,  6V5  seconds,  the  enthusiasm 
knew  no  restraint.  He  beat  the  time  made  by  the 
famous  and  popular  Salvator,  the  winner  of  the  1890 
Suburban,  by  three-fifths  of  a  second  and  was  two-fifths 
of  a  second  faster  than  Lowlander,  who  came  in  at  the 
head  of  the  field  in  1893. 

In  1895,  Domino  was  the  favorite  at  odds  of  20  to  ii. 
Domino  was  regarded  as  peerless  among  the  horses  of 
that  year,  and  was  a  great  public  idol.  The  talent  was 
hard  hit  when  Lazzarone  came  in  at  the  head  in  2  min- 
utes, 7y5  seconds,  the  odds  against  him  in  the  betting 
having  been  6  to  1,  with  6  to  i  against  Sir  Walter,  who 
was  second,  and  10  to  i  against  Song  and  Dance,  who 
was  third.  To  the  consternation  of  the  admirers  of 
Domino  that  horse  quit  at  the  end  of  a  mile,  plainly 
showing  the  lack  of  those  staying  qualities  that  are 
needed  to  place  a  thoroughbred  in  the  first  rank.  Laz- 
zarone, who  was  by  Spendthrift  out  of  Spinaway,  beat 
Sir  Walter  by  two  good  lengths.  It  was  Henry  of  Na- 
varre's Suburban  in  1896.  Only  a  small  field  engaged, 
seven  horses  coming  to  the  start.  Nevertheless  the  race 
was  one  of  the  greatest  that  had  been  seen  on  the 
course  for  many  years  and  the  son  of  Knight  of  Ellerslie 
established  himself  by  his  performance  as  one  of  the 
greatest  horses  of  his  generation.  He  was  a  favorite  in 
the  betting  at  2  to  i  and  won  the  race  driving  by  a 
length,  with  The  Commoner  second,  Clifford  third  and 
Belmar  fourth.  In  1897,  Ben  Brush,  the  best  horse  in 
the  field,  made  a  very  satisfactory  race  and  landed  by 
a  length,  defeating  Havoc,  The  Winner  and  others. 
The  struggle  in  the  last  quarter  of  a  mile  was  one  of 
the  fiercest  ever  seen  in  a  Suburban  event,  and  the 
time — 2  minutes,  7%  seconds— compares  favorably  with 
the  best  Suburbans  that  had  preceded  it.  The  time  of 
Henry  of  Navarre — 2  minutes  and  7  seconds — was  only 
four-fifths  of  a  second  slower  than  Ramapo's  record, 
one-fifth  of  a  second  slower  than  Salvator's,  two-fifths 
of  a  second  slower  than  Lowlander's  and  the  same  as 
Loantaka's. 


Although  the  Suburban  holds  almost  unchallenged  its 
pre-eminent  position  in  the  support  of  turfmen  and  in  the 
interest  of  the  general  public,  there  are  other  events  or 
the  course  that  have  become  historic  and  are  looked  for- 
ward to  every  season  with  the  highest  expectation. 
Scarcely  second  to  the  Suburban  in  popular  interest  and 
in  value  from  all  points  of  view  of  the  turfman,  is  the 
annual  race  for  the  rich  Realization  Stakes  of  the  Coney 
Island  Jockey  Club.  It  is  a  sweepstakes  of  i  mile  and  5 
furlongs,  and  is  a  test  of  speed  as  well  as  endurance.  It 
has  furnished  some  of  the  best  contests  that  have  ever 
been  witnessed  upon  the  course  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  and 
is  regarded  as  the  greatest  of  three-year  old  events.  The 
added  money  is  $10,000,  and  the  second  horse  receives 
two-thirds  of  the  starting  money  and  $2,000,  while  the 
third  horse  takes  the  remaining  one-third  of  the  starting 
money  and  $1,000.  In  1889,  the  year  that  this  event  was 
established,  Salvator,  carrying  122  pounds  and  ridden  by 
Murphy,  was  the  winner  in  2  minutes,  51  seconds,  the 
value  of  the  purse  being  $34,100.  In  the  second  year 
Tournament,  carrying  i  \2%  pounds  and  ridden  by  Hay- 
ward,  came  in  at  the  head  of  the  field  in  2  minutes,  51 
seconds,  carrying  away  for  his  owner,  $25,300.  Another 
2  minutes,  51  seconds  winner  was  Potomac,  in  189 1.  He 
carried  1 19  pounds  and  was  ridden  bv  Hamilton. 
The  purse  this  year  amounted  to  $30,850.  The 
fourth  year  of  the  Realization  saw  Tammany  at  the 
front  with  1 19  pounds  weight  and  ridden  by  Garrison. 
The  time  was  2  minutes,  51%  seconds,  and  the  amount 
of  the  purse  $28,470.  Daily  America,  ridden  by  Sims 
and  carrying  107  pounds,  was  the  victor  in  1893,  his 
time  being  2  minutes,  50%  seconds,  and  the  purse 
amounting  to  $24,170. 

So  far  as  time  was  concerned  the  Realization  of  1894 
was  a  flat  failure.  Dobbins,  who  carried  122  pounds 
and  was  ridden  by  Sims,  could  only  make  the  course  in 
2  minutes,  55  seconds,  winning  $33,400.  The  following 
year  did  not  show  much  improvement,  the  time  of  the 
winner  being  2  minutes,  54%  seconds.  Bright  Phoebus, 
carrying  115  pounds  and  ridden  by  Reiff,  passed  by 
the  post  first,  and  took  away  with  him  a  purse  of 
$29,700.  In  the  Realization  of  1896,  seven  horses'  were 
on  the  card,  but  Hamilton  II.  was  scratched  at  the  last 
moment.  Requital,  the  famous  crack  from  the  Brook- 
dale  stables,  was  a  strong  favorite.  His  performance 
fully  justified  the  confidence  that  had  been  placed  in  him. 
Carrying  119  pounds,  this  gallant  son  of  Eothen  ran  the 
distance  in  2  minutes,  49%  seconds,  lowering  by  lys 
seconds  the  record  which,  up  to  that  time,  had  been  held 
by  Daily  America  at  2  minutes,  50%  seconds.  In  1897 
The  Friar  was  the  winner,  covering  the  course  in  2 
minutes,  48%  seconds. 

The  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club  Handicap  is  a  race  of  a  mile 
and  one-quarter,  run  over  the  Gravesend  Course.    It  was 


75 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


started  in  1887,  when  Dry  Monopole  was  the  winner, 
with  Blue  Wing  second  and  Hidalgo  third,  with  a  field 
of  fourteen  horses  behind  them.  The  time  was  2  min- 
utes, 7  seconds,  and  the  amount  of  the  stake  $5,850. 
Dry  Monopole  was  a  son  of  imported  Glenelg.  In  the 
second  year,  1888,  The  Bard,  a  son  of  Longfellow,  de- 
feated a  field  of  thirteen  others,  with  Hanover  second  and 
Exile  third,  in  2  minutes,  13  seconds,  winning  $6,925. 
In  1889,  Exile,  who  was  third  in  the  running  the 
previous  year,  a  son  of  imported  Morremer,  was  at  the 
head  of  the  field  of  seven  contestants.  Prince  Royal  being 
second  and  Terra  Cotta  third.  The  time  was  2  minutes, 
7;'2  seconds,  and  the  stakeamounted  to  $6,900.  In  1890, 
Castaway  II.,  Badge  and  Eric,  came  in  respectively  first, 
second  and  third  in  a  field  of  nine,  the  winner  being  a 
son  of  Outcast.  The  time  of  the  event  this  year  was  2 
minutes,  10  seconds,  and  the  amount  of  the  purse  $6,900. 
Tenny,  in  1891,  beat  a  field  of  twenty-one  in  2  minntes, 
10  seconds.  Prince  Royal  being  second  and  Tea-Tray 
third.  The  stake  amounted  to  $14,800.  Tenny  was  a  son 
of  imported  Rayon  d'Or.  In  the  sixth  year  of  the  event 
Judge  Morrow,  Pessara  and  Russell  led  a  field  of  twelve 
at  the  finish,  the  time  of  the  winner.  Judge  Morrow, 
being  2  minutes,  8^4  seconds,  and  the  purse  amounting 
to  $17,750.     Judge  Morrow  was  a  son  of  Vagabond. 

In  1893,  three  cracks  led  the  field  of  thirteen  in  the  or- 
der named,  Diablo,  Lamplighter  and  Leonawell,  the 
winner  being  a  son  of  Eolus.  The  time  this  year  was  2 
minutes,  9  seconds,  and  the  value  of  the  stakes  $17,500. 
Three  other  great  cracks  led  off  in  1S94,  Dr.  Rice  coming 
first  by  the  stand  in  2  minutes,  7X  seconds,  with 
Henry  of  Navarre  and  Sir  Walter  second  and  third,  win- 
ning $17,750,  and  establishing  the  fame  of  his  sire,  Onon- 
daga. Hornpipe,  by  imported  Mr.  Pickwick,  headed 
Lazzarrone  and  Sir  Walter  in  1895,  the  three  leaving  a 
field  of  nine  behind  them.  The  time  of  the  winner  was 
2  minutes,  1 1 }(  seconds,  and  the  amount  of  the  stakes 
$7,750.  In  i8':;6.  Sir  Walter  carried  off  the  honors  from 
a  field  of  eight  with  Clifford  second  and  St.  Maxim  third. 
The  time  was  2  minutes,  8}4  seconds,  and  the  stakes 
were  $7,750  Sir  Walter  was  a  son  of  imported  Mid- 
lothian. In  1897,  Howard  Mann,  by  Duke  of  Montrose, 
covered  the  course  in  2  minutes,  9^  seconds,  defeating 
ten  contestants  and  winning  $7,750.  Lake  Shore  ran 
second  and  Volley  third.  It  will  been  seen  that  the 
track  record  for  this  event  is  2  minutes,  7  seconds,  estab- 
lished by  Dry  Monopole,  the  first  year  that  the  handi- 
cap was  run.  The  nearest  approach  to  Dry  Monopole's 
figure  has  been  Dr.  Rice's  2  minutes,  7^  seconds,  in 
1894,  and  Exile's  2  minutes,  7>^  seconds  in  1889.  The 
largest  stakes  were  in  1892  and  again  in  1894,  when  they 
amounted  to  $17,750. 

In  its  value  to  owners  the  Futurity  of  the  Coney  Island 
Jockey  Club  that  is  run  at  the  annual  summer  meeting 


gives  first  place  to  none  of  the  great  stakes.  It  is  a 
sweepstakes  for  two-year  olds,  with  $8,750  added,  the 
second  horse  receiving  $1,000  and  two-thirds  of  the 
starting  money,  and  the  third  horse  $500  and  one-third 
of  the  starting  money.  The  breeders  of  the  winner,  and 
of  the  second  and  third  horses  receive  respectively, 
$2,000,  $1,250  and  $500  out  of  the  added  money.  The 
Futurity  course  is  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  Estab- 
lished in  1888,  the  first  winner  of  the  Futurity  was  Proc- 
tor Knott,  his  time  being  1  minute,  15^^  seconds.  The 
winner  that  year  had  $40,900  to  his  credit.  In  1889, 
Chaos  came  in  at  the  head  of  the  field  in  1  minute,  i6f 
seconds,  winning  $54, 550.  Potomac  reduced  the  record 
in  1890  to  1  minute,  144-  seconds,  winning  $67,675. 
The  record  went  up  one  second  in  1891,  when  His  High- 
ness was  the  winner  with  $61,675  for  his  share  of  the 
stakes.  In  1892,  there  was  another  drop  in  the  time 
record  and  also  in  the  profits  of  the  race,  Morello  getting 
$40,450  for  running  the  course  in  i  minute,  i2|-  seconds. 
Domino  took  $49,350  in  1899  with  a  record  of  i  minute, 
I2f  seconds.  In  the  following  year  came  the  great 
achievement  of  The  Butterflies,  who  knocked  the  figures 
of  the  record  down  to  i  minute,  11  seconds,  which  was 
i^  seconds  better  than  Morello's  time,  thus  far  the  record 
time  for  the  event,  4}^  seconds  faster  than  Proctor 
Knott's  initial  record,  and  5f  better  than  the  slowest 
Futurity  time.  The  amount  of  stakes  for  the  winner  this 
year  was  $63,950.  Requital,  in  1895,  made  a  good  race 
and  won  $53,750,  but  his  time  was  f  of  a  second  slower 
than  that  of  The  Butterflies.  In  1896,  Ogden  took  the 
honors,  lowering  the  time  of  The  Butterflies  by  1  second, 
to  1  minute,  10  seconds,  and  winning  $44,290.  When 
the  race  was  run  in  1897,  L'Allouette  re-established  the 
record  of  The  Butterflies,  1  minute,  1 1  seconds,  which 
was  1  second  slower  than  Ogden's  best  record  for  the 
event. 

A  special  sentimental  interest  attaches  to  the  Kentucky 
Derby.  It  is  one  of  the  famous  events  of  the  season  in 
the  home  of  the  American  thoroughbred  and  its  very 
name  carries  with  it  suggestions  of  the  most  glowing 
pages  of  turf  history  in  this  country  and  in  England.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  find  a  genuine  turfman  who  does 
not  feel  his  pulses  quicken  at  the  very  thought  of  Ken- 
tucky and  the  Derby.  The  event  is  also  interesting  from 
the  fact  that  it  has  always  marked  the  opening  of  the 
great  spring  meeting  in  Louisville.  From  a  purely  specu- 
lative point  of  view  it  has  always  had  an  absorbing  pub- 
lic interest,  since  its  contestants  have  come  forward  com- 
paratively untried,  so  that  they  have  been  largely  un- 
known quantities  in  their  form  of  that  year.  They  have 
come  to  the  post  with  something  of  a  mystery  attached 
to  their  prospects,  and  this  has  given  an  additional  filip 
to  the  event.  The  race  is  for  three-year  old  colts  and 
fillies,    i}4  miles  distance,   with  $2,500  added   money, 


76 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


$300  to  the  second  horse  and  $iso  to  the  third.  In  such 
popular  esteem  is  this  race  held  that  the  Legislature  of 
the  State  of  Kentucky  has  been  known  to  adjourn  its 
session  so  that  its  members  might  attend  the  race,  thus 
following  the  example  of  the  English  Parliament  in  ad- 
journing over  for  the  great  National  Derby  of  England. 

The  Kentucky  Derby  winners  have,  as  a  rule,  been 
horses  who,  in  their  subsequent  careers,  have  arisen  to 
decided  prominence  on  the  turf.  In  1875,  the  first  year 
of  the  event,  Aristides,  son  of  Leamington,  was  ridden 
by  Louis  to  victory  in  2  minutes,  37^  seconds.  In  1876, 
Vagrant,  son  of  Virgil,  was  ridden  over  the  course  in  2 
minutes,  38^  seconds,  an  easy  winner.  Baden  Baden, 
by  Australian,  and  ridden  by  Walker,  won  the  event  in 
2  minutes,  38  seconds,  in  1877.  The  following  year. 
Day  Star,  by  Star  Davis,  carried  his  colors  to  the  front  in 
2  minutes,  37X  seconds.  Lord  Murphy,  son  of  Pat 
Malloy,  was  the  winner  in  1879,  ^^^  time  being  2  min- 
utes, 37  seconds,  establishing  the  record  for  the  event 
for  eleven  years.  The  great  Fonso,  son  of  King  Alfonso, 
headed  the  field  in  1880,  his  time  being  2  minutes,  37)^ 
seconds.  For  several  ensuing  years  the  time  of  the  race 
rose  to  higher  figures,  although  several  horses  of  the 
first  class  were  among  the  winners.  The  best  that 
Hindoo,  the  son  of  Virgil,  could  do  in  1881,  was  2  min- 
uets and  40  seconds,  but  that  was  quite  sufficient  to 
enable  him  to  carry  off  the  prize. 

In  the  following  year  Apollo  lifted  the  record  by  a 
quarter  of  a  second,  and,  in  1883,  Leonatus,  son  of  Long- 
fellow, discouraged  everybody  by  dragging  over  the 
course  in  2  minutes,  43  seconds,  with  the  field  behind 
him.  In  1884,  the  field  was  commonplace,  and  Bu- 
chanan, son  of  Buckden,  won  out  in  2  minutes,  40^ 
seconds.  Since  1884,  the  winners,  and  their  time,  in 
successive  years  have  been  as  follows:  1885,  Joe  Cotton, 
2  minutes,  37^  seconds;   1886,  Ben  Ali,  2  minutes,  ^Sj-i 


seconds;  1887,  Montrose,  2  minutes,  39^  seconds;  \i 
Macbeth  II.,  2  minutes,  38X  seconds;  1889,  Spokane, 
2  minutes,  ^4%  seconds;  1890,  Riley,  2  minutes,  45 
seconds;  1891,  Kingman,  2  minutes,  52^  seconds;  1892, 
Azra,  2 minutes,  41^  seconds;  1893,  Lookout,  2  minutes, 
39^  seconds;  1894,  Chant,  2  minutes,  41  seconds;  189s, 
Halma,  2  minutes,  37}^  seconds.  In  1896,  the  distance 
was  reduced  to  one  and  one-quarter  miles,  and  Ben 
Brush  won  in  2  minutes,  7%  seconds;  1897,  Typhoon 
II.,   2  minutes,  I2>^  seconds. 

The  wonderful  development  of  the  thoroughbred  in 
the  United  States  during  the  present  generation,  is 
always  an  interesting  subject  of  consideration  wherever 
and  whenever  turf  matters  are  under  discussion.  It  has 
excited  the  attention  and  the  admiration  of  the  world 
and  has  particularly  impressed  itself  in  a  very  practical 
way  upon  the  minds  of  our  English  cousins,  when  they 
have  been    compelled  to   see   American    bred    horses 


carrying  off  some  of  the  choicest  prizes  in  their  historic 
racing  events.  As  throwing  a  light  upon  this  subject 
and  as  illustrating  the  steady  advance  in  achievement  of 
the  American  thoroughbred,  it  is  interesting  and  impor- 
tant to  note  that,  with  a  single  exception,  the  best 
performances  for  all  events  upon  the  American  turf  have 
been  within  the  last  twenty-five  years.  The  record, 
which  is  well  worth  preservation  as  an  important  part 
of  the  history  of  our  turf,  is  here  presented.  It  is  com- 
plete and  accurate  down  to  the  close  of  the  racing 
season  of  1897,  and  gives  in  order  the  distance  run,  the 
name,  age,  weight  and  sire  of  the  record  holder,  the 
place  and  date  where  the  record  was  made  and  the 
record  time. 

Dashes,  best  at  all  distances:  %  mile.  Bob  Wade,  4, 
Butte,  Mont.,  August  20,  1890,  0.21X;  yk  mile.  Red  S., 
aged,  122  lbs.,  Butte,  Mont.,  July  23,  1896,  and  Fashion, 
4,  Lampasas,  Tex.,  August  15,  1891,  0.34;  Yz  mile,  Ger- 
aldine,  4,  by  Grinstead,  122  lbs.,  New  York  Jockey 
Club,  straight  course,  August  30,  1889,  0.46,  and  April 
Fool,  4,  122  lbs.,  Butte,  Mont.,  July  23,  1891,  0.47;  4>^ 
furlongs,  Handpress,  2,  by  Hanover,  100  lbs..  New  York 
Jockey  Club,  straight  course,  May  26,  1897,  0.52;  Vs. 
mile.  Maid  Marian,  4,  by  Great  Tom,  in  lbs..  New 
York  Jockey  Club,  October  9,  1894,  and  George  F.  Smith, 
4,  100  lbs.,  San  Francisco,  California  Jockey  Club, 
May  7,  1895,  0.^6%  \  5^  furlongs.  Tormentor, 
6,  by  Joe  Hooker,  121  lbs..  New  York  Jockey 
Club,  October  10,  1893,  1.03;  %  of  mile,  less  170 
feet,  Kingston,  aged,  by  Spendthrift,  139  lbs..  Coney 
Island  Jockey  Club,  Futurity  Course,  June  22,  1891,  1.08; 
%  mile,  Domino,  2,  by  Himyar,  128  lbs..  New  York 
Jockey  Club,  straight  course,  September  29,  1893,  1,09; 
and  O'Connell,  5,  121  lbs.,  Oakley,  O.,  July  18,  1895, 
i.\2j4',  6)4  furlongs,  Wernberg,  4,  by  Muscovy,  113 
lbs..  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club,  August  28,  1895,  and 
Irish  Reel,  3,  by  Exile,  108  lbs..  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club,  August  31,  1895,  1.19%;  J4  mile,  Bella  B.,  5,  by 
Enquirer,  103  lbs.,  Monmouth  Park,  straight  course,  July 
8,  1890,  i.2}]/2,  and  Clifford,  4,  by  Bramble,  127  lbs., 
Coney  Island  Jockey  Club,  August  20,  1894,  1.25%;  7J4 
furlongs,  Mamie  Scott,  3,  by  Canny  Scott,  90  lbs.,  San 
Francisco,  Cal,  October  17,  1895,  1.33X;  i  mile,  Sal- 
vator,  4,  by  imported  Prince  Charlie,  1 10  lbs.,  Mon- 
mouth Park,  straight  course,  August  28,  1890,  i.3S>^; 
Libertine,  3,  by  Leonatus,  90  lbs.,  Chicago,  III.  (Har- 
lem), October  24,  1894,  1.38%;  Arab,  8,  by  Dalnacar- 
doch,  93  lbs..  New  York  Jockey  Club,  June  11,  1894, 
and  Ducat,  4,  by  Deceiver,  113  lbs.,  Coney  Island 
Jockey  Club,  August  28,  1894,  1.39,  and  Kildeer, 
4,  by  imported  Darebin,  91  lbs.,  Monmouth  Park, 
straight  course,  August  13,  1892,  1.37X;  i  mile  and  20 
yards.  Maid  Marian,  4,  loi  lbs.,  by  imported  Great  Tom, 
Chicago,  Washington  Park,  July   19,   1893,  1.40;   i  mile 


77 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


and  70  yards,  Lillian  Lee,  3,  95  lbs.,  Chicago,  Harlem 
Park,  July  31,  1894,  1.43^;  ixr  mi'es,  Redskin, 
6,  by  Runnymede  or  imported  Pontiac,  98  lbs.,  Forsyth, 
Ind.,  June  6,  1896,  1.45^;  i}i  miles,  Tristan,  6,  by 
imported  Glenelg,  114  lbs.,  Morris  Park,  N.  Y.,  June  2, 
1891,  i.5ij^;  ItV  miles,  Henry  Young,  4,  by  Duke  of 
.Montrose,  108  lbs.,  Chicago,  Washington  Park,  July  14, 
1894,  i.^Syi;  1%  miles,  Banquet,  3,  by  imported 
Rayon  d'Or,  108  lbs.,  Monmouth  Park,  straight 
course,  July  17,  1890,  2.03^^  ;  Salvator,  4,  by  imported 
Prince  Charlie,  122  lbs  ,  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club, 
June  25,  1890,  and  Morello,  3,  by  Eolus,  117  lbs., 
Chicago,  111.,  Washington  Park,  July  22,  1893,2.05;  i 
mile  and  500  yards,  Bend  Or,  4,  by  Buckden,  115  lbs., 
Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  July  25,  1882,  2.  io>^;  i^  miles.  Sir 
John,  4,  by  Sir  Modred,  116  lbs..  New  York  Jockey 
Club,  June  9,  1892,  2. 14^;  1^  miles,  Sabine  4,  by 
Rossington,  109  lbs.,  Chicago,  Washington  Park,  July  5, 
1894,  2.18^;  lyi  miles.  Buckwa,  6,  103  lbs.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, California  Jockey  Club,  December  24,  1897, 
2.32^,  Lamplighter,  3,  by  Spendthrift,  109  lbs., 
Monmouth  Park.  August  9,  1892,  and  Evanatus,  aged, 
by  Leonatus,  73  lbs.,  Chicago,  Harlem  Park,  August 
28,  1897,  2.3234^;  154  miles,  Hindoocraft,  3,  by  Hindoo, 
75  lbs.,  Morris  Park,  N.  Y.,  August  27,  1889,  2.48;  and 
Exile,  4,  by  imported  Mortemer,  115  lbs.,  Sheepshead 
Bay,  N.  Y.,  September  11,  1886,  2.48^;  \%  miles, 
Ben  Holladay,  4,  118  lbs..  New  York  Jockey  Club, 
October  2},  1897,  2.59^;  xj/z  miles.  Enigma  4,  by 
Enquirer,  90  lbs.,  Sheepshead  Bay,  N.  Y.,  September  15, 
1885,  3.20;  2  miles,  Newton,  4,  by  imported  Billet,  107 
lbs.,  Chicago,  Washington  Park,  July  13,  1893;  and  Ten 
Broeck,  5,  by  imported  Phaeton,  1 10 lbs.,  Louisville,  Ky., 
May  29,  1877,  in  a  race  against  time,  3.27}^  ;  2^  miles, 
Joe  Murphy,  4,  by  Isaac  Murphy,  99  lbs.,  Chicago,  Har- 
lem Park,  August  30,  1894,  3.42;  2%  miles,  Springbok, 
5,  by  imported  Australian,  114  lbs.;  and  Preakness, 
aged,  by  Lexington,  114  lbs.,  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  July  29, 
i875'  3-56/^;  ^yi.  miles,  Aristides,  4  by  imported  Leam- 
ington, 104  lbs.,  Lexington,  Ky.,  May  13,  1876,  4.27 J^; 
2i/i  miles.  Ten  Broeck,  4,  by  imported  Phaeton,  104  lbs., 
Lexington,  Ky.,  September  16,  1876,  4. 58^^;  2^  miles, 
Hubbard,  4,  by  Planet,  107  lbs.,  Saratoga,  N.  Y., 
August  9,  1873,  4.58^;  3  miles,  Drake  Carter,  4,  by 
Ten  Broeck,  115  lbs.,  Sheepshead  Bay,  N.  Y.,  Septem- 
ber 6,  1884,  5.24;  4  miles,  Lucretia  Borgia,  4,  by 
imported  Brutus,  85  lbs.,  Oakland,  California  Jockey 
Club,  May  20,  1897,  7. 11. 


Heats,  best  two  in  three:  X  'file,  Sleepy  Dick,  aged, 
Kiowa,  Kan.,  October  19,  1888,  o.2i}4,  0.22%;  yi. 
mile.  Eclipse,  Jr.,  4,  Dallas,  Tex.,  November  i,  1890, 
0.48,  0.48;  Bogus,  aged,  by  Ophir,  113  lbs.,  Helena, 
Mont,  August  22,  1888,  0.48,  0.48;  and  Bill  Howard,  5, 
122  lbs.,  Anaconda,  Mont.,  August  17,  1895,  0.47}^, 
0.48^^  ;  4>^  furlongs,  Susie  S.,  aged,  by  Ironwood,  Santa 
Rosa,  Cal.,  August  23,  1889,  0.55,  0.55^;  yk  mile,  Kittie 
Pease,  4,  by  Jack  Hardy,  82  lbs.,  Dallas,  Tex.,  November 

2,  1887,  1. 00,  1. 00;  ^  mile,  Lizzie  S.,  5,  by  Wanderer, 
118  lbs.,  Louisville,  Ky.,  September  28,  1883,  1.13^, 
1. 13)^,  and  Tom  Hayes,  4,  by  Duke  of  Montrose, 
107  lbs.,  Morris  Park,  N.  Y.,  straight  course,  June  17, 
1892,  x.xoYi,  i.i2}i;  ]/%  mile.  Hornpipe,  4,  by  imported 
St.  Mungo,  105  lbs.,  Chicago,  West  Side  Park,  July  19, 
1888,  1.30,  1.30;  I  mile,  Guido,  4,  by  Double  Cross, 
117  lbs.,  Chicago,  Washington  Park,  July  11,  1891, 
1. 41%,  1. 41/4;  lyie  miles;  Slipalong,  5,  by  Longfellow, 
115  lbs.,  Chicago,  Washington  Park,  September  2,  1885^ 
1.50^,  1.48;  lyk  miles,  Gabriel,  4,  by  Alarm,  112  lbs., 
Sheepshead  Bay,  N.  Y.,  September  23,  1880,  1.56,  1.56; 
\%  miles,  Glenmore,  5,  by  Glen  Athol,  114  lbs.,  Sheeps- 
head Bay,  N.  Y.,  September  25,  1880,  2.10,  2.14,  Mary 
Anderson,  3,  83  lbs.,  winning  the  first  heat  in  2.09;  i  J4 
miles.  Patsy  Duffy,  aged,  115  lbs.,  Sacramento,  Cal., 
September  17,  1884,  2.41^,  2.41;  2  miles,  Bradamante, 

3,  by  War  Dance,  87  lbs.,  Jackson,  Miss.,  November 
17,  1877,  3.}2,  3.29,  Miss  Woodford,  4,  107}^  lbs., 
Sheepshead  Bay,  September  20,  1884,  }.}},  3.3  iX; 
3  miles,  Norfolk,  4,  by  Lexington,  100  lbs.,  Sacramento, 
Cal.,  September 23,  1865,  5.27)^,  5.29^^  ;  4  miles,  Ferida, 

4,  by  Glenelg,  105  lbs.,  Sheepshead  Bay,  N.  Y.,  Septem- 
ber 18,  1880,  7.23^^,  7.41,  and  Glenmore,  4,  by  Glen 
Athol,  108  lbs.,  Baltimore,  Md.,  October  25,  1879,  7.30}^, 
7.31 ;  Willie  D.,  4,  105  lbs.,winning  the  first  heat  in  7.29}^. 

Heats,  best  three  in  five:  yi  mile,  Haddington,  6,  by 
Haddington,  118  lbs.,  Petaluma,  Cal.,  August  28,  1883, 
o.49>^,  0.50^^,  o.4C))i,  Aunt  Betsy,  3,  106  lbs.,  winning 
the  first  heat  in  o.49>4  ;  ^  mile.  Gleaner,  aged,  by  im- 
ported Glenelg,  112  lbs.,  Chicago,  Washington  Park, 
July  5,  1886,  1.15,  \.\4y2,  I-I5J4;  I  mile,  Thad  Stevens, 
aged,  by  Langford,  100  lbs.,  Sacramento,  Cal.,  July  8, 
1873,  i.43>^;  1.46^^,  1.45,  Thornhill  winning  the  first 
and  second  heats  in  1.43,  1.43;  L' Argentine,  6,  115 
lbs.,  St.  Louis,  June  14,  1879,  1.43,  1.44,  1.47%^;  ItV 
miles,  Dave  Douglas,  5,  by  Leinster,  Sacramento,  Cal., 
September  23,  1887,  i.5ij^,  i.5i>^,  i.SiJ^,  1.54,  i-50>^, 
first  and  third  heats  being  dead  heats. 


78 


GREAT  AMERICAN  THOROUGHBREDS 


Champions   of   the    Early   American   Turf — Eclipse  and    His    Famous   Daughters,    Ariel   and 

Black   Maria — Boston   and   Fashion,   the   Great  Rivals — Sir 

Archy,  Glencoe,  Lexington,  and  Others 


MERICAN  Eclipse,  whose  special  title  to  distinc- 
tion rested  upon  his  famous  victory  over  Sir 
Henry,  when  the  turf  of  the  North  and  South 
were  pitted  against  each  other  upon  the  Long 
island  Union  Course  in  1823,  was  bred  by  General  Na- 
thaniel Coles,  ofDosoris,  Queens  County,  L.  I.,  May  25, 
1814.  His  sire  was  Duroc,  son  of  imported  Diomed  and 
Amanda,  by  Gray-  Diomed,  who  was  a  son  of  Old 
Medley.  His  dam  was  Miller's  Damsel,  by  imported 
Messenger;  his  second  dam  was  an  English  mare,  im- 
ported when  three  years  old  in  1795  by  William  Consta- 
ble, bred  by  Lord  Grosvenor  and  sired  by  Pot-8-os,  son 
of  the  great  English  Eclipse;  his  third  dam  was  by  Gim- 
crack,  who  was  by  Cripple,  by  the  Godolphin  Arabian; 
his  fourth  dam  was  Snap  Dragon,  by  Snap;  his  fifth  dam 
was  by  Regulus,  and  his  sixth  dam  by  Bartlett's  Childers. 
Broken  as  a  three-year  old,  he  started  in  his  first  race  in 
18 18  for  a  purse  of  three-mile  heats  on  the  Newmarket 
Course,  Long  Island,  on  which  occasion  he  defeated 
Black-Eyed  Susan  and  Sea-Gull,  the  latter  being  then 
called  the  best  three-mile  horse  of  the  day.  The  follow- 
ing year  he  was  sold  to  Mr.  Cornelius  W.  Van  Ranst, 
and  in  June,  1819,  won  the  Jockey  Club's  purse  for  four- 
mile  heats  over  the  Bath  Course,  on  Long  Island,  defeat- 
ing Littlejohn  and  Bond's  Eclipse  and  James  Fitz  James. 
Four  months  later  he  again  ran  four-mile  heats  at  Bath, 
defeating  Littlejohn,  Fearnought  and  Bond's  Eclipse, 
winning  the  race  in  two  straight  heats  in  8  minutes,  13 
seconds  and  8  minutes,  8  seconds. 

After  making  two  seasons  in  the  stud,  he  was  put  into 
training  again  in  1821;  and  in  October  of  that  year 
entered  the  race  for  four-mile  heats  over  the  new  Union 
Course.  His  competitors  on  this  occasion  were  Lady 
Lightfoot,  by  Sir  Archy,  Flag  of  Truce,  by  Sir  Solomon, 
and  Heart  of  Oak.  The  two  last  named  horses  were 
drawn  after  the  first  heat,  and  Lady  Lightfoot  was  dis- 
tanced in  the  second  heat.  The  time  was,  first  heat,  8 
minutes,  4  seconds;  second  heat,  8  minutes,  2  seconds. 
In  May,  1822,  he  defeated  Sir  Walter,  by  Hickory,  in  a 
race  of  four-mile  heats  on  the  Union  Course,  the  time 
being,  first  heat,  7  minutes,  54  seconds,  and  second 
heat,  8  minutes.  In  the  following  October  he  won 
another  race  of  four-mile  heats  on  the  Union  Course  for 
a  purse  of  $1,000,  defeating  Sir  Walter,  the  Duchess  of 
Marlborough,  by  Sir  Archy  and  Slow  and  Easy  by  Duroc. 


The  first  heat  of  this  race  was  run  in  7  minutes,  58  sec- 
onds and  in  the  second  heat  Eclipse  had  it  all  his  own 
way,  Sir  Walter  stopping  short  and  the  two  mares  being 
withdrawn.  His  next  great  achievement  was  his  sensa- 
tional defeat  of  Henry  upon  the  Long  Island  Course  in 
May,  1823.  Soon  after  this  event  he  passed  into  the 
stud,  having  been  sold  for  what  was  at  that  time  the 
remarkably  large  price  of  $10,000.  He  stood  one  sea- 
son in  Virginia,  one  or  two  seasons  in  Baltimore,  then  for 
a  short  time  in  New  York,  and  finally  being  employed  in 
Kentucky,  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  leaving  a  long  list  of 
distinguished  sons  and  daughters  whose  descendants 
have  conveyed  his  blood  into  the  best  thoroughbreds  of 
American  origin  of  the  present  day. 

Of  the  'immediate  progeny  of  American  Eclipse  was 
the  fleet  mare  Ariel,  whose  wonderful  achievements 
certainly  entitled  her  to  the  distinction  of  ranking  with 
the  best  race  horses  of  any  age  or  clime.  Ariel  was  got 
by  American  Eclipse  out  of  a  dam  by  Financier,  being 
bred  in  1822  by  Mr.  Gerrit  Vanderveer,  of  Flatbush,  L.  I. 
Her  grandam  was  Empress  by  imported  Baronet;  her 
great  grandam  by  imported  Messenger.  She  combined 
the  three  valued  crosses  of  Herod,  Matchem  and  Eclipse 
and  traced  almost  directly  from  Childers,  Partner,  Crab, 
Snap,  Spark,  Gimcrack,  Mambrino,  Medley,  Diomed  and 
other  great  English  and  American  horses.  She  was  a 
handsome  gray,  about  fifteen  hands  high,  well  propor- 
tioned and  powerful  in  action.  Her  achievements  upon 
the  turf  were  marvelous  and  it  was  said  of  her  that  no 
horse  in  the  world  ever  ran  or  won  as  many  races.  In 
her  last  campaign  she  ran  and  won  thirty-six  miles  in 
fifteen  days.  Beginning  in  1825,  when  she  won  a  hundred 
rods  race  against  an  Eclipse  filly  and  a  horse  by  Duroc 
and  ending  with  her  last  race  in  May,  1830,  when  she 
easily  defeated  Sir  Lovell  in  two  straight  four  mile  heats, 
she  ran  more  than  345  miles  in  fifty-seven  races,  of 
which  she  won  forty-two,  seventeen  of  them  being  four 
mile  heats. 

During  the  five  years  that  she  was  on  the  turf  she 
vanquished  almost  every  horse  of  distinction  from  New 
York  to  Georgia,  never  laying  by  nor  going  lame.  With 
five  exceptions  she  sooner  or  later  beat  every  horse  who 
had  in  the  first  case  defeated  her;  those  exceptions  were 
Monsieur  Tonson,  Sally  Walker,  Flirtilla,  Kate  Kearny 
and  Arietta.     With  the  exception  of  one  match,  that  at 


79 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


three  years  old  of  three  mile  heats,  she  never  lost  a  race 
in  which  she  won  a  single  heat.  Her  winnings  in 
matches  and  purses,  exclusive  of  bets,  amounted  to 
something  more  than  $25,000.  During  her  career  she 
traveled  at  least  three  thousand  miles,  perhaps  more. 
One  of  her  most  famous  performances,  especially  as 
showing  her  stoutness,  was  her  sixteen  mile  race  on  the 
Newmarket  Course,  South  Carolina,  where,  after  winning 
the  second  heat  of  four  miles,  she  closely  contested  the 
third  run  in  7  minutes,  57  seconds  and  won  the  fourth  in 
8  minutes,  4  seconds.  Her  match  with  Flirtilla  in 
October,  1825,  when  she  was  defeated  in  three  heats, 
was  one  of  the  sensational  events  of  that  day.  Among 
her  other  notable  triumphs  was  the  winning  of  the 
Jockey  Club  purse  at  Newmarket  in  October,  1828,  when 
she  defeated  in  four  heats  Trumpator,  Red  Murdoch  and 
Hypona,  the  time  being  8  minutes,  22  seconds;  8 
minutes,  13  seconds;  7  minutes,  57  seconds  and  8 
minutes,  4  seconds.  Her  race  with  Betsey  Ransom  on 
the  Duchess  Course  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  in  1829, 
was  another  event  that  excited  intense  interest  atthe  time. 
She  won  in  three  heats,  the  time  for  the  first  two  heats 
being  7  minutes,  52  seconds  and  8  minutes,  i  second. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  compare  Ariel's  record  with 
that  of  other  winners  on  the  early  turf  in  England  and 
America.  Rockingham,  who,  up  to  that  time,  stood  at 
the  head  of  the  list  of  English  winners,  was  a  winner 
thirty-three  times;  Pot-8-os,  thirty-one;  Gimcrack, 
twenty-eight  out  of  thirty-seven  races;  Wood- 
pecker, twenty-eight;  imported  Buzzard,  twenty-eight; 
Eleanor,  twenty-eight  out  of  forty-eight;  Peggy, 
twenty-two  out  of  thirty-five;  Dick  Andrews,  twenty 
out  of  twenty-seven;  Lady  Lightfoot,  thirty  or  more; 
Polly  Perkins,  twenty-three  out  of  thirty ;  Sally  Hope, 
twenty-two  out  of  twenty-seven,  and  others  lower 
down  on  the  list. 

Another  fomous  daughter  of  American  Eclipse  was 
Black  Maria,  who  had  a  long  and  brilliant  career.  Bred 
by  Mr.  Charles  H.  Hall,  of  Harlem,  N.  Y.,  she  was 
foaled  in  June,  1826.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  months 
she  became  the  property  of  Mr.  John  C.  Stevens,  who 
retained  possession  of  her  many  years.  Through  her 
sire  she  had  in  her  veins  the  best  equine  blood  of  her  gen- 
eration. Her  dam  was  Lady  Lightfoot  by  Sir  Archy,  her 
grandam  Black  Maria  by  imported  Shark,  her  great- 
grandam,  a  celebrated  race  mare,  by  imported  Clock- 
fast,  a  half  brother  to  Medley  by  Gimcrack,  and  her 
great-great-grandam  Burwell's  Maria  by  Regulus.  Lady 
Lightfoot  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  racers  of  her 
day  and  never  was  beaten  but  once,  except  in  her  old 
age.  She  was  bred  by  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  of  Virginia, 
and  was  afterward  the  property  of  Major  William  Jones, 
of  Oyster  Bay,  L.  I.,  and  Dr.  Alexander  Hosock,  of  New 
York.     Black   Maria's   grandam,    after  whom  she    was 


named,  was  originally  known  as  Selden's  Maria.  She 
had  great  speed  and  endurance  and  ran  to  her  fourteenth 
year.  She  was  owned  by  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  of  Vir- 
ginia, General  Wade  Hampton,  of  South  Carolina,  and 
Colonel  W.  Allston,  of  South  Carolina.  At  fourteen 
years  of  age  she  again  became  the  property  ot  Colonel 
Tayloe,  who  gave  $2,500  for  her,  the  highest  price  ever 
paid  for  a  brood  mare  up  to  that  time  and  for  many 
years  after. 

Black  Maria  was  a  superb  looking  horse,  glossy  black  in 
color,  as  her  name  indicated,  without  a  single  white  mark. 
She  stood  fifteen  hands,  three  inches  high.  She  was 
first  brought  to  the  track  in  1829  in  a  match  for  $5,000  a 
side,  two-mile  heats,  against  Colonel  William  R.  John- 
son's Brilliant,  by  Sir  Archy  out  of  Bet  Bounce.  She 
won  easily  in  two  straight  heats,  the  first  in  4  minutes, 
1  second,  and  the  second  in  3  minutes,  58  seconds.  On 
the  same  course,  the  Long  Island  Union,  five  days  later, 
October  8,  she  won  the  Jockey  Club  Purse  in  two  straight 
three-mile  heats,  defeating  Lady  Flirt  by  Hickory  and 
Sir  Charles  by  Duroc.  Her  career  from  this  time  on  was 
one  ot  almost  uninterrupted  success,  she  being  only 
occasionally  defeated.  In  May,  1831,  on  the  Union 
Course,  she  ran  second  to  Bonnets  O'Blue  by  Sir 
Charles,  but  the  same  year  carried  off  the  Jockey  Club 
Purse  at  Poughkeepsie,  defeating  Mark  Richards  and 
Splendid.  Her  first  great  triumph  was  the  winning  of 
the  Post  Stakes  for  $4,000  on  the  Central  Course  in 
Baltimore  in  October,  1831.  Her  contestants  on  this 
occasion  were  Collier  by  Sir  Charles,  Virginia  Taylor  by 
Sir  Archy,  James  Cropper  by  Sir  Charles,  Busiris  by 
Eclipse  and  Eliza  Reilly  by  Sir  Archy.  She  won  the 
second  and  third  heats,  having  run  fifth  in  the 
first  heat;  the  time  was  8  minutes,  3  seconds,  8  min- 
utes, 10  seconds,  and  8  minutes,  3  seconds.  Three 
days  after  this  race  she  was  defeated  in  a  contest  for  the 
Jockey  Club  Purse  on  the  same  course  by  Colonel  Will- 
iam R.  Johnson's  Trifle  by  Sir  Charles. 

The  following  year  she  met  Trifle  again  in  October  on 
the  Union  Course,  Long  Island,  in  one  of  the  many 
remarkable  races  of  that  period,  when  she  won  the  first 
and  fifth  heats,  her  time  being  8  minutes,  6  seconds, 
and  8  minutes,  47  seconds,  the  second  being  a  dead 
heat  with  Trifle  at  7  minutes,  55  seconds.  Her  last  pub- 
lic performance  was  in  May,  1835,  for  the  Jockey  Club 
Purse,  on  the  Union  Course,  four-mile  heats,  when  she 
was  defeated  by  Henry  Archy  by  Henry,  Commodore  R. 
F.  Stockton's  Monmouth  by  Richards  being  second  in 
the  running.  During  her  career  Black  Maria  started 
twenty-five  times  and  won  thirteen  races,  eleven  of 
them  being  Jockey  Club  races  at  three  and  four-mile 
heats.  Her  total  winnings  were  $14,900,  which  was  a 
big  sum  of  money  for  those  days,  when  the  purses  were 
not  as  large  as  they  have  been  since.     After  1835,  she 


80 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


w:is  withdniwn  from  the  turf  and  sent  to  the  stud.  In 
the  latter  days  of  her  lite  she  was  owned  by  the 
Honorable  Bailie  Peyton,  the  distinguished  Southern 
turfman. 

Sii'  Archy,  one  of  the  most  famous  stallions  that  has 
ever  graced  the  turf  and  the  stud  in  the  United  States, 
was  foaled  in  Vir.n'inia  in  the  spring  of  1805,  being  bred 
by  Colonel  Archibald  Randolph  and  Colonel  John  Tayloe, 
to  whom  he  jointly  belonged.  He  was  a  horse  of  rich 
bay  color,  fully  sixteen  hands  high,  and  very  powerful, 
having  no  white  about  him,  except  on  his  right  hind 
foot.  It  was  said  of  him  that,  "upon  the  whole  he  had 
more  size,  power  and  substance"  than  were  often  seen 
in  the  full  bred  horse  of  that  day.  As  a  racer  he  held 
the  highest  rank.  Although  he  did  not  appear  in 
many  races,  when  he  did  run  he  beat  all  the  best  horses 
of  his  day.  Among  those  who  bowed  to  his  prowess 
were  Wrangler,  Tom  Tough,  Palafox,  Minerva,  Ratray, 
Gallatin  and  others.  Even  after  he  was  withdrawn  from 
the  turf,  his  owner.  Colonel  William  R.  Johnson,  offered 
to  run  him  against  any  horse  in  the  world  in  four-mile 
heats  for  $5,000  a  side,  a  challenge  that  met  with  no 
takers. 

Sir  Archy  was  a  son  of  imported  Diomed,  who  was 
got  by  Florizel,  one  of  the  best  sons  of  old  King  Herod, 
his  dam  being  by  Spectator.  Diomed  was  one  of  the 
most  successful  racers  on  the  English  turf,  and  his  colts 
were  among  the  greatest  racers  ever  foaled  in  the 
United  States.  The  dam  of  Sir  Archy  was  Castianira, 
got  by  Rockingham  out  of  Tabitha,  Rockingham  being 
the  best  son  of  Highflyer,  who  was  the  best  son  of  old 
King  Herod.  One  of  the  turf  writers  of  the  period  said 
of  Sir  Archy  that  "he  may  justly  be  allowed  to  be  one 
of  the  best  bred  horses  this  country  or  England  has 
ever  produced.  He  was  not  only  a  distinguished  racer, 
but  as  a  stallion  he  stands  upon  higher  ground  than  any 
other  horse  that  has  covered  in  America  and  may  rank 
with  the  best  stallions  in  England."  He  became  the 
founder  of  a  family  and  was  so  much  appreciated  in 
his  native  State  that  nearly  all  Virginia  bred  horses  of 
the  preceding  generations  traced  their  pedigrees  back  to 
him.  Among  his  get  were  such  horses  as  Sir  Henry,  Flir- 
tilla,  Timoleon  (a  sire  of  great  merit),  Reality,  Sir  Will- 
iam, Bertrand,  Roanoke,  Johanna,  Lady  Lightfoot,  Lady 
Burton  and  others.  The  celebrated  statesman,  John 
Randolph,  owned  at  one  time  no  less  than  four  of  his 
colts.  Among  those  in  whose  veins  his  blood  afterward 
flowed  were  some  of  the  foremost  animals  on  the  Amer- 
ican turf,  including  Boston,  Fashion,  Wagner,  Gray 
Eagle,  Post  Boy,  Mingo,  Lady  Clifton,  Fanny,  Sarah 
Washington  and  Gray  Medoc,  and  a  long  list  of  othe;^,  in- 
cluding even  the  great  Lexington.  Probably  no  other  horse 
foaled  and  bred  in  this  country  ever  made  a  more  dis- 
tinct, more  valuable,  or  more  lasting  impress  upon  the 


thoroughbred  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  than  did  this 
famous  stallion. 

No  descendant  of  Sir  Archy  won  more  enduring  fame 
than  Boston,  who  was  born  at  the  establishment  of  John 
Wickham,  near  Richmond,  Va.,  in  1833,  the  son  of 
Timoleon  and  the  grandson  of  Sir  Archy,  his  dam  being 
a  sister  to  Tuckahoe.  The  richest  of  thoroughbred  blood 
flowed  in  his  veins,  among  his  ancestors  on  the  side  of 
his  sire  being  Diomed,  Eclipse,  Snap,  Regulus,  Fear- 
nought, Jolly  Roger,  the  Darley  Arabian,  Place's  Turk 
and  several  of  the  royal  mares  of  Charles  II.  He  was  a 
magnificent  chestnut,  with  a  white  stripe  in  his  face  and 
two  white  feet  behind,  a  trifle  above  I'yji  hands  high, 
not  handsome,  but  with  plenty  of  strength  and  go  in 
him.  The  name  Boston  was  bestowed  upon  him,  not 
as  a  compliment  to  the  Puritan  capital  of  Massachusetts, 
but  from  the  popular  game  of  cards  called  by  that  name; 
there  was  a  tradition  to  the  effect  that,  as  a  colt,  he  was 
won  as  a  prize  at  a  game  of  Boston.  He  first  appeared 
upon  the  turf  in  Virginia,  in  1836,  in  a  sweepstakes, 
mile  heats,  and  was  a  lugubrious  failure,  bolting  in  the 
first  heat  when  running  ahead  of  the  field.  A  few 
months  later,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  he  retrieved 
himself,  winning  first  a  two-mile  heat  race  and  after- 
ward a  three-mile  heat  race,  beating,  in  the  former, 
Mary  Archy,  Juliana  and  other  horses,  and  in  the  latter 
Betsy  Mingo,  Nick  Biddle,  Bayard  and  others.  From 
that  time  forward  he  was  uniformly  successful  and  rap- 
idly attained  to  first  rank  as  a  great  racer. 

In  1837,  he  ran  four  races,  each  in  three-mile  heats, 
coming  in  at  the  head  of  the  field  on  every  occasion.  In 
1838,  he  was  entered  in  eleven  races,  winning  nine 
Jockey  Club  purses,  eight  of  which  were  four-mile  heats 
and  the  other  a  three-mile  heat,  and  being  paid  out  of 
the  purse  not  to  start  in  the  remaining  two  events.  On 
the  Union  Course,  in  June  of  this  year,  he  ran  three  miles 
in  5  minutes,  }6}4  seconds.  In  1839,  he  lost  a  match 
race  to  Portsmouth,  two-mile  heats,  in  April,  and  then 
won  eight  other  events,  all  but  one  of  which  were  four- 
mile  heats,  defeating  such  horses  as  Queen,  Omega, 
Tom  Walker  and  Decatur.  His  record  for  1840  was  six 
races  won,  all  but  one  of  which  were  four-mile  heats. 
From  a  match  with  Gano  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  December 
of  this  year,  he  carried  off  a  purse  of  $10,000.  During 
the  spring  of  184 1  he  was  in  the  stud,  but  in  the  autumn 
won  four  four-mile  heats  and  then  lost  one  four-mile 
heat,  being  distanced  by  John  Blount  and  Fashion  in  7 
minutes,  42  seconds.  His  record  for  the  six  years  was 
thirty-eight  races,  of  which  he  won  thirty-five,  twenty- 
six  of  them  being  at  four-mile  heats  and  nine  at  three- 
mile  heats.  His  total  winnings  amounted  to  nearly 
$50,000.  His  great  race  with  Fashion, in  1842,  when 
he  was  defeated,  in  two  straight  heats,  for  a  purse  of 
$20,oooaside,  is  described  in  another  chapter  of  this  volume. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


When  he  retired  to  the  stud,  at  the  age  of  ten  years, 
after  having  run  forty-five  races,  thirty  of  which  were  in 
four-mile  heats,  he  was  in  as  perfect  physical  condition 
as  when  he  was  a  two-year  old.  His  defeat  by  Fashion 
was  amply  atoned  for  and  memories  of  it  substantially 
obliterated  by  his  subsequent  performance  in  the  stud, 
where  his  career  was  brilliant,  even  though  short.  In  this 
capacity  he  began,  in  his  native  Virginia,  in  1843,  '^ut  was 
subsequently  transferred  to  Kentucky  in  1846,  passing 
into  the  hands  of  that  remarkable  breeder,  Colonel  E.  M. 
Blackburn,  of  Woodford  County,  who,  with  Mr.  John  M. 
Clay,  son  of  the  great  commoner,  and  Mr.  R.  A.  Alex- 
ander, of  Woodburn  Farm,  first  gave  Americans  an  idea 
of  that  scale  of  expenditure  on  which  breeding  must  be 
conducted  in  order  to  be  successful.  Having  contracted 
a  severe  cold  he  died  in  1849,  but  left  a  strong  imprint 
upon  the  American  turf  in  the  shape  of  a  remarkable 
array  of  sons  and  daughters,  many  of  whom  achieved 
great  distinction,  judged  by  his  blood,  his  form,  his 
deeds  and  his  produce,  he  has  been  pronounced,  by 
many  authorities,  the  greatest  race  horse  ever  born  on 
American  soil.  Two  of  his  descendants,  Lexington  and 
Lecomte,  so  far  overshadowed  all  others  of  the  family 
that  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  speak  of  them  in  the  same 
connection. 

Imported  Glencoe,  bred  by  the  Earl  of  Jersey,  by  Sultan 
out  of  Trampoline  by  Tramp,  was  one  of  the  celebrated 
thoroughbreds  before  the  middle  of  this  century.  He 
was  foaled  in  1831  and  had  already  achieved  fame,  both 
on  the  turf  and  in  the  stud,  before  he  came  to  the  United 
States.  He  was  the  winner  of  the  Two  Thousand 
Guineas  Stake  and  one  of  his  daughters  was  Pocahontas, 
the  dam  of  Stockwell,  who  became  the  sire  of  the  most 
successful  racers  of  the  day  and  the  ancestor  of  probably 
the  most  reliable  strain  of  winners  that  the  old  country 
turf  possessed  down  to  recent  times.  Although  thought 
well  of  in  his  native  land,  Glencoe  was  not  so  highly 
valued  as  some  of  his  rivals,  but  it  has  been  well  said  of 
him  that  "looking  back  at  the  influence  left  by  him  in 
England  in  his  one  stud  season  there,  and  at  the  results 
of  his  impress  here,  it  is  doubtful  whether  for  permanent 
improvement  of  racing  stock  he  was  not  a  better  horse 
than  was  left  in  England  when  he  came  away."  Glencoe 
was  imported  by  Mr.  James  Jackson,  of  Alabama,  and 
like  so  many  of  the  best  horses  of  that  period,  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  Kentucky  breeder,  Mr.  A.  K.  Rich- 
ards, in  whose  possession  he  was  when  he  died  in  1858. 
He  was  a  powerful,  beautiful  chestnut,  with  a  large  star 
on  the  forehead,  and  hind  legs  white  halfway  up  to  the 
hocks,  and  stood  16  hands  high.  His  work  in  the  stud 
in  this  country  was  of  a  phenomenal  character  and  he 
supplied  as  strong  and  individual  an  element  to  the 
American  thoroughbred  as  any  other  stallion,  except 
perhaps  Diomed.     He  sired  a  multitude  of  famous  racers. 


while  the  mares  of  his  get  proved  exceptionly  produc- 
tive, especially  when  bred  to  the  distinctively  American 
horse,  Lexington,  representing  the  line  of  old  Sir  Archy 
and  the  first  Derby  winner,  imported  Diomed.  The 
best  sons  ot  Glencoe  were  Vandal,  Congaree,  Frankfort, 
Rigadoon,  Pryor  and  Thornhill,  and  among  his  most 
famous  descendants  were  Lecomte,  Starke.  Prioress, 
Brown  Dick,  Lodi,  Fleetwing,  Idlewild,  Asteroid,  Ken- 
tucky and  Norfolk. 

Fashion,  who  carried  the  colors  of  the  North  in  the 
famous  match  with  Boston  in  1842,  was  foaled  in  1837 
at  Madison,  Morris  County,  N.  J.,  in  the  establishment 
of  Mr.  William  H.  Gibbons.  She  was  noted  not  only 
for  remarkable  performances  on  the  turf,  but  for  a  beauty 
that  distinguished  her  above  most  horses  of  the  day  and 
that  bore  abundant  testimony  to  her  pure  and  lofty 
descent.  She  was  a  rich,  satin-coated  chestnut,  15^ 
hands  high,  and  strong  and  graceful  in  build.  With  a 
star  on  her  forehead  and  a  ring  of  white  on  the  left  hind 
foot,  her  right  quarter  was  marked  with  three  dark  spots 
such  as  had  marked  Plenipo  and  others.  She  was  got 
by  imported  Trustee,  out  of  the  celebrated  Bonnets  O'Blue, 
who  was  by  Sir  Charles  and  Reality,  the  two  latter  being 
half  brother  and  sister  by  Sir  Archy.  On  the  side  of  both 
sire  and  dam  Fashion  was  thus  descended  from  the  most 
distinguished  racing  families  that  had  figured  on  the 
American  turf  since  the  beginning  of  its  history.  Reality 
was  declared  by  Colonel  William  R.  Johnson  to  be  "the 
very  best  race  horse  1  ever  saw."  Her  pedigree  through 
her  dam,  a  daughter  of  Medley,  extended  back  through 
Centinel,  Janus,  Monkey,  Silver  Eye  and  Spanker,  to  an 
imported  Spanish  mare,  and  among  her  other  ancestors 
on  this  side  were  the  Darley  Arabian,  Bartlett's  Childers 
mare,  Place's  White  Turk,  Snap,  Cade  and  Partner. 

Trustee,  the  sire  of  Fashion,  was  a  distinguished  race 
horse  in  England,  where,  at  three  years  old,  he  was  sold 
for  2,000  guineas  to  the  Duke  of  Cleveland,  after  having 
run  third  in  the  race  for  the  Derby  of  one  hundred  and 
one  subscribers.  He  was  foaled  in  1829  by  Catton,  out 
of  Emma  by  Whisker,  and  the  blood  of  Hermes,  Pipator, 
Sir  Peter,  Penelope  by  Trumpator  and  Prunella  by  High- 
flyer flowed  in  his  veins.  His  brother,  Mundig,  won 
the  Derby  of  1835  against  a  field  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  subscribers.  Through  the  dam  of  her 
grandsire.  Sir  Charles,  Fashion  was  also  descended  from 
Citizen,  Pacolet,  Regulus,  Crab,  Cade,  Makeless,  Snake, 
Shark,  Fearnought  and  others.  Her  pedigree  through 
Sir  Archy  is  too  well  known  to  have  more  than  mere 
attention  called  to  it  here.  Coming  upon  the  turf  in 
1840,  Fashion  easily  won  a  two-mile  heat  sweepstakes 
at  Camden,  N.  J.,  and  a  similar  race  at  Trenton,  N.  J., 
both  in  October  of  that  year.  In  1841,  she  won  four  out 
of  the  five  races  in  which  she  started,  and  after  her  famous 
race   with    Boston   in    1842,  entered    upon  a  long  and 


82 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


brilli;int  career.  She  was  trained  for  all  her  early  engage- 
ments by  Samuel  Laird,  and  was  ridden  by  his  son, 
Joseph  Laird,  who  was  then  considered  the  best  jocl<ey 
of  the  North.     She  died  in  1861. 

When  Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck  was  in  England, 
engaged  in  his  campaign  against  the  champions  of  the 
Hnglish  turf  in  1856,  and  several  years  after,  he  made 
many  purchases  of  thoroughbreds  from  the  English 
stables.  Prominent  among  his  acquisitions  was  the  bay 
colt  Phaeton  by  King  Tom  out  of  Merry  Wave  by  Storm, 
the  latter  being  a  son  of  Touchstone  and  Ghuznee. 
Phaeton  was  a  handsome  horse,  16  hands  high,  with  a 
capital  constitution,  good  temper  and  well  bred.  He 
never,  however,  attained  to  prominence  as  a  performer 
on  the  turf,  his  achievements  there  not  following  out  the 
promise  of  his  blood  and  his  youthful  form.  His  running 
was  confined  to  two  events,  once  when  he  was  a  two- 
year  old  and  again  in  his  three-year  old  form,  and  he 
was  beaten  both  times.  It  was  believed,  however,  that 
with  the  blood  ot  King  Tom,  Touchstone  and  others  in 
his  veins,  he  should  be  of  great  value  in  transmitting  the 
qualities  of  his  distinguished  ancestors  through  the  stud, 
and  with  this  purpose  in  view,  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  brought 
him  to  the  United  States  upon  his  return  to  this  country, 
and  he  made  two  seasons  upon  the  Ten  Broeck  farm 
near  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  1869-70. 

His  success  was  not  great  at  the  outset,  however,  and 
he  was  shortly  transferred  to  the  stud  of  Major  B.  G. 
Thomas,  near  Lexington.  During  the  short  time  that  he 
was  in  the  stud  thereafter  he  got  several  fine  race  horses, 
proving  his  exceptional  value  as  a  stallion  and  the  emi- 
nent worth  of  the  family  whose  traits  he  transmitted  to 
his  offspring.  In  the  generation  following  his  service 
his  stock  generally  proved  its  surpassing  excellence  and 
became  as  popular  as  any  on  the  turf  of  that  period. 
Besides  Ten  Broeck,  others  of  his  sons  and  daughters 
attained  to  prominence,  among  them  being  St.  Martin, 
from  Tokay  by  Yorkshire;  The  Nipper,  from  Annette  by 
Lexington;  Aramis,  from  Nellie  Gray  by  Lexington; 
Patriot,  from  Springbrook;  King  Alfonso,  from  Capitola 
by  Vandal;  King  Pharao,  from  a  Knight  of  St.  George 
mare;  and  Phoebe  Mayflower,  from  Cicely  Jopson. 

Ten  Broeck,  one  of  the  most  famous  horses  that  ever 
graced  the  American  turf  was  Phaeton's  most  distin- 
guished son.  He  was  foaled  in  1872  out  of  Fanny 
Holton  by  Lexington,  his  dam  being  also  the  dam  of 
the  famous  Lyttleton.  His  second  dam  was  Nantura  by 
Browner's  Eclipse,  who  was  also  Longfellow's  dam. 
His  third  dam  was  Inez  by  Bertrand,  and  his  maternal 
lineage  ran  farther  back  to  Wormsley's  King  Herod, 
Morton's  imported  Traveller  and  imported  Childers. 
Bred  and  raised  by  Mr.  John  Harper,  Ten  Broeck  as  a  colt 
was  unpromising  and  gave  little  indication  of  the  great 
future   before    him.     When    he    was    two    years    old 


he  ran  a  race  in  Lexington  and  was  placed  third  to 
Bill  Bruce  and  Bob  Woolley.  At  three  years  old  he 
won  the  Phoenix  Hotel  Stakes  in  Lexington,  but  was 
beaten  for  the  Citizens'  Stakes  by  Chesapeake  and  the 
same  year  for  the  Kentucky  Derby  was  unplaced.  In 
the  autumn  he  was  unsuccessful  in  the  Three  Year  Old 
Sweepstakes,  but  three  days  later  won  another  sweep- 
stakes for  three-year  olds,  going  one  mile  and  five  fur- 
longs in  2  minutes,  49X  seconds.  After  being  defeated 
for  the  Kentucky  St.  Leger  by  King  Alfonso  he  won 
the  Post  Stakes  at  Louisville,  three  miles  in  5  minutes, 
}2  seconds;  the  Merchants'  Stakes  at  Nashville  in  two 
straight  heats — 3  minutes,  }6%  seconds,  and  3  minutes, 
40%  seconds;  and  the  Maxwell  House  Stakes,  mile 
heats,  in  i  minute,  44^  seconds,  and  i  minute,  45  sec- 
onds. As  a  three-year  old  he  started  nine  times  and 
won  five  races. 

Beginning  with  his  four-year  old  form,  in  1876,  he 
had  thenceforth  a  record  of  triumphant  success.  In 
May,  he  won  three  races,  including  the  Louisville 
Cup  and  the  Gait  House  Stakes,  and  the  next  autumn 
won  two  races  at  Lexington  and  at  Louisville,  a  purse  for 
two  miles  and  five  furlongs,  the  time  being  4  minutes 
and  58^  seconds,  establishing  the  record  for  that  dis- 
tance. For  the  Post  Stakes  he  ran  three  miles  in  5  min- 
utes, 26%  seconds,  the  fastest  time  on  record,  and  in 
September,  ran  four  miles  against  time,  covering  the 
course  in  7  minutes,  15)^  seconds,  lowering  the 
record,  which  had  stood  up  to  that  time  at  7 
minutes,  19^  seconds.  During  the  year  he  won 
seven  out  of  the  eight  races  in  which  he  started, 
and  in  1877  was  successful  in  nine  out  of  the  ten  events 
in  which  he  was  engaged.  His  greatest  performances  in 
1877  were  reducing  the  one  mile  record  from  i  minute, 
41^  seconds  to  i  minute,  39|<|  seconds  and  the  two 
mile  record  from  3  minutes,  32}^  seconds  to  3  minutes 
27^^  seconds.  At  Baltimore,  the  same  season,  he  met 
Parole  and  Tom  Ochiltree  for  the  Grand  Sweepstakes  at 
two  miles  and  a  half,  and  was  beaten  by  Parole.  He 
won,  however,  the  Bowie  Stakes,  four  mile  heats,  at  the 
same  meeting.  On  July  4,  1878,  occurred  his  sensationa\ 
race  with  the  California  mare,  Molly  McCarthy,  in  which 
he  distanced  his  rival  in  the  first  heat.  This  ended  his 
turf  career,  and  he  was  retired  to  the  stud,  having  to  his 
credit  the  fastest  time  on  record  at  one  mile,  one  mile 
and  five  furlongs,  two  miles  and  five  furlongs,  three 
miles  and  four  miles.  During  his  life  upon  the  turf  he 
ran  thirty  races,  of  which  he  won  twenty-three,  having 
an  aggregate  value  of  $20,505.  By  many  old  turfites  he 
was  regarded  by  all  odds  the  greatest  racer  of  his  day 
and  it  was  generally  believed  that,  had  he  been  carefully 
handled,  he  never  could  have  been  beaten  after  he  had 
entered  the  three-year  old  class,  and  that  he  might  have 
been  much  longer  retained  in  active  work. 


S3 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Bred  by  General  Thomas  A.  Wells,  of  Louisiana, 
Lecomte  was  a  close  rival  of  his  famous  brother,  Lexing- 
ton, in  his  phenomenal  achievements  on  the  turf,  and 
only  stood  second  to  him  in  the  abiding  regard  of  the 
public.  He  was  foaled  in  1850,  his  sire  being  Boston 
and  his  dam  Reel,  by  imported  Glencoe.  His  grandam 
was  Gallopade,  by  Catton,  his  great-grandam,  Camillina, 
by  Camillas,  and  his  great-great-grandam  a  mare  by 
Smolensko.  His  pedigree  went  back  to  Turk,  Starling, 
Greyhound,  the  Curwen  Bay  Barb  and  the  Lister  Turk, 
and  through  Catton,  the  sire  of  his  grandam,  he  traced 
to  Florizel,  Engineer,  Eclipse  and  other  great  champions. 
He  was  a  half  brother  of  Prioress,  who  was  got  by 
Sovereign  out  of  Reel.  Lecomte  was  a  rich  chestnut, 
with  white  on  one  hind  leg,  and  stood  15  hands,  3 
inches  high.  He  had  a  stride  of  about  twenty-three  feet, 
an  iron  constitution  and  a  speed  and  bottom  equal  to  the 
best  of  his  day. 

Starting  as  a  two-year  old,  in  April,  1853,  he  defeated 
Voucher,  Argent  and  others  in  a  sweepstake,  mile  heats, 
in  I  minute,  48 ^^  seconds  and  i  minute,  45}^  seconds. 
The  same  year,  in  the  autumn,  he  won  the  three-year 
old  sweepstakes  upon  the  Pharsalia  Course  in  Natchez, 
Miss.,  defeating  in  two  straight  two-mile  heats  Atala, 
by  Ruffin,  and  Conrad  the  Corsair,  by  Voucher,  the 
time  being  3  minutes,  45X  seconds  and  3  minutes, 
46%  seconds.  In  1854,  he  ran  three  races,  in  January, 
in  each  of  which  he  was  successful.  In  a  sweepstakes 
on  the  Metairie  Course,  New  Orleans,  mile  heats,  he 
made  a  record  of  i  minute,  47  seconds  in  each  of  two 
straight  heats.  Six  days  later  he  won  the  Jockey  Club 
Purse  on  the  same  course,  in  two  straight  heats,  in  3 
minutes,  ^4%  seconds  and  3  minutes,  52^  seconds, 
defeating  Mary  Taylor  and  Medina,  both  by  imported 
Sovereign,  and  also  Joe  Blackburn,  by  imported  Glencoe. 
The  following  week  he  defeated  a  Gallatin  colt  in  a  purse 
for  all  ages,  two  mile  heats,  in  3  minutes,  44!^  seconds, 
and  3  minutes,  35  seconds.  In  April  of  the  same  year 
he  lost  the  Great  State  Post  Stakes,  four  mile  heats,  to 
his  half  brother  Lexington,  but  seven  days  later 
turned  the  tables  on  Lexington  and  startled  the  sporting 
world  by  his  two  straight  four-mile  heats  in  7  minutes, 
26  seconds,  and  7  minutes,  38^  seconds.  Up  to  this 
time  the  record  for  four-mile  heats  had  been  that  of 
Fashion,  7  minutes,  32^;^  seconds,  which  was  now 
beaten  in  this  first  heat  by  6)4  seconds. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  won  the  Associa- 
tion Purse,  two  mile  heats  on  the  Pharsalia  Course,  de- 
feating Joe  Blackburn  in  3  minutes,  47}^  seconds,  and  3 
minutes,  46^2  seconds  for  two  straight  heats.  To  close 
the  year  he  carried  off  the  Jockey  Club  Purse  on  the 
Metairie  Course,  two  mile  heats,  defeating  Joe  Black- 
burn and  Gallatina  by  Gallatin,  his  time  being  3  min- 
utes, 56  seconds,  and  3  minutes,  52)^  seconds.     Frank 


Forester  says  of  Lecomte's  achievements  in  this  year 
that;  "  no  more  extraordinary  campaign,  in  point  of 
time,  had  ever  been  made  in  the  United  States,  if  else- 
where, and  at  its  termination  he  had  a  right  to  repose 
on  his  laurels  with  the  renown  that  his  friends  chal- 
lenged for  him,  as  of  right,  of  being  the  fastest  four- 
miler  in  the  world."  The  following  year  he  was 
defeated  by  Lexington  upon  the  Metairie  Course,  being 
withdrawn  after  the  first  heat.  The  same  year  he  won 
a  four  mile  race  at  Natchez,  beating  Arrow  in  two 
straight  heats  in  7  minutes,  55^^  seconds,  and  7  min- 
utes, 56X  seconds,  but  a  few  weeks  later  was  defeated 
by  Arrow  in  a  three-mile  heat  contest.  He  was  beaten 
by  Pryor  twice  and  was  then  purchased  by  Mr.  Richard 
Ten  Broeck,  who  added  him  to  the  string  which  he 
took  to  England  in  1856.  In  England  he  started  only 
once,  running  third  to  the  winner  of  the  Warwick 
Cup,  and  suddenly  ended  his  career  on  the  turf  by  dying 
from  an  influenza,  which  also  carried  off  his  stable  com- 
panion and  rival,  Pryor. 

An  imported  stallion  that  had  more  renown  after  his 
death  than  during  his  life  was  Bonnie  Scotland,  who 
was  foaled  in  1853  and  bred  by  Mr.  William  I'Anson. 
He  was  a  rich  bay  with  black  points  and  a  star,  and 
stood  a  trifle  over  16  hands  high,  a  horse  of  great 
strength  and  good  constitution.  His  dam.  Queen  Mary, 
stepped  on  his  off  front  pastern  when  he  was  only  a 
few  weeks  old  and  so  seriously  injured  him  that  it 
was  feared  he  was  ruined;  in  tact,  his  lame  leg  oper- 
ated to  his  disadvantage  throughout  life,  preventing  him 
from  achieving  the  success  on  the  turf  to  which  his  great 
talents  undoubtedly  entitled  him.  and  also,  to  a  consid- 
erable extent,  prejudicing  breeders  against  him  when  he 
was  placed  in  the  stud.  The  fact  that  he  achieved  phe- 
nomenal success,  even  under  these  discouraging  circum- 
stances, is  the  strongest  proof  of  his  superiority.  In 
1836,  he  ran  four  races  only,  winning  two  of  them,  the 
Liverpool  St.  Leger  and  the  Doncaster  Stakes.  At  Don- 
caster,  for  the  St.  Leger,  he  ran  a  dead  heat  with  Artil- 
lery for  second  place  to  Warlock,  the  winner.  After 
that,  his  lameness  returning,  he  was  brought  to  the 
United  States  and  sold  to  go  into  the  stud,  first  standing 
in  Ohio  and  then  in  Kentucky.  He  met  with  compara- 
tively little  favor  until  General  W.  G.  Harding  bought 
him  to  take  the  place  of  Vandal  at  Belle  Meade.  His  ac- 
complishments there  after  he  was  nineteen  years  old, 
give  him  title  to  a  high  position  as  a  sire.  Among  his 
most  femous  sons  and  daughters  were  Lobelia,  Bramble, 
Bushwhacker,  Capitola,  Quartermaster,  Bathgate,  Luke 
Blackburn,  Brooklyn,  Joe  Howell,  Regulator  and  Baltic. 
His  get  gave  good  report  of  themselves  as  they 
began  to  come  upon  the  turf.  In  1875,  they  were  win- 
ners of  $3,990,  from  which  point  they  rapidly  advanced 
until  in  1878  they  were  winners  of  $49,552,  and  in  1880 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


winners  of  $117,  loo,  carrying  off  about  $45,000  more 
money  tlian  ihe  pi'odnce  ol'  any  American  sire  before 
that  time.  After  deatii  tlie  si<eieton  of  Bonnie  Scot- 
land was  presented  to  tlie  Vanderbiit  University  at 
Nasiiville,  Tenn. 

Probably  no  American  horse  ever  had  greater  fame  in 
his  day,  or  occupies  a  higher  position  in  the  history  of 
the  American  turf  than  Lexington,  that  greatest  son  of 
Boston.  Not  only  was  he  phenomenally  successful  in 
defeating  all  the  great  champions  of  his  time,  and  in 
lowering  records  of  the  turf  that  hitherto  had  been  con- 
sidered almost  unapproachable,  but  his  get  for  fully  a 
third  of  a  century  constituted  the  very  elite  of  the  turf. 
It  has  only  been  within  a  comparatively  recent  period 
that  his  supremacy,  as  shown  through  his  progeny,  has 
been  shared  by  some  of  the  more  modern  importations 
from  England  and  Australia.  His  will  always  be  a 
grand,  if  not  the  grandest  figure  shining  forth  from  the 
pages  of  American  turf  history,  in  a  very  large  measure 
the  career  of  the  American  thoroughbred,  since  his  time, 
has  been  a  history  of  his  family  in  its  various  branches. 
By  far  the  majority  of  the  horses  that  upheld  the  honor 
of  American  racing  in  the  period  following  the  close  of 
the  Civil  War,  when  the  turf  was  reconstituted  and  put 
upon  an  entirely  new  footing,  were  descended  from 
him. 

Lexington's  sire,  Boston,  was  by  Timoleon,  by  Sir 
Archy,  by  English  Diomed.  As  is  well  known,  he  had 
in  him  the  bluest  of  English  thoroughbred  blood,  in  the 
line  of  his  pedigree  being  such  great  horses  as  Highflyer, 
Florizel,  Fearnought,  Herod,  the  Godolphin  Arabian,  the 
Darley  Arabian,  Byerly  Turk,  Flying  Childers,  and  others 
of  the  most  celebrated  champions  of  the  English  turf  of 
the  eighteenth  century  and  before.  The  dam  of  Lexing- 
ton was  Alice  Carneal,  who  never  attained  to  high  dis- 
tinction, save  as  the  dam  of  this  great  horse.  She  was 
foaled  in  Kentucky  in  1836,  and,  although  in  one  four- 
mile  race  she  ran  second  to  Miss  Foote  in  7  minutes,  42 
seconds,  it  does  not  appear  that  she  ever  won  a  race. 
The  sire  of  Alice  Carneal  was  imported  Sarpedon  by 
Emilius  out  of  Icaria  by  The  Flyer.  Among  the  ancest- 
ors of  Sarpedon  was  Mambrino,  who  was  got  by  Engin- 
eer, out  of  a  dam  by  Cade.  The  grandam  of  Lexington 
was  Rowena  by  Sumpter,  who  was  by  Sir  Archy,  out 
of  a  dam  by  Robin  Redbreast,  who  was  by  Sir  Peter 
Teazle  out  of  Wren.  Tracing  the  pedigree  of  Lexington 
further,  we  find  such  cracks  as  Saltram,  Regulus,  Gray 
Diomed,  Medley,  Wild  Air,  Gimcrack,  Bartlett's  Chil- 
ders, Silvertail,  Ariel,  Morton's. Traveller  and  Selima. 

As  handsome  a  horse  as  appeared  on  the  turf  in  his 
day,  Lexington  was  a  blood  bay,  about  15  hands, 
3  inches  high,  with  fore  and  hind  feet  and  pasterns 
and  a  small  portion  of  his  hind  legs  above  pasterns 
white.     He  had  a  distinguished  air,  that  gave  full  evi- 


dence of  his  lofty  breeding,  and  was  remarkable  for  his 
good  temper.  In  action  he  was  bold,  free  and  full  of 
power,  and  when  in  good  form  was  exceptionally  dis- 
tinguished for  his  grandeur  and  beauty.  He  was  first 
brought  out  in  May,  1853,  under  the  name  of  Darley, 
but  receiving  the  name  of  Lexington  the  same  year, 
appeared  in  December,  1853,  in  his  three-year  old  form 
in  three-mile  heats  on  the  Metairie  Course,  New  Orleans, 
when  he  defeated  Sally  Waters  by  imported  Glencoe, 
distancing  her  in  the  second  heat,  his  time  being  6  min- 
utes, 2y/n  seconds,  and  6  minutes,  243^  seconds,  over  a 
track  that  was  very  heavy.  From  that  time  on  he  had 
an  extraordinary  career,  which,  in  every  respect,  has 
been  unequaled  in  the  history  of  American  turf. 

In  1S54,  after  paying  forfeit  in  a  three-year  old  stake, 
two-mile  heats,  on  the  Metairie  Course,  he  won  the 
Great  Stake  Post  Stake  in  two  straight  four-mile  heats, 
beating  his  half  brothers,  Lecomte  and  Arrow,  both  by 
Boston,  and  also  Highlander,  by  imported  Glencoe.  The 
course  was  heavy  and  the  time  slow,  being  8  minutes, 
8^  seconds  and  8  minutes,  4  seconds.  On  the. 8th  of 
April  he  was  defeated  by  Lecomte  for  the  Jockey  Club 
Purse,  upon  the  same  course,  in  a  race  that  was  the  fast- 
est that,  at  that  time,  had  ever  been  run.  As  a  result  of 
this  race  the  rivalry  between  Lexington  and  Lecomte  was 
raised  to  a  higher  pitch  than  ever  before,,  and  there  fol- 
lowed first  that  great  match  against  time  in  which  Lex- 
ington ran  four  miles  in  7  minutes,  19^  seconds,  and 
then  the  last  in  the  trio  of  these  sensational  events  when 
the  two  great  sons  of  Boston  met  again  on  the  Metairie 
Course  and  Lexington  defeated  Lecomte  in  a  single  four- 
mile  heat  in  7  minutes,  23%  seconds. 

This  last  race  with  Lecomte  ended  the  short  but 
brilliant  career  of  Lexington  on  the  turf.  He  started  in 
all  in  seven  races,  winning  six  of  them  and  earning 
$56,000.  In  1856,  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander,  of  Woodburn, 
Woodford  County,  Ky.,  while  in  England,  purchased 
him  from  Mr.  Ten  Broeck,  paying  for  him  $15,000.  The 
noble  animal  was  taken  to  Woodburn,  where  he  re- 
mained at  service  until  his  death,  at  an  advanced  age,  in 
1875.  Although  stricken  with  blindness  soon  after  his 
retirement,  he  continued  to  be  an  object  of  affectionate 
interest  to  all  lovers  of  the  thoroughbred  throughout  the 
United  States,  and  pilgrimages  from  all  parts  of  the  country 
were  made  to  see  hmi  in  his  old  age.  When  he  died 
he  was  in  a  stable  near  the  house  occupied  by  his  groom, 
Henry  Overton,  and  was  buried  not  far  away.  His 
owner  had  an  appropriate  marble  shaft  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  grave,  on  which  is  recorded  brief  mention  of 
his  victories.  Lexington  proved  himself  to  be  the  great- 
est of  modern  American  sires;  in  one  year  alone  he  sired 
three  great  horses,  Norfolk,  Asteroid  and  Kentucky. 
For  Asteroid  $50,000  were  refused,  Kentucky  sold 
at   one    time   for   $40,000,    and   Norfolk,   when   in    his 


S5 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


racing  prime,  could  not  be  bouglit  for  less  tlian  the  hitter 
amount. 

Wagner,  tlie  victor  over  Grey  Eagle  in  the  Great  Inter- 
state race  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  1839,  was  a  son  of  Sir 
Charles,  one  of  the  most  renowned  sires  in  America. 
Sir  Charles  was  by  Sir  Archy  out  of  a  dam  by  imported 
Citizen.  There  is  no  doubt  that  Citizen  was  one  of  the 
best  race  horses  ever  imported,  for  he  ran  until  he  was 
fourteen  years  old,  carrying  heavy  weights,  most  of  his 
races  being  at  four-mile  heats.  Wagner  had  three 
crosses  of  Citizen's  blood  coursing  through  his  veins, 
and  two  crosses  from  the  rich  stream  of  Sir  Archy.  At 
one  time  Sir  Charles,  his  sire,  had  more  four-mile  horses 
on  the  turf  than  any  other  stallion  in  America.  Among 
the  most  celebrated  of  his  get  were  Wagner,  Andrew 
and  Trifle.  The  grandam  of  Wagner  was  by  Commuta- 
tion, his  great-grandam  by  Daredevil,  his  great-great- 
grandam  by  imported  Shark  and  his  great-great-great- 
grandam  by  imported  Fearnought  out  of  Maria  West  by 
IVlarion,  who  was  by  Sir  Archy,  out  of  a  dam  by 
Citizen,  whose  dam  was  Ella  Crump  by  Citizen. 

Foaled  in  1834,  he  was  regarded  by  many  as  at  least 
the  equal  of  any  other  horse  in  America  of  his  day,  not 
even  excepting  Boston.  He  was  a  beautiful  chestnut, 
15^2  hands  high,  with  a  white  blaze  on  his  face  and  two 
white  hind  feet.  Early  in  his  career  he  showed  himself 
possessed  of  speed,  courage  and  bottom  and  was  a  dis- 
tinguished winner.  When  he  was  three  years  old,  just 
after  he  had  been  defeated  in  a  mile  heat  race,  he  was 
bought  by  Colonel  John  Campbell,  of  Baltimore,  who 
paid  $5,000  for  him,  an  enormous  price  at  that  time  for 
a  colt  that  had  never  won  a  race.  Receiving  the  name 
Wagner,  he  was  taken  to  Mobile.  He  ran  the  two-mile 
sweepstakes  for  three-year  olds,  beating  Zerlina,  Paul 
Jones  and  others  and  the  same  week  on  the  same  course, 
won  a  four  mile  purse.  Next  in  New  Orleans  he  won 
the  two-mile  sweepstakes  and  the  four-mile  purse  and 
the  following  week  walked  over  the  Metairie  Course  for 
a  four-mile  purse.  In  fact,  he  won  everything  that  was 
hung  up  all  over  the  Southwest.  In  1839,  he  defeated 
the  champion  of  Kentucky,  Grey  Eagle,  twice  in  one 
week.  Subsequently  run  when  he  was  in  wretched 
condition  he  was  easily  beaten  and  then  was  withdrawn 
from  the  turf  and  placed  in  the  stud.  His  owner,  it  is 
said,  realized  through  him  in  purses,  stakes  and  outside 
betting  over  $100,000.  In  the  stud  he  proved  himself 
very  successful  in  getting  good  race  horses.  Among 
the  best  of  his  get  were  Voucher,  Gallatin,  Charley  Ball, 
Dearmond,  Cordelia  Reed,  winner  of  a  twenty-mile 
race;  Lawson,  Laura  Spillman,  Jack  Gamble,  Tangent, 
Nanny  Rhodes,  the  dam  of  Nicholas  I. ;  and  many  others. 
What  is  even  more  worthy  of  notice,  all  of  his  colts  that 
went  into  the  stud  produced  winners.  Two  of  the  very 
best  get  of  the  famous  imported  Sovereign  were  also  of 


the  Wagner  family,  Childe  Harold  and  Charleston,  the 
former  out  of  Maria  West,  the  dam  of  Wagner,  and  the 
other  out  of  a  granddaughter  of  the  same  mare.  In  his 
later  years  Wagner  was  owned  by  Mr.  John  M.  Clay, 
who  had  him  in  the  stud  at  his  historic  place  near  Ash- 
land, Ky. 

Grey  Eagle,  upon  whom  the  hopes  of  Kentucky 
rested  in  the  great  race  with  Wagner  just  referred  to, 
and  in  another  chapter  fully  described,  was  appropriately 
named  from  his  color,  which  was  a  fine  silvery  grey. 
He  was  a  son  of  Woodpecker,  who  was  by  imported 
Dragon.  His  dam  was  Irby's  Daredevil  mare,  his  grandam 
by  Fearnought.  Among  his  ancestors  were  Wild  Med- 
ley, Old  Medley,  imported  Granby  and  imported  Janus. 
He  was  a  horse  of  almost  perfect  symmetry,  nearly  16 
hands  high,  with  a  beautiful  flowing  tail  and  mane.  In 
his  three-year  old  form  he  won  two  races  of  two-mile 
heats,  the  first  in  3  minutes,  41  seconds  and  3  minutes, 
43  seconds,  and  the  other  in  3  minutes,  48  seconds  and 
3  minutes,  44  seconds.  Before  his  great  races  with 
Wagner,  in  the  second  of  which  he  broke  down,  he 
was  believed  to  be  equal  to  anything  in  America,  both 
for  bottom  and  speed. 

A  horse  that  in  the  fifties  was  held  to  be  a  fair  rival  of 
Lecomte  and  Lexington  was  Arrow.  He  was  a  stable 
companion  of  Lexington  and  in  the  challenge  issued  for 
the  latter  in  the  great  match  against  Lecomte's  time  of 
7  minutes  and  26  seconds  in  1855,  was  named  to  start 
in  place  of  Lexington,  in  case  that  horse  should  be  amiss 
on  the  day  of  the  trial.  Such  was  the  confidence  that 
Mr.  Ten  Broeck  had  in  him.  Arrow  was  another  son  of 
Boston,  got  in  1850  out  of  Jeanneton,  being,  therefore,  a 
half  brother  of  Lecomte  and  Lexington.  Jeanneton  was 
by  imported  Leviathan.  The  grand  dam  of  Arrow  was 
by  Stockholder,  who  was  by  Sir  Archy,  out  of  imported 
Citizen.  Stockholder  traced  back  to  Old  Janus,  Old 
Fearnought,  Apollo,  Silver-eye  and  Jolly  Roger.  The 
Boston  and  Sir  Archy  pedigrees  have  been  given  so  fre- 
quently in  these  pages  that  they  need  here  only  be 
referred  to.  Citizen  was  by  Pacolet,  out  of  Princess, 
and  traced  to  Young  Cade,  Crab  and  others.  In  the 
pedigree  of  Arrow  were  also  included  such  noted  horses 
as  Regulus,  Liberty,  Imported  Cassandra  and  the  Godol- 
phin  Arabian. 

When  Arrow  first  appeared  on  the  turf  in  the  fall  of 
1852,  he  signalized  his  debut  by  taking  a  two-year  old 
sweepstakes  at  mile  heats,  beating  a  Boston  and  a  Bel- 
shazzer  filly  in  1  minute,  siM^  seconds  and  i  minute,  50 
seconds.  During  1853,  he  won  three  races  out  of  the 
four  in  which  he  started,  twice  at  mile  heats  and  once  at 
three-mile  heats.  On  the  Metairie  Course  in  January,  he 
won  mile  heats,  the  best  three  out  of  five,  the  time  of 
the  five  heats  that  were  run  being  1  minute,  55  seconds, 
1  minute,  55  seconds,  i  minute,  53^  seconds,  i  minute, 


S6 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


'y'jyi  seconds  ;ind  i  minute,  S7>2  seconds.  On  the 
same  course  in  April,  he  won  three  straight  mile  heats  in 
I  minute,  <y2^  seconds,  i  minute,  51 X  seconds  and  1 
minute,  si?4  seconds,  beating  Hiiariot  by  Glencoe  and 
Pickaway  by  Boston.  On  the  Pharsalia  Course  at  Nat- 
chez, he  won  the  Association  Purse  for  all  ages,  three- 
mile  heats,  beating  Mary  Taylor  by  Sovereign,  Wade 
Hampton  by  Boston  and  Hugh  French  by  Glencoe,  in 
two  straight  heats,  the  time  being  "5  minutes,  <yi}i  sec- 
onds and  ^  minutes,  ^3%  seconds.  He  came  out  in  his 
four-year  old  shape  in  January,  1854,  on  the  Metairie 
Course  in  a  sweepstakes  for  all  ages,  a  single  four-mile, 
beating  Little  Flea  and  White  Eagle,  both  of  whom  were 
by  Grey  Eagle,  his  time  being  7  minutes,  39  seconds. 
For  the  jockey  Club  Purse,  three-mile  heats,  over  the 
same  course,  he  ran  second  to  Blonde  by  Glencoe  out  of 
Cherry  Elliot  by  Wagner.  Running  in  the  Great  State 
Post  Stakes  in  April  of  the  same  year,  he  met  Lexington, 
Lecomte,  and  Highlander  in  a  four-mile  heat  race  and 
was  distanced  in  the  first  heat. 

In  1855,  ^ftsr  he  was  used  to  put  Lexington  to  speed 
in  the  match  against  Lecomte's  time,  he  ran  for  the 
Jockey  Club  Purse  over  the  Metairie  Course  in  April, 
when  he  was  beaten  by  Brown  Dick,  the  time  of  the 
winner  in  the  two  heats  being  5  minutes,  30^  seconds 
and  5  minutes,  28  seconds.  Arrow  gained  laurels,  even 
though  he  was  defeated,  being  not  more  than  half  a  sec- 
ond behind  in  the  second  heat.  He  next  lost  four-mile 
heats  to  Lecomte  in  7  minutes,  55^^  seconds  and  7  min- 
utes, 56^  seconds,  but  afterward,  however,  achieved 
his  greatest  glory  by  defeating  Lecomte  himself  for  the 
Jockey  Club  Purse  at  three-mile  heats,  Lecomte  taking 
the  first  heat  in  6  minutes  and  Arrow  the  second  and 
third  heats  in  5  minutes,  39  seconds  and  6  minutes,  3 
seconds.  Another  one  of  his  great  victories  was  his 
defeat  of  Little  Flea  in  the  Jockey  Club  Purse  of  three 
mile  heats  on  the  Metairie  Course.  Little  Flea  was  by 
Grey  Eagle,  out  of  an  imported  dam  by  Actseon.  The 
first  heat  was  won  in  5  minutes,  33}^;  seconds  by  Little 
Flea,  the  second  and  third  heats  being  carried  of  by 
Arrow  in  5  minutes,  36  seconds  and  5  minutes,  4)% 
seconds,  the  time  being  the  best  on  record  at  three  mile 
heats. 

One  of  the  most  famous  stallions  of  Westchester 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  the  fifties  was  imported  Mango, 
who  belonged  to  Messrs.  J.  &  A.  Bathgate,  of  Mor- 
risania.  He  stood  several  seasons  at  the  Bathgate  Farm 
and  was  as  highly  esteemed  as  any  stallion  of  that 
period.  Bred  in  1834,  he  was  imported  to  the  United 
States  by  Mr.  Thomas  Betts  in  1857.  He  was  got  by 
Emilius  out  of  Mustard  by  Merlin.  His  grandam,  Morell, 
sister  to  Truffle,  was  by  Sorcerer.  His  great-grandam, 
Hornby  Lass,  was  by  Buzzard.  No  better  pedigree 
than  his  existed  in  the  English  Stud  Book,  for  he  had 


crosses  of  King  Herod,  Partner,  Bay  Bolton,  the  Darley 
Arabian,  the  Byerly  Turk  and  Place's  White  Turk.  He 
was  brother  to  Captain  Rock,  Curfew,  Pickle,  Preserve, 
Marmalade  and  other  good  English  thoroughbreds  of  the 
early  part  of  tHe  century. 

On  the  turf  he  had  some  important  events  to  his 
credit.  He  walked  over  for  a  sweepstakes  at  New- 
market, won  the  Derby  at  Ascot  and  the  same  day  won 
a  handicap.  He  was  also  the  victor  in  a  sweepstakes  at 
Ascot,  beating  Ratrap  and  others.  At  Stockbridge  he 
won  a  sweepstakes,  and  at  Doncaster  won  the  great  St. 
Leger  from  a  full  field.  At  the  first  October  meeting  at 
Newmarket  he  won  the  St.  Leger  and  at  the  second  Oc- 
tober meeting  at  the  same  place  was  only  beaten  by  a 
head  by  Velure  for  the  Gordon  Stakes,  2  miles,  having 
given  Velure  fourteen  pounds.  At  the  Newmarket 
Craven  Meeting  he  won  the  Claret  Stakes,  for  which  he 
was  a  favorite,  at  5  to  2.  He  was  considered  one  of  the 
best  horses  of  his  year  and  second  to  none  of  the  sons  of 
Emilius,  who  was  the  sire  of  no  less  than  520  winners. 
In  the  stud  he  was  also  very  successful,  nearly  all  of  his 
get  becoming  winners.  He  was  the  sire  of  Negreta,  the 
best  horse  ever  bred  in  Belgium.  For  several  years  after 
1852  he  was  the  property  of  the  King  of  Belgium,  who 
paid  $21,000  for  him.  Afterward,  in  1856,  he  was 
bought  back  by  Colonel  Blyth  for  the  Hampton  Court 
Stud,  and  not  long  after  came  to  this  country.  In  the 
United  States  he  was  not  less  successful  than  he  had 
been  abroad  and  he  added  a  valuable  strain  of  blood  to 
the  already  existing  families  of  American  thoroughbreds, 
his  crosses  with  the  purely  American  stock  being 
productive  of  good  results. 

No  son  of  Revenue  ranked  higher  than  Ducalion. 
He  was  out  of  The  Queen,  by  imported  Priam,  a  Derby 
winner.  His  grandam  was  Delphin,  by  Whisker, 
winner  of  the  Derby  and  own  brother  to  Whalebone. 
His  great-grandam  was  My  Lady,  by  Comus,  out  of  The 
Colonel's  dam  by  Delphin,  and  further  back  on  the 
maternal  side  he  traced  to  Young  Marske,  Regulus,  Lord 
Morton's  Arabian,  Bay  Bolton,  Coneyskins  and  the 
Byerly  Turk.  His  dam,  The  Queen,  was  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  race  mares  in  the  United  States, 
at  all  distances,  from  one  to  four-mile  heats.  She  was 
full  sister  to  Monarch,  equally  distinguished,  and  both 
were  bred  at  the  royal  stud  at  Hampton  Court.  Her 
grandam.  My  Lady,  was  the  dam  of  the  distinguished 
English  race  horse  and  stallion,  Jareed,  and  also  the  dam 
of  imported  Passenger.  My  Lady's  dam  was  also  dam 
of  The  Colonel,  winner  of  the  St.  Leger,  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  racers  and  stallions  in  England.  On  the 
whole,  the  pedigree  of  Ducalion  was  remarkable  for  its 
richness  and  ranked  among  the  best  to  be  found  in  the 
English  Stud  Book. 

Ducalion  was  a  horse  of  fine  proportions,  taller  than 


87 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


his  sire,  Revenue,  and  his  grandsire  Trustee,  more  than 
two  inches  taller  than  imported  Medley  and  those  re- 
nowned English  stallions,  Trumpator  and  Whalebone, 
and  more  than  five  inches  taller  than  the  famous  four- 
mile  horse,  Gimcrack.  Some  brilliant  performances  on 
the  turf  were  to  his  credit.  In  October,  1856,  he  ran  a 
race  of  two-mile  heats  over  the  Fairfield  Virginia  Course 
in  3  minutes,  52^^  seconds,  and  3  minutes,  56  seconds, 
beating  a  field  of  four  others.  In  the  December  follow- 
ing he  beat  Sally  Roper  in  a  match  of  two-mile  heats,  in 
3  minutes  59)^  seconds,  and  4  minutes  4  seconds.  His 
best  two-mile  heat  was  at  Fairfield,  Va.,  in  May,  1857, 
3  minutes,  50  seconds.  Over  the  Newmarket  Course,  at 
Petersburg,  Va.,  he  won  the  Jockey  Club  Purse,  three- 
mile  heats,  beating  Engineer  and  Franklin  on  a  heavy 
track,  in  5  minutea,  57J^  seconds  for  each  of  the  two 
heats.  He  stood  in  the  stud  of  Colonel  Nathaniel  A. 
Thompson,    of  Ashland,  Va.,  and  was  very  successful. 

Pryor,  who  was  held  to  be  a  worthy  representative  of 
the  American  turf,  when  Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck  ini- 
tiated his  English  campaign  in  1856,  and  who  was  one 
of  the  principal  members  of  Mr.  Ten  Broeck's  string, 
was  a  son  of  imported  Glencoe.  He  was  got  in  1852, 
out  of  Gypsey,  own  sister  to  Medoc  by  American 
Eclipse.  His  grandam  was  Young  Maid  of  the  Oaks  by 
Expedition;  his  great-grandam  Maid  of  the  Oaks  by 
Spread  Eagle;  his  great-great-grandam  by  Shark;  and 
still  further  back  his  grandams  were  by  Rockingham, 
True  Whig,  Gallant,  Regulus  and  Diamond.  His  great- 
grandsire,  Expedition,  was  by  Pegasus,  out  of  Active  by 
Woodpecker,  and  through  this  line  of  descent  he  traced 
to  Eclipse,  Makeless,  Herod,  the  Lonsdale  Arabian,  the 
Darley  Arabian,  the  Byerly  Turk,  Place's  White  Turk, 
the  Godolphin  Arabian,  and  other  heroes  of  the  English 
turf  Through  Spread  Eagle,  who  was  the  son  of  Vol- 
unteer by  Highflyer,  the  blood  of  Engineer  and 
Cade  coursed  in  his  veins.  Through  others  of  his 
ancestors,  his  descent  was  from  Marske,  Marlborough, 
Partner,  Morton's  Traveller,  Greyhound,  White  Turk, 
imported  Fearnought,  Regulus,  the  Darley  Arabian,  the 
Godolphin  Arabian,  Herod,  Hercules,  Crab,  Hautboy 
and  others.  His  pedigree  was  one  of  the  best  of  any 
American  thoroughbred,  being  traced  in  all  its  different 
lines  to  English  horses  of.unimpeachable  character. 

Curiously  enough,  little  seems  to  have  been  known 
about  Pryor  until  he  was  brought  out  in  his  two-year 
old  form.  His  color  was  a  dull  chestnut  and  he  was  a 
solidly  built,  compact  animal.  After  he  went  to  Eng- 
land, the  question  of  his  age  was  raised  by  some  of  the 
turf  authorities  there  and  a  considerable  controversy 
ensued,  but  in  the  end  it  was  satisfactorily  established 
that  he  was  at  that  time  in  his  fourth  year.  The  posi- 
tion taken  by  the  English  turfmen  and  turf  writers  in 
regard  to  this  matter  occasioned  a  great  deal  of  unfavor- 


able comment  at  that  time,  as  being  scarcely  sportsman- 
like. In  the  end,  affidavits  from  the  owner,  breeder, 
trainers  and  others,  who  were  familiar  with  Pryor's 
history,  were  necessary  before  the  suspicions  of  the 
English  turfmen  could  be  allayed.  As  a  two-year  old, 
Pryor  made  his  debut  on  the  Metairie  Course  at  New 
Orleans,  when  he  was  entered  for  the  Picayune  Stakes, 
mile  heats.  Upon  this  occasion  he  met  La  Dame 
Blanche  by  Voucher  out  of  Lady  Jane  by  imported 
Leviathan,  and  Melody  by  Voucher  out  of  Music.  He 
won  the  race  in  the  second  and  third  heats,  his  time 
being  i  minute,  50  seconds,  and  i  minute,  56^  seconds, 
the  first  heat  being  taken  by  La  Dame  Blanche  in  i  min- 
ute, 50  seconds. 

At  the  same  meeting  he  ran  for  a  sweepstakes,  mile 
heats,  against  Minnow  by  Voucher  out  of  Dolphin  by 
Leviathan;  Bundle  and  Go,  out  of  a  Medoc  dam;  Mary 
Bertrand  by  Glencoe  and  Belshazzar  by  Pacific  out  of 
Laura.  The  pace  of  this  race  was  too  hot  for  him,  the 
winner.  Minnow,  making  the  two  final  heats  out  of  the 
three  in  i  minute,  46}^  seconds,  and  i  minute,  48)^ 
seconds.  In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  was  again 
defeated  by  Minnow  for  the  Jockey  Club  Purse,  two- 
mile  heats,  for  three-year  olds,  the  time  of  the  two 
heats  being  3  minutes,  43  seconds,  and  3  minutes,  ^6 
seconds.  A  month  later,  in  December,  he  ran  two-mile 
heats  in  4  minutes,  13  seconds,  and  4  minutes,  17 
seconds,  beating  Corinne  by  imported  Glencoe  and  Red 
Ox  by  Pat  Galway.  In  the  spring  races,  on  the  Phar- 
salia  Course,  in  Natchez,  in  i8ss,  he  was  put  up  against 
Lecomte.  Little  was  expected  of  him,  for  his  defeats  by 
Minnow,  in  the  previous  year,  had  seemed  to  indicate 
that  he  was  not  a  horse  of  superior  form.  He  had 
begun  to  develop  considerable  fleetness,  but,  on  the 
whole,  was  regarded  as  a  rather  desperate  chance  in 
attacking  so  formidable  a  rival  as  the  renowned  Lecomte, 
with  the  7  minutes,  26  seconds,  record  to  his  credit. 
There  was  little  betting  on  the  result,  and  that  was 
mostly  100  to  20  and  100  to  15  on  Lecomte. 

The  race  was  four-mile  heats,  and  the  track  was 
very  heavy.  Both  horses  were  in  the  pink  of  condition. 
When  the  first  heat  was  started  Pryor  led  off,  but  soon 
fell  back  two  or  three  lengths  behind  his  rival,  maintain- 
ing that  place  until  the  last  half  mile  of  the  heat,  when, 
by  a  terrific  bust  of  speed,  he  passed  Lecomte  and  ran 
home  at  a  pace  that  could  not  be  challenged,  winning 
the  heat  by  fully  a  clear  length.  The  time  for  the  heat 
was  7  minutes,  47  seconds,  the  different  miles  being 
covered  in  2  minutes,  i  minute,  57  seconds,  i  minute, 
58  seconds,  and  i  minute,  52  seconds.  Now  he  was 
backed  heavily  at  even  to  win,  and  the  result  of  the 
second  heat  justified  this  new  confidence  in  him.  The 
second  was  almost  a  repetition  of  the  first  heat,  save 
that  it  was  faster.     Pryor  lay  back  until  the  last  half  of 


88 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


the  fourth  mik-,  then  made  his  dash  and  came  in  an 
easy  winner.  The  time  of  the  heat  was  7  minutes,  44)^ 
seconds,  the  time  of  the  first  two  miles  being  each,  1 
minute,  56  seconds,  the  third  mile  1  minute,  58  seconds, 
and  the  fourth  mile  i  minute,  54  seconds.  One  month 
later,  over  the  Metairie  Course,  he  again  beat  Lecomte 
in  three-mile  heats,  winning  the  second  and  third  heats 
in  s  minutes,  59^  seconds,  and  6  minutes,  12  seconds. 
In  June,  i8s6,  he  contested  the  Jockey  Club  Stakes 
of  the  Fashion  Course,  on  Long  Island,  four-mile 
heats,  with  Floride  by  Wagner,  winning  in  two 
straight  heats,  upon  a  heavy  track,  in  8  minutes, 
17^  seconds,  and  8  minutes,  19  seconds,  his  best 
time  for  a  mile  being  the  fourth  mile  of  the  second 
heat,  which  he  ran  in  1  minute,  56;^  seconds.  In  July 
of  the  same  year  he  was  taken  to  England,  where  he 
died  before  he  was  able  to  show  what  he  might  have 
been  capable  of  there. 

After  the  death  of  the  great  Lexington,  imported 
Leamington  stood  at  the  head  of  thoroughbred  stallions 
in  America.  He  was  bred  in  England  by  Mr.  W.  Hal- 
ford.  He  was  got  by  Faugh-a-Ballagh,  his  sire  being  a 
son  of  Hercules  and  Guiccioli  and  the  winner  of  the 
Doncaster  St.  Leger  and  Cesarwitch  Stakes  in  1844. 
His  dam  was  by  Pantaloon  out  of  Daphne  by  Latirel. 
Leamington  made  his  first  appearance  on  the  turf  in 
1855  as  a  two-year  old,  winning  the  Woodcote  Stakes 
at  Warwick.  After  several  unsuccessful  runnings  at 
other  meetings  he  carried  off  the  Chesterfield  Stakes  at 
the  Derby  meeting.  In  his  three-year  old  form  his  first 
race  was  in  the  Epsom  Derby,  for  which  he  had  been 
heavily  backed,  but  he  was  beaten  by  Ellington.  He 
won  the  town  plate  at  Warwick  and  the  Stewards'  Cup 
at  Shrewsbury,  and  was  beaten  in  six  small  handicaps. 
For  the  Chester  Cup  of  1857  he  started  second  favorite  in 
a  field  of  thirty-five  horses  and  won  with  the  greatest 
ease.  At  Ascot  he  was  not  placed  for  the  Gold  Cup 
that  was  won  by  Skirmisher,  but  at  Goodwood,  with 
the  tremendous  odds  of  100  to  3  against  him  and  carry- 
ing 118  pounds,  he  won  the  Goodwood  Stakes,  two 
miles  and  a  half,  from  a  field  of  eighteen,  among  whom 
were  Fisherman,  Gunboat  and  Pretty  Boy. 

In  his  five-year  old  form  he  ran  unplaced  for  the 
Cesarwitch  Stakes  at  Newmarket  and  did  not  appear 
again  until  he  was  entered  for  the  Chester  Cup  of  1859, 
when  he  was  six  years  old.  He  started  first  favorite  at 
5  to  1  in  a  field  of  thirty-three  starters,  among  them 
Prioress,  Fisherman,  Roman  Candle,  the  winner  of  the 
Goodwood  Stakes  the  year  before;  Rogerthorpe,  winner 
of  the  Goodwood  Cup  in  1856;  Polestar,  Underhand  and 
many  other  good  horses,  and  won  in  a  canter  by  two 
lengths.  At  Ascot,  for  the  Queen's  Gold  Vase,  he  was 
second  to  Schism,  and,  at  Goodwin,  ran  unplaced  to  The 
Promised  .Land  for  the  Cup.     This  was  his  last  race,  for 


he  soon  after  broke  down  in  his  training  and  was  sent  to 
the  stud.  For  five  years,  beginning  with  i860,  he  stood 
at  Rawcliffe's  stud  paddocks,  near  York,  but  was  not 
regarded  as  a  successful  stallion,  owing,  doubtless,  to 
his  powers  having  been  overtaxed  in  his  early  turf 
career.  Among  others  of  note  whom  he  sired  in  Eng- 
land were  Coup  d'Etat,  Catalogue,  Bella,  Lady  Sefton, 
Leicester,  Bolero,  Rebecca,  Variation,  Esmeralda,  Scipio, 
Haymaker  and  Percussion. 

In  186'j,  Leamington  was  purchased  by  Mr.  R.  W. 
Cameron,  of  the  Cliiton  Stud,  Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  who 
paid  $7,875  for  him.  His  first  season  was  spent  in  Ken- 
tucky at  General  Abe  Buford's  farm,  Bosque  Bonita.  Dur- 
ing this  season  he  got  twelve  foals,  among  them  those 
great  racers,  Longfellow,  Lynchburg,  Lyttleton  and  En- 
quirer, whose  subsequent  careers  were  as  brilliant  as  those 
of  any  American  thoroughbreds  of  this  generation.  Lyttle- 
ton and  Enquirer  were  respectively  out  of  Fanny  Holton 
and  Lida,  both  of  whom  were  Lexington  dams.  His  next 
three  seasons  were  spent  at  Staten  Island,  where  he  was 
not  very  successful,  Eolus,  Elsie  and  Inverary  being  the 
best  of  his  produce.  In  the  fall  of  1869,  Mr.  Aristides 
Welch,  of  Chestnut  Hill,  near  Philadelphia,  purchased 
him  and  proceeded  to  breed  him  largely  to  the  best 
daughters  of  Lexington,  believing  that  therein  lay  his 
greatest  value  as  a  stallion.  His  get  matured  early  and 
developed  the  rare  speed  that  made  him  so  formidable 
in  his  four-year  old  form.  Among  the  most  famous  of 
his  progeny  were  Reform,  Netty  Norton,  Ida  Wells, 
Aristides,  Rhadamanthus,  Lelaps,  Bob  Woolly,  Parole, 
Faithless,  Pappoose,  Iroquois,  Girofle,  Onondaga,  Lucifer 
and  Mineola.  He  died  in  1878,  very  unexpectedly,  at 
the  age  of  twenty-five.  He  was  a  horse  of  great  size, 
standing  16  hands,  2  inches  high  and  of  a  dark  brown 
color. 

Another  example  of  the  value  to  be  derived  from 
the  union  of  the  newer  Australian  blood  with  the  older 
Lexington  and  Glencoe  has  been  seen  in  Spendthrift. 
Foaled  in  1878  by  Australian  out  of  Aerolite,  Spend- 
thrift had  as  good  blood  as  any,  even  the  most  famous, 
American  thoroughbred  could  boast.  Australian,  son  ot 
West  Australian  and  Emilia,  and  Aerolite,  daughter  of 
Lexington  and  Florine  by  Glencoe  and  Melody,  gave 
him  crosses  of  the  greatest  American  and  English  pedi- 
grees. He  traced  to  Matchem  in  the  paternal  line  and 
had  the  blood  of  Herod  and  Eclipse,  as  well  as  that  of 
later  ancestry  of  the  foremost  rank.  It  has  been  said 
of  him  that  he  "was  one  of  the  best  race  horses  ever 
stripped  on  this  continent  and  one  of  the  finest  specimens 
of  thoroughbred  horses' ever  foaled."  As  a  two-year  old 
he  won  in  every  event  in  which  he  was  started.  In 
his  three-year  old  form  he  won  the  Belmont  and  the 
Lorillard  Stakes  and  the  Champion  Stakes  at  Monmouth 
Park.     His  victory  for  the   Lorillard  Stakes   was  one  of 


89 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


the  finest  ever  seen  for  that  event,  in  the  field  of  eleven 
which  he  defeated  being  Harold,  Monitor,  Magnetism, 
and  others.  For  the  Travers  and  the  Kenner  Stakes  he 
was  beaten  by  Falsetto.  Purchased  by  Mr.  James  R. 
Keene,  he  was  sent  to  England,  but  was  not  successful 
there,  although  he  was  started  for  the  Cambridgeshire. 
Being  returned  to  this  country,  he  was  relegated  to  the 
stud  after  he  had  run  several  races.  He  has  been  more 
famous  through  his  get  than  through  his  own  perform- 
ances. His  most  celebrated  get  have  been  Kingston, 
Lamplighter,  Pickpocket,  Speedwell,  Lazzarone,  De- 
faulter, Prodigal,  Golden  Reel,  Speculation,  Bankrupt 
and  Stockton.  In  1893,  sixty-two  of  his  sons  and 
daughters  started  in  1,055  races,  being  first  in  113,  and 
in  the  following  year  fifty  of  his  get  started  in  652  races, 
of  which  they  won  83. 

Son  of  Eolus  and  War  Song,  the  bay  horse  St.  Saviour 
had  in  his  pedigree,  on  both  the  paternal  and  the  mater- 
nal lines,  some  of  the  most  acceptable  thoroughbred 
blood.  His  dam,  War  Song  by  War  Dance,  was  also 
the  dam  of  Eole,  Eolis,  Eola  and  Eolo.  Through  War 
Dance,  by  Lexington  out  of  Reel,  he  had  the  famous 
Glencoe-Gallopade  cross.  Through  Faugh-a-Ballagh, 
— the  sire  of  Leamington — and  Birdcatcher, — the  sire  of 
imported  Knight  of  St.  George,  who  was  the  sire  of  his 
second  dam,. Eliza  Davis — he  had  the  great  double  cross 
of  Eclipse.  His  third  dam,  Melrose,  transmitted  to  him  a 
strain  of  the  good  Melbourne  blood.  St.  Saviour  was 
foaled  in  1881  and  bred  by  Colonel  R.  J.  Hancock,  of 
Virginia.  As  a  three-year  old  he  ran  four  races,  of 
which  he  won  three.  For  the  Emporium  at  Sheepshead 
Bay,  I  Ys  miles,  he  was  second  to  Rataplan.  He  won 
the  Barnegat  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park  in  2  minutes,  40 
seconds,  beating  Duchess,  Bob  Miles  and  Himalaya,  and 
also  carried  off  the  Raritan  Stakes  in  2  minutes,  1 1 J4 
seconds.  This  ended  his  career  on  the  turf,  and  he  was 
retired  to  the  stud,  where  he  has  produced  such  winners 
as  Zobair,  Gilead,  De  Bracy  and  Monita. 

Three  horses  that  made  the  greatest  stir  in  the  racing 
world  toward  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  were  the  three 
sons  of  Lexington,  Kentucky,  Norfolk  and  Asteroid. 
Kentucky  was  bred  at  Ashland  by  Mr.  John  M.  Clay. 
He  was  out  of  Magnolia,  a  daughter  of  the  famous 
Glencoe.  When  he  was  two-years  old,  in  October, 
1863,  he  won  his  first  race  at  Paterson,  N.  J.  In  the  sum- 
mer of  the  following  year  he  met  and  was  defeated  by 
his  half-brother  and  rival,  Norfolk,  in  the  Derby  Sweep- 
stakes, ij'2  miles.  He  was  sold  to  Mr.  John  F.  Purdy, 
and  afterward  became  the  property  of  Mr.  W.  R.  Travers. 
Few  horses  ever  had  a  more  brilliant  career  on  the  turf, 
and  for  many  years  he  defeated  every  competitor  against 
whom  he  was  matched.  In  later  years  he  was  sold  to 
Mr.  Leonard  W.  Jerome  for  $40,000,  and  then  became 
the  property  of  Mr.  August  Belmont.     In  October,  1867, 


he  was  backed  to  run  against  time,  four  miles  in  7 
minutes  and  20  seconds,  carrying  120  pounds.  The 
trial  took  place  October  17  of  that  year,  in  the  presence 
of  20,000  people,  at  Jerome  Park,  and  the  noble  stallion, 
who  was  badly  ridden,  failed  in  his  attempt  by  \\% 
seconds. 

Norfolk,  got  by  Lexington,  was  out  of  Novice,  another 
daughter  of  Glencoe.  After  defeating  Kentucky  in  1864 
he  was  taken  to  California  by  his  owner,  Mr.  D.  D. 
Withers,  and  there  won  greater  triumphs  than  he  had 
achieved  in  the  East.  His  contests  with  Lodi,  who  was 
a  son  of  Yorkshire,  were  among  the  most  brilliant  racing 
events  ever  known  in  California,  and  even  attracted  the 
attention  of  sportsmen  in  the  East  and  in  England.  At 
the  first  meeting  of  these  two  great  horses  at  the  Union 
Park,  Sacramento,  September  18,  1865,  Norfolk  was  suc- 
cessful in  winning  a  race  of  two-mile  heats.  Five  days 
later  the  two  horses  again  met  and  then  occurred  one  of 
the  most  terrific  struggles  ever  recorded  in  the  annals  of 
the  turf.  The  first  heat  was  won  by  Norfolk  in  the 
unprecedented  time  of  5  minutes,  27,^^  seconds,  with 
Lodi  closely  lapped  upon  his  quarter.  Norfolk  also  won 
the  second  heat  in  5  minutes,  29^4  seconds,  Lodi  gaining 
upon  his  competitor  as  he  came  down  the  homestretch, 
with  the  right  forefoot  spurting  blood  at  every  stride. 

The  third  of  these  remarkable  half-brothers  was 
Asteroid  out  of  Nebula,  another  daughter  of  Glencoe. 
He  was  bred  by  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander,  of  Woodburn, 
and  first  distinguished  himself  on  the  turf  by  defeating 
Loadstone  at  Louisville,  running  the  first  mile  of  the 
second  heat  of  a  two-mile  race  in  i  minute,  44  seconds. 
Discussion  as  to  the  relative  merits  of  Kentucky  and 
Asteroid  was  very  animated  among  horsemen,  and  in 
time  assumed  the  proportions  and  character  of  the 
historic  thoroughbred  controversies  between  the  North 
and  South  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  century.  In  this  case 
it  was  again  the  South  against  the  North,  and  in  1866 
Asteroid  came  to  Jerome  Park,  where  he  was  entered 
for  the  Inauguration  Stakes  in  September  of  that  year. 
Kentucky  had  been  entered  for  the  same  race,  and 
expectation  and  speculation  ran  high  over  what  promised 
to  be  one  of  the  great  racing  events  of  the  period. 
People  came  from  all  parts  of  the  country  to  New  York 
to  witness  the  contest,  and  large  amounts  of  money  were 
staked  upon  its  outcome.  Unhappily,  however,  dis- 
appointment was  in  store,  for  before  the  date  fixed  for 
the  race.  Asteroid  in  a  trial  gallop  in  the  mud  sprung  a 
tendon  and  broke  down.  His  career  as  a  racer  thus 
having  been  brought  to  an  end,  he  returned  to  the  West 
and  entered  the  stud. 

One  of  the  romantic  incidents  of  the  Civil  War  per- 
tained to  the  attempted  carrying  off  of  Asteroid  from  the 
Woodburn  Farm.  The  guerillas,  as  well  as  the  regular 
troops  of  the  two  contending  armies,  all  had  an  affection 


90 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


for  the  horses  of  Kentucky  that  was  particularly  mani- 
fested by  their  selection  of  thoroughbreds  whenever  they 
could  lay  hands  upon  them.  A  company  of  raiders 
seized  Asteroid  and  made  off  with  him.  The  owner 
and  his  friends  followed  in  hot  pursuit,  and  overtaking 
the  guerillas,  entered  into  negotiations  for  the  return  of 
the  animal.  With  arms  in  hand  a  tinal  treaty  was 
arranged,  by  virtue  of  which  the  son  of  Lexington  was 
released  in  exchange  for  two  other  horses  that  were  of 
good  quality,  even  if  they  lacked  the  family  distinction 
and  the  pedigree  that  pertained  to  the  choicest  and  most 
valued  denizen  of  the  Woodburn  stable.  At  the  time 
when  Asteroid  was  carried  off  the  artist  Troye  was 
engaged  in  painting  his  portrait,  and  his  principal 
grievance  at  the  guerillas  was  because  of  the  interruption 
of  his  work.  After  the  recovery  of  the  horse  this  por- 
trait, in  which  his  trainer,  old  Ansel,  and  his  jockey, 
Brown  Dick,  are  introduced,  though  on  a  reduced  scale, 
with  the  quaint  idea  of  not  detracting  from  the  superior 
importance  of  the  animal,  was  completed  and  for  years 
remained  the  property  of  the  Alexander  estate. 

Foaled  in  1867  by  imported  Leamington  out  of  Lida, 
by  Lexington,  Enquirer  was  one  of  the  great  stallions  of 
the  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century  on  the  Ameri- 
can turf.  Among  his  ancestors  were  many  of  the 
eading  thoroughbreds  of  England  and  America. 
Through  Leamington,  as  has  been  set  forth  on  a 
preceding  page,  he  traced  to  the  great  cracks  of  the 
English  turf.  The  pedigree  of  Lexington,  the  sire  of  his 
dam,  is  familiar  to  every  one  at  all  acquainted  with  the 
history  of  the  turf.  Lize,  his  maternal  grandam,  was  a 
daughter  of  the  famous  American  Eclipse,  son  of  Duroc, 
and  her  dam  was  Gabrielle  A.,  daughter  of  Sir  Archy 
and  Calypso.  Neither  Lida  nor  Lize  were  ever  trained, 
but  Gabrielle  was  a  good  race  mare  and  was  the  dam  of 
the  great  four-miler,  who  defeated  Reel  and  Hanna,  the 
best  four-mile  heat  racers  of  their  day.  Bred  at  the 
Bosque  Bonita  Stud  of  General  A.  Buford,  Enquirer  first 
bore  the  name  Louisville,  but  afterward  received  the 
name  of  Enquirer,  in  honor  of  the  Cincinnati  newspaper 
of  that  name.  As  a  two-year  old  he  won  a  single  race 
out  of  the  three  in  which  he  started.  The  following 
season,  1870,  he  won  all  the  events  in  which  he  took 
part,  six  in  number,  among  them  being  the  Phoenix 
Hotel  Stakes,  the  Robins  Stakes,  two-mile  heats,  in  3 
minutes,  56^^  seconds,  3  minutes,  54)^  seconds,  and  4 
minutes,  beating  Kingfisher  ;  and  the  Kenner  Stakes, 
two  miles,  in  3  minutes,  48^  seconds. 

His  first  appearance  in  the  East  was  in  the  race  for  the 
Continental  Hotel  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park,  when  he 
defeated  Maggie  B.  B.,  Susan  Ann  and  Lynchburgh.  In 
the  autumn  of  this  year  he  broke  down  while  in  training 
and  was  retired  to  General  Buford's  stud.  In  1879,  he 
became  the  property  of  General  Harding  and  was  added 


to  the  Belle  Meade  Stud.  His  success  in  the  stud  was 
remarkable.  During  the  eighteen  years  from  187^  to 
1893,  his  get  won  $s66, 174.  Several  of  his  daughters 
became  the  dams  of  distinguished  race  horses.  His 
daughter,  Mannie  Gray,  was  the  dam  of  Domino;  End- 
less was  the  dam  of  Boundless,  who  won  the  American 
Derby,  i  V2  miles,  in  2  minutes,  36  seconds,  defeating 
Clifford,  Ramapo,  Don  Alonzo  and  St.  Leonard;  Exile 
was  the  dam  of  La  Grande  and  others  of  his  daughters 
threw  Correction,  Saxony  and  others.  Enquirer  was 
also  the  sire  of  Inspector  B.,  Falsetto,  Egmont,  McWhir- 
ter,  Lizzie  McWhirtrer,  Getaway,  Harkaway,  Pinafore, 
Reporter,  Little  Phil,  Caligula,  Enigma  and  numerous 
other  good  ones.  Falsetto,  Inspector  B.  and  McWhirter 
were  the  best  of  his  get.  Through  Falsetto  his  mem- 
ory has  been  perpetuated  in  this  generation  by  Dew- 
drop,  Rupert,  Fordham,  Portchester,  Counter-Tenor  and 
others. 

Longfellow,  son  of  Leamington  and  Nantura,  rivaled 
even  the  immortal  Lexington  in  popularity.  Through- 
out his  long  and  brilliant  career  he  was  the  equine  idol 
of  the  United  States,  and  was  elevated  to  a  pinnacle  of 
admiration,  such  as  it  has  been  the  fortune  of  but  few 
thoroughbreds  to  attain,  either  in  this  country  or  in 
Europe.  To  this  day  old  turfmen  and  even  those  who 
have  had  no  more  than  the  merest  acquaintance  with 
the  race  course,  hold  him  in  fond  remembrance.  His 
sire,  who  contested  with  Lexington  the  honors  of  the 
stud  in  this  country  a  third  of  a  century  ago,  endowed 
him  with  the  best  equine  blood  of  England.  His  dam, 
Nantura,  was  by  Brawner's  Eclipse  out  of  Quiz.  Braw- 
ner's  Eclipse  was  a  son  of  American  Eclipse,  by  Duroc, 
and  out  of  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Young  Romp. 
Quiz  was  a  daughter  of  Bertrand  and  Lady  Fortune, 
Bertrand  being  by  Sir  Archy  out  of  Eliza,  while  Lady 
Fortune  was  by  Brimmer  out  of  Woodpecker's  dam.  It 
has  been  pointed  out  that  his  pedigree  is  full  of  those 
"old-fashioned,  hard  -  bottomed  American  crosses 
founded  on  early  importations,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
thoroughly  American  pedigrees  in  existence,  being  full 
of  four-mile  crosses."  In  the  person  of  Brawner's  Eclipse 
was  united  the  blood  of  those  great  rivals,  American 
Eclipse  and  Sir  Henry,  and  with  them  four  crosses  of 
Diomed  and  two  of  Messenger.  Nantura  was  bred  by 
Mr.  A.  J.  Holton,  of  Kentucky,  in  1855,  and  was  a  first- 
class  performer  on  the  turf,  being  particularly  successful 
in  winning  two-mile  heats.  In  the  stud  she  produced 
Fanny  Holton  by  Lexington,  Exchange  by  Endorser, 
Longfellow  by  Leamington,  Germantown  by  Planet  and 
other  good  ones.     She  died  in  1873. 

Longfellow  was  foaled  in  1866.  He  was  a  handsome 
brown  horse,  15  hands,  3  inches  high,  with  a  large  blaze 
on  the  face  and  both  hind  fetlocks  white.  He  was  not 
graceful  in  motion,  but  had  a  lengthy  stride  and,  when 


91 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


fairly  extended,  his  style  was  evenytliing  tliat  could  be 
asked  for.  Few  horses  on  the  turf  were  more  easily 
managed,  or  had  a  more  agreeable  disposition,  which 
probably  accounts  to  some  extent  for  the  high  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held  by  the  public.  In  his  three-year  old 
form  he  ran  five  races,  winning  three  of  them,  the  Pro- 
duce Stakes  at  Lexington,  two-mile  heats,  in  3  minutes, 
4^4  seconds,  and  3  minutes,  44  seconds;  the  Ohio 
Stakes  at  Cincinnati,  two-mile  heats,  in  3  minutes,  37^ 
seconds,  and  3  minutes,  55W'  seconds;  the  City  Stakes 
at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  two-mile  heats,  in  3  minutes,  41^ 
seconds,  and  3  minutes,  41  seconds;  the  Post  Stakes  at 
Memphis,  Tenn.,  two-mile  heats,  in  3  minutes,  40X 
seconds  and  3  minutes,  40  seconds.  The  next  year  he 
was  first  in  five  races  and  second  in  one,  his  successes 
being  a  two-mile  heat  race  at  Lexington,  Ky. ;  the  Mon- 
mouth Cup  race  at  Long  Branch,  two  and  one-half  miles, 
in  4  minutes,  41^  seconds;  the  Saratoga  Cup  race,  in 
Saratoga,  two  and  one-quarter  miles,  in  4  minutes,  2% 
seconds;  the  purse  race  at  Saratoga,  two  and  three-quar- 
ter miles,  and  the  Jockey  Club  Purse  race  at  Lexington, 
Ky.,  two-mile  heats,  in  3  minutes,  38^  seconds,  and  3 
minutes,  41^  seconds. 

In  1872,  he  won  four  out  of  the  five  races  in  which  he 
started,  including  the  Monmouth  Cup  at  Long  Branch, 
two  and  one-half  miles,  in  4  minutes,  34  seconds ;  and  the 
jersey  Jockey  Club  Purse,  mile  heats,  in  i  minute,  56^ 
seconds;  i  minute,  54  seconds,  and  i  minute,  43^  sec- 
onds. His  victory  over  Harry  Bassett  for  the  Monmouth 
Cup  established  his  reputation  as  a  great  racer  more 
firmly  than  ever  before,  and  that  was  followed  by  the 
smashing  race  for  the  Saratoga  Cup,  which  has  been 
called  "one  of  the  most  savage  struggles  in  racing 
annals,"  and  out  of  which  he  came  a  wreck.  Entering 
the  stud  in  1873,  this  great  son  of  Leamington  produced 
in  the  first  season  Leonard,  Oddfellow  and  Lady  Salyers; 
Leonard  won  the  Saratoga  and  Nursery  Stakes  as  a  two- 
year  old.  Other  of  his  famous  progeny  have  been  Edin- 
burgh, Long  Taw,  Irish  King,  Thora  and  Leonatus. 

Served  in  England,  Babta,  the  dam  of  Glenelg,  foaled 
her  colt  in  this  country  the  following  season.  She  was 
imported  along  with  Leamington,  and  Glenelg  was 
dropped  at  Mr.  R.  W.  Cameron's  breeding  establish- 
ment on  Staten  Island,  N.  Y.,  in  the  early  spring  of  1866. 
Citadel,  the  sire  of  Glenelg,  was  a  large,  handsome  horse 
by  Stockwell  out  of  Sortie,  who  was  out  of  Escapade, 
daughter  of  Touchstone  and  Ghuznee,  winner  of  the 
Oaks  in  1841.  Babta  was  a  small  bay  mare,  bred  by  Sir 
J.  B.  Mill  in  1858,  and  never  achieved  a  record  on  the 
turf  She  was  sold  by  Mr.  Cameron  to  Mr.  August 
Belmont,  afterward  became  the  property  of  Mr.  Pierre 
Lorillard,  and  was  shot  as  useless  in  1882.  Glenelg  was 
bought  as  a  yearling  by  Mr.  Belmont  and  made  his 
debut  in   1869  in  a  match  race  of  one  mile   with    Mr. 


Leonard  W.  Jerome's  filly  Rapture,  winning  the  race 
with  ease.  His  career  from  that  point  on  was  one  of 
brilliant  success  and  it  was  at  one  time  said  of  him 
that  "his  record  proves  him  to  be  the  best  imported 
horse  which  has  run  upon  the  American  course."  He 
met  the  greatest  performers  of  his  time  and  was  gener- 
ally successful. 

In  1871,  Glenelg  appeared  eighteen  times,  winning  ten 
races,  coming  in  second  four  times  and  third  three  times, 
being  once  unplaced.  This  was  the  year  of  such  great 
performers  as  Helmbold,  Hamburgh,  Preakness,  Judge 
Curtis,  Vespucius  and  others,  and  yet  Glenelg  held  his 
own  with  the  best  of  them.  Breaking  down  in  1872,  he 
was  sold  to  Mr.  M.  H.  Sanford,  for  the  North  Elkhorn 
Stud,  the  sum  of  $10,000  being  paid  for  him,  with  the 
mares  Ulrica  and  Finesse  thrown  in.  He  made  his  first 
season  in  1873,  and  some  of  his  progeny  became  dis- 
tinguished performers  on  the  turf.  Chief  among  them 
were  Danicheff  out  of  Salina,  General  Philips  out  of  La 
Polka,  Herbert,  who  was  first  called  Tom  Plunkett,  Ada 
Glenn  out  of  Catina,  and  Belinda  out  of  Madam  Dudley. 
Glenelg  was  a  blood  bay,  without  a  speck  of  white,  with 
black  points,  and  stood  a  little  more  than  16  hands  high. 
He  was  a  large,  heavily  built  horse,  and  his  produce 
have  been  distinguished  for  strong  constitutions,  stout 
bodies  and  a  generally  handsome  blood-like  appearance. 

Luke  Blackburn,  who  was  probably  one  of  the  fastest 
horses  that  the  world  has  ever  seen,  ranked  in  his  day 
with  Lexington,  Cremorne,  Gladiateur,  Longfellow,  Hin- 
doo and  others  of  that  class.  He  had  to  his  credit  some 
of  the  most  remarkable  conquests  in  modern  turf  annals, 
and  that,  too,  in  the  face  of  discouragements  and  mis- 
fortune that  might  easily  have  proved  his  ruin.  Foaled  in 
1877,  he  was  the  son  of  imported  Bonnie  Scotland,  dam 
Nevada.  The  pedigree  of  Bonnie  Scotland  has  been  else- 
where given  in  these  pages,  where  it  is  shown  that  his 
blood  was  of  the  best  that  the  English  thoroughbred 
could  boast.  Nevada,  who  was  one  of  the  greatest 
daughters  of  Lexington,  was  out  of  Lightsome,  her  dam 
being  by  imported  Glencoe,  and  out  of  Levity,  the  par- 
ents of  the  latter  being  imported  Trustee  and  the  dam  of 
the  famous  Vandal.  Luke  Blackburn  was  bred  at  Ken- 
nesaw,  the  establishment  of  Captain  James  Franklin.  He 
was  not  a  promising  yearling,  either  in  size  or  appear- 
ance, and,  in  fact,  was  an  object  of  ridicule  by  many 
who  saw  him.  When  he  was  a  year  old,  he  was  sold 
to  Mr.  James  T.  Williams  for  $510,  and  in  the  following 
spring  was  put  into  regular  training,  and  to  the  surprise  of 
everybody  developed  extraordinary  speed.  It  was  when 
he  indicated  this  pronfising  future  that  he  was  named 
Luke  Blackburn  in  compliment  to  the  Governor  of  Ken- 
tucky. 

As  a  two-year  old  he  ran  thirteen  races  and  won  only 
two,  which  somewhat  dampened  the  ardor  of  those  who 

92 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


had  placed  great  faith  upon  him.  He  was  probably 
overworked,  and  thus  lost  his  speed,  and  also  had  to 
contest  with  some  very  fast  and  experienced  ones.  The 
Messrs.  Dwyer  Brothers  next  came  into  possession  of 
him,  and  he  was  put  into  training  in  Louisville,  but  fell 
into  ill  health,  so  that  his  training  finally  had  to  be  prac- 
tically abandoned.  In  the  single  race  that  he  ran,  the 
Phcenix  Hotel  Stakes,  at  the  Lexington  Spring  Meeting, 
he  came  in  third  to  Fonso  and  Kinkead.  When  he  was 
brought  on  to  the  spring  meeting  at  Jerome  Park  that 
year  he  was  still  unpromising,  but  won  five  races  under 
favorable  conditions,  beating  such  horses  as  Checkmate, 
Monitor  and  others.  Beginning  with  the  first  meeting 
at  Sheepshead  Bay,  he  achieved  distinguished  success, 
his  victories  including  the  Tidal  Stakes  in  i  minute,  45 
seconds,  the  Coney  Island  Handicap  in  2  minutes,  24)^ 
seconds,  the  Ocean  Stakes  in  2  minutes,  3}^  seconds, 
the  All  Aged  Stakes,  the  Grand  Union  Prize,  the  Kenner 
Stakes  and  two  short-distance  purses  at  Saratoga;  later 
at  the  autumn  meeting,  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  he  won  the 
Great  Challenge  Stake  and  the  Long  Island  St.  Leger, 
and  then  at  Louisville  won  the  Kentucky  St.  Leger  and 
the  Great  American  Stallion  Stakes.  Altogether  during 
the  year  he  ran  twenty-four  races,  winning  twenty-two 
of  them  and  carrying  off  $46,975.  In  only  one  instance 
was  he  beaten  by  a  horse  whom  he  did  not  afterward 
defeat;  that  one  was  Fonso,  whom  he  never  chanced  to 
meet  a  second  time.  He  became  a  great  favorite  on  the 
turf,  perhaps  no  horse,  except  Longfellow,  attaining  to 
such  a  high  degree  of  popularity  with  the  public  at 
large.  After  being  withdrawn  from  the  turf  he  was  put 
into  the  stud  at  General  Jackson's  Belle  Meade  Farm. 

During  one  brief  season  Monarchist  trailed  in  the  dust 
the  colors  of  his  half  brother,  the  great  Harry  Bassett. 
His  name  will  forever  stand  high  on  the  list  of  the 
greatest  sons  and  daughters  of  Lexington,  challenging 
interest  and  admiration  with  Idlewild,  Asteroid,  Nor- 
folk, Kentucky,  Harry  Bassett,  Duke  of  Magenta  and 
others.  The  dam  of  Monarchist  was  Mildred,  whose 
f;imily  in  its  various  branches  transmitted  some  of  the 
best  blood  in  America.  The  grandam  of  Mildred  was 
the  dam  of  Vandal  and  Alaric,  while  her  dam.  Levity, 
was  also  the  dam  of  such  famous  horses  as  Runic,  by 
Sovereign,  Lightsome  by  Glencoe,  and  Lever  and 
Legatee,  by  Lexington.  Mildred  was  a  bay  mare  bred 
in  1856  by  the  Honorable  W.  A.  Dudley,  of  Kentucky. 
She  was  never  seen  upon  a  race  course,  but  was  sent  to 
the  stud  when  two  years  old. 

Monarchist  was  bred  at  the  Woodburn  establishment, 
and  was  sold  as  a  yearling  to  Mr.  M.  H.  Sanford  for 
$1,900,  having  been  foaled  in  1868.  In  his  three-year 
old  form  he  started  out  by  winning  the  Handicap  for  all 
ages,  mile  heats,  at  Monmouth  Park,  in  August,  1871, 
in  I  minute,  50  seconds,  i   minute,    52^  seconds,  and  2 


minutes,  2  j4  seconds.  His  other  successes  of  this  season 
were  the  Annual  Sweepstakes  at  Jerome  Park,  two  miles, 
in  3  minutes,  ^}}4  seconds;  the  Grand  National  Handi- 
cap, at  Jerome  Park,  two  and  one-quarter  miles,  in  4 
minutes,  9  seconds,  and  the  Post  Stakes,  all  ages,  at 
New  Orleans,  two-mile  heats,  in  3  minutes,  53)^ 
seconds,  and  3  minutes,  49^^  seconds.  During  this,  his 
first  season  on  the  turf,  he  ran  eight  races,  being  first 
by  the  post  in  four,  second  in  three  and  unplaced  in 
one,  winning  $10, 360.  The  following  year  he  ran  nine 
races,  in  eight  of  which  he  was  successful,  winning 
$13,550,  and  being  third  in  the  remaining  race.  He 
started  out  by  winning  a  one  and  one-half  mile  race  at 
New  Orleans,  in  2  minutes,  44%!  seconds,  following 
this  by  taking  the  Metairie  Cup,  two  and  one-quarter 
miles,  in  4  minutes,  12  seconds;  the  Grand  Inaugural 
Post  Stakes,  at  New  Orleans,  two-mile  heats,  in  3 
minutes,  39  seconds,  and  3  minutes,  44  seconds;  the 
Louisiana  Stakes,  at  New  Orleans,  two-mile  heats,  in  3 
minutes,  44^^  seconds,  and  3  minutes,  40  seconds,  and 
the  Mansion  House  Stakes,  at  Monmouth  Park,  two  and 
one-half  miles,  in  4  minutes,  47^  seconds.  Then  came 
his  two  famous  victories  over  Harry  Bassett,  at  Jerome 
Park,  three  miles,  in  5  minutes,  34^^  seconds,  and  four 
miles  in  7  minutes,  33/'2  seconds.  He  closed  the  season 
by  winning  a  three-mile  race  at  Baltimore,  in  'the  slow 
time  of  6  minutes,  i^  seconds. 

While  in  training  for  the  spring  meeting,  at  Jerome 
Park,  in  1873,  he  broke  down  and  was  removed  from 
the  turf  Entering  the  stud,  he  was  successful  there  for 
the  next  ten  years.  His  death  occurred  in  1883.  Among 
his  most  successful  progeny  were  Monarch,  Aristocrat, 
Frankie  B.,  Experiment  and  Marchioness.  Although  he 
was  on  the  race  course  only  two  seasons,  he  left  a 
reputation  of  being  one  of  the  best  race  horses  of  the 
decade  in  which  he  appeared.  He  was  a  blood  bay  with 
star  and  snip,  and  stood  15  hands,  3  inches  high.  One 
of  his  most  striking  features  was  his  close  likeness 
to  his  more  famous  fiither.  Indeed,  so  conspicuous  was 
this  that  he  was  called  a  Lexington  of  Lexingtons.  In 
the  stud  he  transmitted  some  of  the  best  qualities  of  the 
Lexington  blood  to  his  descendants. 

Foaled  in  1873,  Mollie  McCarthy,  who  died  in  1883, 
was  during  the  ten  years  of  her  life  one  of  the  foremost 
favorites  of  the  turf  in  California.  Her  sire  was  Monday, 
son  of  Colton,  who  was  by  Lexington,  out  of  Topaz  by 
Glencoe,  Topaz  being  out  of  Esmerelda  by  Leviathan. 
The  sire  of  Leviathan  was  Reubens  by  Buzzard  out  of 
the  dam  of  Alexander,  her  dam  being  a  daughter  of 
Highflyer,  Herod's  best  son,  while  Alexander  was  a  son 
of  the  great  Eclipse.  Mollie  Jackson,  the  dam  of  Mon- 
day, was  by  Vandal.  The  dam  of  Mollie  McCarthy  was 
Hennie  Farrow  by  Shamrock  out  of  Ida,  who  was  by 
imported  Belshazzar  out  of  Madam  Bosleyby  Sir  Richard 


93 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Tonson,  one  of  the  four  famous  brothers  of  the  celebrated 
Tonson  fomily  of  Tennessee.  Mollie  McCarthy  was  a 
remarkably  handsome  horse,  muscular,  and  with  all  the 
marks  of  her  high-bred  origin.  Taken  to  California, 
she  was  eminently  successful  on  the  turf  there,  defeating 
all  the  best  horses  against  whom  she  was  engaged  and 
pushing  herself  rapidly  to  the  front  as  a  popular  favorite. 
Finally  having  swept  everything  before  her,  the  California 
turfmen  came  to  believe  that  she  had  developed  a  speed 
that  would  give  her  the  right  to  try  conclusions  with 
the  best  horses  of  the  East,  even  as  she  had  defeated 
the  champions  of  the  Pacific  coast.  Coming  East  in 
1878,  she  was  matched  to  run  against  Ten  Broeck  in 
that  famous  race  of  four-mile  heats  at  Louisville,  that 
resulted  so  disastrously  for  her.  She  was  beaten  to  a 
standstill  and  the  outcome  of  the  match,  as  well  as  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  projected  and  conducted,  was 
for  a  long  time  the  subject  of  a  great  deal  of  unpleasant 
controversy,  especially  on  the  part  of  many  who  believed 
that  it  had  not  been  fairly  managed.  The  same  season 
she  tried  for  the  Cup  at  Minneapolis,  but  was  unsuc- 
cessful. 

Returning  to  the  Pacific  coast,  she  renewed  her  suc- 
cessful career  the  following  spring  by  beating  Mark  L. 
and  Mattie  Moore  in  a  race  for  1 X  miles.  Then  she 
crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  again  and  at  Chicago  won 
the  Garden  City  Cup,  beating  a  field  of  twelve  starters. 
She  ran  away  from  the  entire  field  and  won  the  race  in 
a  canter,  having  left  the  others  behind  her  before  she 
had  reached  the  end  of  the  first  mile.  She  carried  1 1 3 
pounds  and  covered  the  course,  2>^  miles,  in  4  minutes, 
2  seconds.  In  the  field  on  this  occasion  was  every  cup 
winner  of  any  standing  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Her 
time  for  this  distance  is  one  of  the  best  records  that 
stands  to  the  credit  of  cup  events.  Bramble  had  a  lower 
record  when  he  captured  the  Baltimore  Cup  in  4  minutes, 
i^  seconds,  and  Fortuna  won  the  Louisville  Cup  in  4 
minutes,  i^  seconds.  After  this  victory  in  Chicago, 
the  California  mare  was  matched  to  meet  Bramble,  but 
while  she  was  in  training  her  leg  failed  her  and  she  was 
retired  from  the  turf  During  the  five  seasons  that  she 
was  racing  she  ran  sixteen  times  and  was  only  twice 
defeated,  the  first  time  in  the  four-mile  heat  race  with 
Ten  Broeck,  at  Louisville,  and  the  second  time  by  Gov- 
ernor Neptune  for  the  Cup  at  Minneapolis.  In  dashes  at 
from  i/'2  miles  to  3  miles,  she  was  regarded  as  almost 
invincible.  After  she  was  taken  from  the  turf  she  spent 
the  remaining  years  of  her  life  at  the  Santa  Bonita  Ranch 
of  her  owner,  Mr.  E.  J.  Baldwin,  and  there  she  died 
after  having  produced  several  colts  of  distinction. 

During  the  early  seventies  no  horse  in  America  was 
more  widely  known  or  had  a  more  distinguished  repu- 
tation than  Preakness.  He  had  a  notable  career  on  the 
American  turf,  achieved  triumphs  in  England  and  finally 


came  to  an  unfortunate  end.  Bred  by  Mr.  R.  A.  Alex- 
ander, at  the  Woodburn  Stud,  in  1867,  he  was  a  son  of 
Lexington  by  Bayleaf,  who  was  by  Yorkshire.  Among 
his  full  brothers  were  Bayfiower,  Baywood,  Bayswater, 
Bayonet,  Beacon  and  Niagara.  He  was  purchased  by 
Mr.  M.  H.  Sanford,  as  a  yearling,  but  did  not  appear 
upon  the  track  until  in  his  three-year  old  form,  and  even 
then  ran  only  once,  at  the  first  fall  meeting  of  the  Mary- 
land Jockey  Club  at  Baltimore,  when  he  captured  the 
Dinner  Party  Stakes,  which  was  then  the  first  time  run 
for,  and  for  which  he  had  been  specially  trained.  He  was 
a  horse  of  strong  constitution  and  great  power,  but  re- 
quired careful  training  and  handling.  His  winning  of  the 
Dinner  Party  Stakes,  which  was  worth  $18,500,  and, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Bailie  Peyton  Stakes,  was  the 
richest  ever  run  in  America,  established  his  reputation  at 
once. 

In  his  four-year  old  form  he  won  three  races  out  of  the 
seven  in  which  he  was  started,  the  Westchester  Cup  and 
the  Maturity  Stakes  at  Jerome  Park,  and  the  Pimlico 
Stakes  at  Baltimore.  As  a  five-year  old  he  started  nine 
times  but  succeeded  in  winning  only  twice.  When  he 
came  out  in  1873  he  was  able  to  win  the  Long  Branch 
Stakes  and  the  Manhattan  Jockey  Club  and  Grand  Na- 
tional Handicaps  at  Jerome  Park.  The  following  year, 
when  he  was  seven  years  old,  he  was  entered  in  seven 
races  and  won  four.  His  last  season  in  his  native  land 
was  in  1875.  He  started  in  by  winning  the  Baltimore 
Cup  at  Pimlico  Park  in  the  spring  of  that  year  and  then 
was  taken  to  Saratoga,  where  he  was  specially  prepared 
and  entered  for  the  Saratoga  Cup.  There  he  was  called 
upon  to  contest  with  a  field  of  six  of  the  greatest  cracks 
of  that  period.  Springbok,  Olitipa,  Grinstead,  Aaron  Pen- 
nington, Rutherford  and  Wildidle.  The  previous  year 
he  had  fought  stubbornly  with  Springbok  for  the  cup, 
and  the  second  meeting  of  the  two  was  looked  upon  as 
likely  to  be  one  of  the  sensational  events  of  the  year. 
Expectation  was  not  disappointed  for,  in  this  trial,  the 
race  resulted  in  a  dead  heat  between  the  two  after  one  of 
the  fiercest  struggles  ever  known  to  the  turf,  and  in  the 
fastest  time  ever  recorded  for  a  Saratoga  Cup  race. 

Although  eight  years  old  at  that  time  Preakness 
showed  such  remarkable  power  and  almost  youthful 
vigor  that  Mr.  Sanford  decided  to  take  him  to  Europe  as 
the  principal  member  of  the  string  which  he  hoped 
would  carry  his  "dark  blue  "  to  victory  on  many  a  field 
in  the  Old  Country.  The  turf  career  of  the  old  stallion, 
was,  however,  at  an  end.  His  performances  in  England 
were  only  a  source  of  grievous  disappointment  to  his 
owner  and  admirers,  and  gave  the  English  turfites 
another  opportunity  to  declaim  against  the  American 
thoroughbred.  Although  started  several  times,  he  suc- 
ceeded only  in  walking  over  for  the  Brighton  Cup,  his 
best  performance  being  third  place  to  New  Holland  and 


I 
1 


94 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Temple  Bar  for  the  Goodwood  Cup.  Being  withdrawn 
from  the  tuif,  he  was  purchased  by  the  Duke  of  Hamil- 
ton, who  set  great  store  by  his  form  and  for  a  few  years 
he  did  good  service  in  the  stud,  getting  several  excellent 
performers,  particularly  Sweets  and  Fiddler.  Finally  he 
developed  a  violent  temper,  so  that  it  was  difficult  to 
manage  him,  and  his  owner  had  him  shot. 

A  famous  daughter  of  Lexington  was  Nevada,  a  bay 
mare,  bred  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Alexander,  of  the  Woodburn 
Stud,  and  foaled  in  1869.  She  was  out  of  Lightsome  by 
imported  Glencoe,  and  nothing  further  than  the  mere 
statement  of  the  Lexington  descent  is  needed  to  show 
the  superb  quality  of  her  blood.  She  did  not  run  as  a 
two-year  old,  but  in  her  three-year  old  form  won  two 
out  of  the  five  races  in  which  she  was  engaged,  her 
most  important  success  being  the  West  End  Hotel 
Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park,  for  which  she  defeated, 
among  others,  Mr.  McGrath's  Jury.  In  the  autumn  of 
the  same  year  at  Baltimore  she  won  the  three-year  old 
sweepstakes  at  one  mile,  beating  Sue  Ryder  and  im- 
ported Buckden.  When  the  season  of  1873  opened  she 
began  by  winning  mile  heats  at  Nashville,  and  then  ran 
three  races  at  Monmouth  Park,  in  each  of  which  she  was 
defeated.  Showing  a  lame  leg  her  turf  career  was 
abruptly  brought  to  an  end  and  she  was  sent  to  the 
stud. 

As  a  brood  mare  she  was  eminently  successful,  trans- 
mitting to  her  progeny  the  best  qualities  of  the  Lex- 
ington and  other  great  families  from  which  she  was 
descended.  In  1874,  she  produced  the  bay  filly 
Nova  Zembla  by  imported  Glengarry.  In  1876,  she 
threw  the  bay  filly  Emma  Cooper,  also  by  imported 
Glengarry.  In  1877,  she  produced  the  bay  colt,  Luke 
Blackburn  by  Bonnie  Scotland,  in  1878,  the  bay  colt 
Greenland,  and  the  following  year  the  bay  filly  Green 
Age,  both  by  imported  Glengarry.  Her  most  successful 
sons  were  Luke  Blackburn  and  Greenland,  especially 
the  former,  who  developed  into  one  of  the  greatest 
race  horses  of  this  generation.  Nevada  was  of  medium 
size,  I'^yi.  hands  high,  of  fine  proportions,  and  as  hand- 
some a  mare  as  was  ever  seen  upon  the  course  or  in  the 
stud. 

A  famous  son  of  Enquirer,  Falsetto,  who  was  foaled 
in  1876,  cut  a  considerable  figure  during  the  years  that 
he  was  upon  the  turf,  and  his  get  have  also  been 
distinguished  performers.  His  dam  was  Farfaletta, 
daughter  of  Australian  and  Elkhorn.  Thus  he  had 
numerous  crosses  of  all  the  great  thoroughbred  families, 
his  sire  transmitting  to  him  the  blood  of  Leamington  and 
Lexington  and  their  progenitors,  while  his  dam  gave  him 
the  blood  of  the  Australian,  Melbourne,  Emilius,  Lexing- 
ton and  Glencoe  stock.  His  grandam,  Elkhorna,  was 
by  Lexington,  out  of  Glencona,  who  was  by  Glencoe. 
Falsetto  did  not  start  as  a  two-year  old,   but  when  he 


came  upon  the  turf  in  the  ensuing  year  he  swept  the 
course,  being  only  once  beaten,  and  then  by  Lord 
Murphy  for  the  Kentucky  Derby.  His  winning  races 
were  the  Phoenix  Hotel  Stakes,  in  2  minutes,  8^ 
seconds;  the  Clark  Stakes,  in  3  minutes,  ^oyi  seconds; 
the  Travers  Stakes,  in  3  minutes,  9X  seconds,  defeating 
Spendthrift,  Harold,  Jericho  and  Dan  Sparling,  and  the 
Kenner  Stakes,  in  3  minutes,  39^  seconds,  defeating 
Spendthrift,  Jericho,  Monitor  and  Harold.  After  the  close 
of  his  three-old  career,  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  purchased 
him  and  added  him  to  his  English  stable.  In  the  Old 
World,  however,  he  never  came  to  the  track,  but  break- 
ing down  in  preparation,  was  returned  to  the  United 
States  and  entered  the  Woodburn  Stud.  As  a  sire  he 
won  a  reputation  second  to  none  in  his  generation. 
The  list  of  high-classed  performers  that  he  produced  is 
long  and  imposing.  His  most  celebrated  get  were  Dew- 
drop,  Rupert,  Fordham,  Gascon,  Patron,  Portchester, 
Frontenac,  Counter-Tenor,  Miss  Dixie,  Pearl  Song  and 
Bright  Phoebus.  In  1895,  forty-three  out  of  fifty-six  of 
his  get  that  started  were  winners. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  decade  just  preceding  the  Civil 
War  Planet,  by  Revenue  out  of  Nina  by  Boston,  was 
the  hero  of  many  exploits,  and  was  considered  by  ex- 
perts to  be  the  best  race  horse  that  had  been  run  in 
America  since  Lexington  had  left  the  turf.  Planet  was 
of  the  same  blood  as  Alice  Hawthorne,  the  queen  of 
the  turf  in  her  day,  nearly,  if  not  quite,  the  best  race 
mare  that  was  run  in  England  forty  years  and  more  ago, 
and  the  dam  of  Thormanby,  a  Derby  winner,  both  Planet 
and  Alice  Hawthorne  being  descended  from  Eclipse, 
Diomed  and  Lottery.  In  his  veins  Planet  also  united  the 
blood  of  Timoleon  and  Sir  Charles,  the  two  great  sons 
of  Sir  Archy.  His  great  achievement  was  in  defeating 
Congaree  and  Daniel  Boone  for  a  $20,000  sweepstakes 
on  the  Fashion  Course,  Long  Island,  in  September,  i860. 
In  February  of  the  following  year  he  met  Albine  on  the 
course  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  in  a  four-mile  heat  contest 
and  was  defeated  in  two  straight  heats,  although  up  to 
that  time  he  had  been  deemed  by  many  invincible  at 
that  distance.  The  time  of  the  two  heats  was  7  min- 
utes, 36^3  seconds  and  7  minutes,  42^2.  seconds. 

Planet  belonged  at  that  time  to  the  Messrs.  Doswell, 
of  Virginia.  Albine,  who  was  a  four-year  old,  was  by 
Jeff  Davis,  out  of  a  dam  by  imported  Monarch.  Her 
pedigree  was  unexceptionable.  She  was  got  by  Jeff 
Davis,  out  of  a  dam  by  imported  Monarch,  out  of  im- 
ported Eliza  by  Filho-da-Puta,  and  represented  through 
her  sire  the  best  blood  of  South  Carolina,  Bertrand,  Bert- 
rand,  Jr.,  Hero  and  Jeff  Davis.  Hero,  the  sire  of  Jeff 
Davis,  was  one  of  the  finest  horses  ever  upon  the  South 
Carolina  turf.  Albine  was  bred  by  Colonel  James  Fer- 
guson and  was  a  chestnut,  1  s  hands,  3  inches  high,  with 
a  streak  of  white  in  the  face  and  a  little  white  on  the 

95 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


near  hind  foot.  In  her  four-year  old  form  she  beat 
Nicholas  I.  a  two-mile  race,  and  the  same  year  defeated 
Exchecquer  in  a  three-mile  race  and  won  the  Puryear 
Stakes,  three-mile  heats,  beating  Fanny  Washington,  an- 
other very  fast  one,  over  a  track  that  was  covered  with 
December  mud  and  snow. 

Harry  Bassett  was  foaled  in  1868  and  bred  by  Mr.  A. 
J.  Alexander,  of  the  Woodburn  Stud.  He  was  one  of 
the  most  famous  sons  of  Lexington.  His  dam  was 
Canary  Bird  by  imported  Albion;  his  second  dam 
Penola  by  imported  Ainderby;  his  third  dam  imported 
Sweetbriar  by  Recovery;  his  fourth  dam  Priinrose  by 
Comus;  his  fifth  dam  Cowslip  by  Cockfighter;  his  sixth 
dam  Brown  Javelin  by  Javelin;  his  seventh  dam  Young 
Maiden  by  Highflyer;  his  eighth  dam  Maiden  by 
Matchem ;  his  ninth  dam  the  celebrated  Pratt  mare  by 
Squirt  and  his  tenth  dam,  Lot's  dam  by  Mogul.  His 
third  dam,  Sweetbriar,  was  imported  in  1838  by 
Colonel  Lucius  J.  Polk,  of  the  Ashwood  Stud,  Ten- 
nessee, who  also  imported  Ainderby,  the  sire  of  Penola, 
his  second  dam.  Canary  Bird  was  also  the  dam,  by 
Lexington,  of  the  celebrated  Charlie  Howard,  better 
known,  perhaps,  as  Brother  to  Bassett. 

As  a  two-year  old,  Harry  Bassett  made  his  first 
appearance  upon  the  turf  when  he  finished  third  in  the 
race  at  Saratoga  in  July,  1870.  The  next  month  he  won 
the  Kentucky  Stakes,  one  mile,  beating  Buckshot,  Susan 
Beane,  Aureola,  Idaho  and  others  in  i  minute,  51^  sec- 
onds. At  Jerome  Park,  the  same  year,  he  won  the 
Nursery  Stakes  in  i  minute,  49X  seconds.  At  Balti- 
more, he  won  the  Supper  Stakes,  distance,  one  mile, 
beating  Madam  Dudley,  in  i  minute,  49'X  seconds.  He 
began  his  third  year  in  good  fashion  by  winning  the 
Belmont  Stakes  at  Jerome  Park  in  2  minutes,  56  seconds, 
defeating  Newport,  Tubman,  Monarchist  and  others,  and 
at  Long  Branch,  in  July,  he  won  the  Jersey  Derby  in  2 
minutes,  ^2ji  seconds,  defeating  Monarchist,  Idaho, 
Wanderer  and  others.  At  Saratoga  he  won  the  Travers 
Stakes  in  3  minutes,  21^  seconds,  and  the  Kenner 
Stakes  in  3  minutes,  35^  seconds.  At  Jerome  Park,  for 
the  Champion  Stakes,  he  again  defeated  Monarchist  and 
others  in  3  minutes,  54^  seconds.  At  Baltimore,  the 
same  year,  he  had  a  walkover  for  the  Reunion  Stakes 
and  beat  Preakness  and  Telegram,  two  and  one-half 
miles,  in  5  minutes,  41 X  seconds.  At  the  same  place, 
in  the  same  month,  he  beat  Humbold  for  the  Bowie 
Stakes  in  two  straight  four-mile  heats  in  7  minutes,  54^ 
seconds  and  8  minutes,  3/^  seconds. 

During  his  fourth  year  he  defeated  Lyttleton  for  the 
Westchester  Cup  at  Jerome  Park,  two  and  one-quarter 
miles,  in  4  minutes,  18^  seconds;  was  defeated  by 
Longfellow  for  the  Monmouth  Cup  at  Long  Branch;  de- 
feated Longfellow  at  Saratoga;  defeated  Lyttleton  at 
Saratoga,- three  miles,  in  5  minutes,  43^  seconds;  was 


defeated  by  Monarchist,  for  the  Maturity  Stakes,  in  5 
minutes,  34^^  seconds,  and  was  also  defeated  a  second 
time  by  Monarchist.  As  a  five-year  old  he  had  many 
reverses,  running  second,  third  or  unplaced  to  such 
horses  as  Joe  Daniels,  Hubbard,  Wanderer,  Preakness 
and  Crockford,  but  he  won  the  Handicap  Sweepstakes 
at  Jerome  Park  in  3  minutes,  39^  seconds,  and  at  Balti- 
more beat  Shylock,  Warlike,  Dick  Jackson  and  others. 
In  1874,  he  was  scarcely  more  successful  than  in  1873, 
being  defeated  in  several  races  by  such  horses  as 
Countess,  Grinstead  and  Balankeel.  He  then  retired 
from  the  turf  and  went  into  the  stud,  where  he  got  colts 
of  high  form  and  good  speed.  He  died  in  October, 
1878. 

Imported  Phaeton,  the  sire  of  the  great  Ten  Broeck, 
left  two  other  sons  of  merit.  King  Alfonso  and  St.  Martin. 
Bred  in  1872  by  Mr.  Warren  Viley,  near  Midway,  Ky., 
King  Alfonso  was  out  of  Capitola,  a  bay  mare  by  Van- 
dal, her  dam  being  a  Margrave-Mistletoe  mare.  Capitola 
was  own  sister  to  General  Abe  Buford's  colt,  Versailles. 
In  his  two-year  old  form,  in  1874,  King  Alfonso  was  en- 
tered in  two  races,  in  both  of  which  he  ran  unplaced. 
In  1875,  he  won  the  Kentucky  St.  Leger,  two  miles,  at 
Louisville,  in  3  minutes,  34 J^  seconds;  the  Tobacco 
Stakes  at  Louisville,  mile  heats,  in  i  minute,  44>-2  seconds 
and  I  minute,  45^2  seconds;  the  Gait  House  Stakes,  at 
Louisville,  two-mile  heats,  in  3  minutes,  34  seconds,  3 
minutes,  40%  seconds  and  3  minutes,  49  seconds,  and 
the  Link  Hotel  Stakes,  at  Nashville,  mile  heats,  in  i 
minute,  45  seconds  and  i  minute,  47^  seconds.  In 
three  races  he  beat  the  great  Ten  Broeck  and  was 
regarded  as  the  best  three-year  old  in  the  West.  He 
was  expected  to  accomplish  wonders  in  the  follow- 
ing season,  and  was  entered  for  all  the  leading  stakes 
and  cup  events  of  the  East.  It  was  thought  that  he  was 
a  sure  winner  for  the  Westchester  Cup,  but  before  he 
had  a  chance  to  come  out  at  the  first  meeting  of  the 
season,  he  broke  down-  and  was  withdrawn  from  the 
track.  Placed  in  the  stud,  to  succeed  Lexington  and 
Planet  at  Woodburn,  he  became  the  sire  of  some  of  the 
great  horses  of  the  next  generation.  His  most  famous 
son  was  Foxhall,  who  won  honors  for  his  country  in 
France  and  England.  Others  of  his  get  were  Grenada., 
Fonso,  Quito,  Telemachus,  Golden  Gate,  Kate  Creel  and 
Vera. 

Few,  if  any,  fillies  that  have  ever  appeared  upon  the- 
American  turf  have  been  the  superior  of  Thora,  and,  by 
many  competent  judges,  she  was  even  considered  to 
have  been  without  a  rival.  At  long  intervals,  both  in 
England  and  America,  fillies  have  appeared  that  were 
capable  of  holding  their  own  with  the  better  class  of 
colts.  In  England  the  names  of  Eleanor,  Fleur  de  Lis, 
Beeswing,  Alice  Hawthorne,  Crucifix,  Blink  Bonny, 
Achievement  and  Jeannette,   will  most  readily  occur  in 


96 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


this  connection.  In  America,  we  iiave  had  Beeswing, 
Charmer,  Sarah  Bladden,  Ann  Watson,  Salina,  Nellie 
Ransom,  Ferida,  and  a  lew  others,  but  foremost  among 
them  all  will  stand  Thora.  The  daughter  of  Longtellow 
and  Susan  Ann,  she  had  both  Leamington  and  Lexing- 
ton blood,  and,  through  her  grandam,  Roxana,  traced 
to  Emilius,  Priam,  Worthless,  Whiskey,  Tranby,  Black- 
lock,  Diomed,  Florizel  and  others.  In  her  pedigree 
there  were  several  crosses  of  Eclipse,  Uuroc,  Diomed, 
Florizel,  Messenger  and  Mambrino. 

Bred  by  Mr.  Henry  P.  McGrath,  Thora  was  foaled  in 
1878,  and  sold  as  a  yearling  to  Mr.  Charles  Reed.  She 
was  a  beautiful  claret  bay,  nearly  16  hands  high,  and 
was  one  of  the  most  admired  horses  on  the  turf  in 
her  day.  She  was  a  stout  traveler  and  had  remarkable 
staying  qualities,  reproducing  in  this  respect  the  quali- 
ties of  such  of  her  ancestors  as  Sir  Archy,  Boston,  Lex- 
ington, Priam,  Whalebone,  Waxy  and  others.  As  a 
two-year  old,  her  first  engagement  was  for  the  Juvenile 
Stakes,  at  Jerome  Park,  at  the  Spring  Meeting  in  1880. 
She  failed,  however,  even  to  secure  a  place,  and  also  ran 
unplaced  for  a  purse  and  for  the  Flash  Stakes  at  Saratoga. 
Her  first  success  was  for  a  purse  at  the  Saratoga  Meet- 
ing, five  furlongs,  running  the  distance  in  i  minute,  4J^ 
seconds,  and  defeating  Bonny  Lizzie,  Midgely,  Jewelry, 
Sportsman  and  others.  Her  next  winning  was  at  the 
Saratoga  Second  Meeting,  when  she  carried  off  the  Day 
Boat  Line  Stakes,  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  in  i  minute, 
17X  seconds,  defeating  Hindoo,  Bonny  Lizzie,  Midgely 
and  others.  At  the  Baltimore  Fall  Meeting,  she  won 
the  Merchants  Stakes,  one  mile,  in  i  minute,  44}^ 
seconds,  defeating  Crickmore  and  Stark,  and  also  won  a 
purse  at  the  same  meeting,  one  rflile  in  i  minute,  47}^ 
seconds.  She  was  now  regarded  as  among  the  best  of 
the  two-year  olds  of  1880,  being  classed  with  Spinaway, 
Barrett,  Hindoo,  Crickmore,  Ripple  and  Springfield. 

Opening  the  season  of  1881  by  running  unplaced  to 
Neufchatel  for  the  Rancocas  Handicap,  she  won  a  purse 
at  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  at  the  Sheepshead  Bay  Spring 
Meeting,  in  i  minute,  16  seconds,  beating  Checkmate, 
Blue  Lodge,  Victim,  Greenland,  and  other  good  ones. 
At  the  same  meeting  she  won  the  Mermaid  Stakes  in  i 
minute,  57  seconds,  with  astonishing  ease,  beating 
Spark  and  Aella.  She  then  was  successful  for  the  Mon- 
mouth.Oaks,  again  defeating  Aella  and  Spark,  \}(  miles, 
2  minutes,  14^^  seconds.  Moving  on  to  Saratoga,  she 
ran  second  to  Checkmate  for  the  Excelsior  Stakes,  but 
left  behind  her  a  field  that  included  Parole,  Crickmore, 
Ripple  and  Oden.  She  succeeded  in  winning  the  Ala- 
bama Stakes  in  i  minute,  59^^  seconds,  defeating  Bonnie 
Lizzie  and  Brambaletta,  and  then  had  a  string  of  triumphs 
that  included  the  winning  of  the  Clarendon  Hotel  Stakes, 
the  Relief  Stakes,  and  the  Baden  Baden  Handicap  at 
Saratoga,   the  West   End   Hotel   Stakes   st  Monmouth 


Park,  a  handicap  sweepstakes  at  the  Jerome  Park  Fall 
Meeting,  and  the  Pimlico  Stakes  at  the  Baltimore  Fall 
Meeting.  As  a  tv/o-year  old,  she  ran  eleven  times  and 
won  four  races,  being  second  twice  and  unplaced  five 
times.  As  a  three-year  old,  she  won  eleven  out  of 
fifteen  races,  being  second  in  two,  third  in  one,  and 
unplaced  in  one.  Her  winnings  in  the  two  years  were 
$18,485.  She  had  no  equal  on  the  American  turf  over 
great  distances  of  ground,  and  was  universally  classed 
with  such  horses  as  Luke  Blackburn,  Hindoo  and  Crick- 
more at  all  distances. 

From  the  great  army  of  thoroughbreds  that  unceasingly 
raced  over  the  turf  during  the  seventies  and  eighties,  it 
is  possible  to  record  even  the  names  of  only  a  compara- 
tive few.  Some  have  already  been  referred  to  upon 
preceding  pages,  but  scores  and  hundreds  are  not  less 
deserving  of  recognition  or  of  having  their  deeds  per- 
petuated. There  was  Runnymede,  daughter  of  imported 
Billet  and  Mercedes.  His  dam  was  by  Melbourne,  Jr., 
out  of  Lady  Hadaway,  and  through  her  he  derived  from 
the  Melbourne  and  Birdcatcher  families  of  England,  and 
the  Boston  and  Union  families  of  America.  Among 
many  victories  that  Runnymede  placed  to  his  credit  was 
the  Tennessee  Stakes  and  the  Tidal  Stakes  in  1882,  and 
he  defeated  Apollo,  Macbeth,  Bedouin,  Turco,  and  other 
good  ones.  Buchanan,  who  won  the  Kentucky  Derby 
in  1883,  was  a  full  brother  to  Harry  Gilmore,  being  by 
imported  Bucden  out  of  Mrs.  Grigsby,  his  dam  being  by 
Wagner  and  Folly,  daughter  of  imported  Yorkshire  and 
Fury.  Buchanan's  winning  of  the  Derby  was  some- 
what of  a  surprise,  since,  in  1883,  he  had  the  discom- 
forting record  of  running  six  races  without  winning  one. 

Imported  Pizarro  was  one  of  the  strong  cards  of  Mr. 
Pierre  Lorillard's  stable  in  1882  and  1883.  He  was  by 
Adventurer  out  of  Milliner,  his  sire  coming  from  Touch- 
stone and  Emilius  and  his  dam  from  Rataplan,  the 
Baron,  Pocahontas  and  Birdcatcher.  He  was  bred  in 
1880,  and,  as  a  weanling,  was  sold  to  Mr.  Lorillard  for 
420  guineas.  He  proved  in  time  to  be  one  of  the  best 
horses,  either  in  the  Old  or  in  the  New  World.  As  a 
two-year  old,  he  made  his  first  appearance  in  the  Surf 
Stakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  running  unplaced  to  Jacobus, 
and  also  ran  unplaced  in  the  Hopeful  Stakes  at  Mon- 
mouth Park,  his  second  appearance.  After  that  he 
began  winning,  taking  a  purse  at  Monmouth  Park,  the 
Atlantic  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park,  when  he  defeated 
ten  others,  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  in  i  minute,  i6)4 
seconds,  and  the  Red  Bank  Stakes  at  the  same  place,  the 
same  distance  and  the  same  time.  In  subsequent  years, 
he  won  some  of  the  most  important  fixtures  of  the 
Eastern  turf. 

Above  all  else  an  American  horse,  Pat  Malloy  had  in 
his  pedigree  crosses  of  nearly  all  of  the  early  families 
upon    which     the    American    tun     was    constructed. 


97 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Probably  few  horses  that  have  been  identified  with  the 
turf  in  the  United  States  have  been  better  or  more  fully 
bred,  or  could  boast  of  more  royal  lineage.  His  sire  was 
the  immortal  Lexington,  and  that  gave  him  the  crosses 
of  Boston,  Timoleon,  Sir  Archy,  Sarpedon,  Emilius  and 
others.  On  the  side  of  his  dam  his  blood  was  none  the 
less  potent.  His  dam  was  Gloriana,  daughter  of 
American  Eclipse  and  Trifle.  Nothing  need  be  said  of 
the  strength  of  American  Eclipse,  whose  career  is  never 
absent  from  the  mind  of  the  student  of  the  American 
turf.  Through  him  crosses  of  Duroc,  Diomed,  Messen- 
ger and  others  were  the  heritage  of  Pat  Malloy.  Trifle, 
the  dam  of  Gloriana,  was  one  of  the  most  famous  race 
mares  of  her  age,  a  daughter  of  Sir  Charles,  who  was  by 
Sir  Archy.  Gloriana  was  bred  in  1846  by  Mr.  John  C. 
Guild,  of  Tennessee,  and  while  not  being  noted  as  a 
racer,  added  to  the  value  of  the  American  turf  by  her 
services  in  the  stud. 

Pat  Malloy,  who  was  bred  in  the  Woodburn  Stud, 
was  foaled  in  1865.  As  a  two-year  old  he  won  the 
Young  America  Stakes,  at  Nashville,  in  i  minute,  'yO}( 
seconds,  and  in  his  three-year  old  form  was  highly  suc- 
cessful, winning  a  purse  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  mile  heats, 
best  three  in  five,  the  time  being  i  minute,  59  seconds, 
2  minutes,  i  second,  2  minutes,  2  seconds,  2  minutes,  4 
seconds,  and  2  minutes,  6}^  seconds;  the  Senate  Stakes 
at  Memphis,  2  miles,  in  4  minutes,  8}(  seconds;  a  purse 
at  Nashville,  i}{  miles,  in  2  minutes,  \8}4  seconds;  the 
Southern  Hotel  Stakes  at  St.  Louis,  two-mile  heats,  the 
time  being  3  minutes,  44^;;  seconds,  5  minutes,  44^ 
seconds,  and  3  minutes,  50^  seconds;  the  Chicago 
Stakes  at  Chicago,  mile  heats,  the  time  being  i  minute, 
47^  seconds,  i  minute,  48)4!  seconds,  and  i  minute,  49 
seconds;  and  the  Union  Stock  Yard's  Purse  at  Chicago, 
2)4  miles,  in  4  minutes,  45^^  seconds.  In  1870,  he  was 
relegated  to  the  stud  and  there  produced  Bob  Miles,  dam 
Dolly  Morgan;  Charlemagne,  dam  Alice  Buford;  Reveler, 
dam  Schottische;  Pathfinder,  dam  Amy  Farley,  and  other 
good  ones. 

Fellowcraft's  principal  title  to  fame  will  rest  securely 
upon  his  achievement  in  wresting  from  the  immortal 
Lexington  the  record  laurel  for  the  four  mile  distance, 
when,  in  1874,  he  broke  the  record  from  7  minutes,  19^ 
seconds,  to  7  minutes,  igj^  seconds.  Bred  by  Mr.  A. 
J.  Alexander,  of  Woodburn,  Ky.,  he  was  foaled  in  1870. 
He  was  a  son  of  Australian,  who  was  a  son  of  West 


Australian  and  Emilia.  Through  the  West  Australian 
line  he  traced  to  Melbourne,  Humphrey  Clinker,  Touch- 
stone, and  other  great  English  thoroughbreds.  Emilia, 
the  dam  of  his  sire,  was  a  daughter  of  Young  Emilius 
and  Persian,  Young  Emilius  being  a  son  of  Emilius  and 
Shoveler,  and  Persian  being  a  daughter  of  Whisker 
and  Variety.  The  dam  of  Fellowcraft  transmitted  to 
him  the  blood  of  Lexington,  Boston,  Glencoe  and  Medoc. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Lexington,  and  her  dam  was 
Florine,  daughter  of  Glencoe  and  Melody,  the  latter 
being  by  Medoc.  As  a  two-year  old,  Fellowcraft  started 
in  five  races,  but  was  successful  in  one  only.  As  a 
four-year  old,  he  won  three  races,  a  four-mile,  in  7  min- 
utes, 43  seconds;  a  ij4  mile,  in  2  minutes,  42  seconds, 
and  his  famous  four-mile  against  Lexington's  time. 
While  on  the  turf  he  started  in  twenty-six  races,  being 
first  in  five,  second  in  four,  third  in  five,  and  unplaced 
in  twelve.  After  he  was  retired  to  the  stud,  he  sired 
several  good  racers,  among  them  Knight  Templar,  Blue 
Lodge,  My  Fellow,  Sunrock  and  Fanny  S.  He  died  in 
1897  at  the  Dixiana  Stud,  near  Lexington,  Ky. 

A  New  York  horse  that  ranked  among  the  very  best 
in  his  time  was  Alarm,  who  was  by  imported  Eclipse, 
out  of  imported  Maud,  by  Stockwell.  He  was  bred  by 
Mr.  John  Hunter,  being  foaled  in  1869.  First  called 
Flash,  he  was  named  Alarm  before  he  appeared  on  the 
turf  in  his  two-year  old  form.  His  debut  was  in  a 
match  race  for  $5,000  a  side  against  Inverary,  in  which 
he  was  the  winner.  In  three  other  starts  the  same 
season  he  was  defeated.  When  he  came  to  the  post  as 
a  three-year  old  he  was  in  prime  condition  and  went 
through  the  season  without  meeting  a  defeat,  although 
he  was  called  upon  to  compete  with  the  best  horses  in 
his  class.  Many  of  his  races  were  won  in  a  common 
canter.  Platina,  who  had  beaten  Longfellow,  went 
down  before  him,  and  he  also  beat  Kingfisher,  Fadladeen, 
and  other  good  ones.  Great  things  were  expected  of 
him  in  1873,  and  a  special  match  was  arranged  to  bring 
him.  Kingfisher  and  Tom  Bowling  together,  but  in  his 
preliminary  work  he  pulled  up  lame  and  was  sent  to  the 
stud.  No  fibster  horse  ever  was  on  the  American  turf, 
and  in  the  twenty-one  years  that  he  was  in  the  stud,  from 
1874  until  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1895,  he  became  the 
sire  of  some  of  the  most  phenomenal  later  day  thorough- 
breds, including  Himyar,  Gabriel,  Danger,  Panique, 
Breeze  and  Isaquena. 


98 


RACE   HORSES   PAST   AND   PRESENT 


Champions  Who  Have  Been  Famous  in  Modern  Times — Eolus,  Preakness,  Monitor, 

St.  Blaise,  Hanover  and  Potomac — The  Great  Sprinters,  Salvator, 

Tenny,  Domino,  REauiTAL,  Hamburg  and  Others 


^  N  the  chapter  immediately  preceding  we  have  pre- 
1  )  sented  for  the  most  part  an  account  of  some  of  the 
If  great  thoroughbreds  who  were  conspicuous  in  the 
earlier  periods  of  the  American  turf.  The  review 
of  the  pedigrees  and  performances  there  outlined  is  in 
itself  measurably  a  history  of  the  turf  of  the  United 
States  for  a  round  century.  Moreover,  it  reveals  the 
foundation  of  the  great  American  thoroughbred  families 
and  shows  the  extent  to  which  those  early  equine  kings 
and  queens  influenced  not  only  the  generations  in  which 
they  lived,  but  also  those  that  have  succeeded  them. 
Their  performances,  both  upon  the  turf  and  in  the 
stud,  constituted  a  golden  equine  age,  and  the  results 
of  their  breeding  have  not  been  surpassed  in  importance 
at  any  point  in  the  history  of  the  country  and  have  been 
equaled  only  in  the  immediate  present.  The  turf  of  to- 
day still  feels  the  effect  of  their  achievements  and 
looks  back  with  admiration  upon  them  and  their 
records,  recognizing  them  as  the  true  founders  of  its 
greatness. 

In  this  chapter  attention  will  be  principally  given  to 
the  lives  of  contemporaneous  thoroughbreds.  It  will  be 
seen  that  these  modern  champions  are  not  less  sturdy  nor 
less  speedy  than  those  who  went  before  them,  but  are  in 
every  way  worthy  descendants  of  worthy  progenitors. 
The  infusion  of  new  blood  during  the  closing  part  of  the 
century  is  also  brought  strongly  to  attention,  and  the 
effect  of  these  recent  importations  from  England,  France 
and  Australia  can  be  clearly  divined  from  a  consideration 
of  the  lives  of  those  that  have  been  the  result  of  this  con- 
temporaneous movement  in  breeding.  It  will  also  be  in- 
teresting to  note  that,  almost  without  exception,  these 
newcomers  trace  back  through  innumerable  crosses  to 
the  same  parent  English  stock  as  the  older  pioneers. 
Arriving  in  the  New  World  they  have  bred  here  to  the 
descendants  of  Diomed,  Glencoe,  Sir  Archy  and  other 
founders  of  the  purely  American  families  with  notable 
results. 

Rayon  d'Or  came  of  the  best  thoroughbred  blood  of 
England  and  France.  He  was  bred  by  C.  Lefevre  at  the 
Chamant  Stud,  in  France,  in  1 876.  He  was  a  rich,  dark  red 
chestnut,  and  gained  his  name,  which  means  ray  of  gold, 
from  the  very  handsome  appearance  of  his  coat.  He 
was  absolutely  pure  in  color,  with  the  single  exception 
of  a  roan  star  on  his  forehead.     Standing  16  hands,  jY^z 


inches  high,  he  was  probably  the  tallest  thoroughbred  in 
America  in  his  time.  He  was  foaled  in  1876  by  Flageolet, 
out  of  Araucaria.  His  sire  was  a  son  of  Plutus  and  La 
Favorita,  Plutus  being  descended  from  Orlando,  Cavatina, 
Planet  and  Alice  Gray,  and  La  Favorita  through  her  par- 
ents, Monarque  and  Constance,  tracing  to  The  Baron, 
Poetess,  Gladiator  and  Lanterne.  Araucaria  was  a 
daughter  of  Ambrose  and  Pocahontas,  through  whom 
Rayon  d'Or  traced  to  Touchstone,  Glencoe,  Camel, 
Priam,  Sultan,  Trampoline  and  other  great  English  thor- 
oughbreds. Flageolet  was  bred  by  the  Count  Legrange  at 
the  Dangu  Stud,  France,  in  1870,  and  his  pedigree  com- 
bined the  blood  of  Touchstone,  Bay  Middleton,  Venison 
and  Glencoe,  deriving  from  Glencoe,  through  Darkness, 
who  was  a  winner  of  the  Ascot  Stakes. 

Through  his  dam.  La  Favorita,  Flageolet  also  had  the 
blood  of  Whalebone,  Defence  and  Catton.  He  was  very 
successful  on  the  turf  and  even  more  so  in  the  stud.  Be- 
sides Rayon  d'Or  he  got  Zut  and  Beauminer,  French 
Derby  winners,  Versigny,  winner  of  the  French  Oaks, 
and  Ultima,  Louvenciennes  and  Compte  Alfred.  Arau- 
caria, the  dam  of  Rayon  d'Or,  was  a  bay  mare  bred  in 
1862  by  the  Marquis  of  Exeter.  Her  sire,  Ambrose,  was 
the  trial  horse  of  Stockwell,  and  in  his  private  running 
had  remarkably  good  record.  Araucaria  was  not  suc- 
cessful on  the  turf,  being  only  one  time  a  winner,  but  as 
a  brood  mare  she  was  surpassed  by  none  in  her  class  in 
Europe,  transmitting  to  her  progeny  all  the  best  qualities 
of  the  famous  Pocahontas  and  of  her  ancestors  for  several 
generations  back.  Among  her  most  famous  get,  in  addi- 
tion to  Rayon  d'Or,  was  Chamant,  by  Mortemer.  Cha- 
mant, who  died  in  1898  at  the  Prussian  Royal  Stud  at 
Graditze,  was  one  of  the  best  race  horses  of  his  day  and 
a  phenomenally  successful  sire.  He  raced  in  England  in 
the  colors  of  Count  Frederick  de  le  Grange.  As  a  two- 
year  old  he  won  both  the  Middle  Park  _  Plate  and  the 
Dewhurst  Plate,  and  in  1877  won  the  Two  Thousand 
Guineas  in  a  canter.  He  became  lame  shortly  after  this 
race,  which  prevented  him  from  winning  the  Derby  and 
the  St.  Leger,  as  he  was  far  and  away  the  best  horse  in 
the  field  for  both  those  events.  A  few  years  afterward 
he  was  purchased  by  Count  Lehndorff  for  the  Prussian 
Government  for  $20,000,  which  was  considered  a  small 
price.  Before  his  death  his  progeny  had  established 
themselves  as  among  the  great  race  horses  of  Europe, 


99 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


having  won  over  $1,000,000  in  Germany,  Austria  and 
Hungary. 

Of  sucli  distinguisiied  lineage,  Rayon  d'Or  rivaled  the 
best  of  his  brothers  and  sisters  in  the  fame  of  his  accom- 
plishments. As  a  two-year  old  he  began  a  notable  career 
by  winning  the  Levant  Stakes  at  Goodwood,  and  fol- 
lowed this  up  by  carrying  off  a  two-year  old  sweepstakes 
at  Doncaster  and  the  Clearwell  and  Glasgow  Stakes  at 
Newmarket.  His  great  successes  came  to  him  in  his 
three-year  old  form,  when  he  won  the  Doncaster,  St. 
Leger,  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  St.  James  Palace 
Stakes  at  Ascot,  the  Sussex  Stakes  at  Goodwood,  and 
the  Great  Foal,  Select,  Champion  and  Second  Great  Chal- 
lenge Stakes  at  Newmarket.  For  the  Derby  he  ran  un- 
placed, and  came  in  third  for  the  Two  Thousand  Guineas. 
In  his  four-year  old  form  he  was  five  times  at  the  front 
in  the  six  starts  that  he  made,  and  ran  second  the  other 
time  for  the  Hardwick  Stakes,  when  he  conceded  the 
winner  ten  pounds.  His  victories  were  the  Prix  du 
Cadran  and  the  Prix  Rainbow  at  Paris,  the  Post  and  the 
Prince  of  Wales  Stakes  at  Newmarket,  and  the  Rous 
Memorial  Stakes  at  Ascot.  Imported  in  1882  by  the  Hon- 
orable W.  L.  Scott,  he  was  placed  in  the  Algeria  Stud  at 
Erie,  Pa.,  and  achieved  marked  success  as  a  stallion. 
He  was  afterward  owned  by  the  Honorable  August 
Belmont,  and  stood  for  several  years  in  the  Nursery  Stud. 
His  death  occurred  in  i8q6.  Among  his  most  famous 
descendants  have  been  Tenny,  Chaos,  Banquet,  Torso, 
Tea  Tray,  Rubicon,  Don  de  Oro,  Octagon,  Souffle  and 
Maurice. 

During  his  seven  years'  career  on  the  turf  Freeland  was 
started  sixty  times.  In  thirty  races  he  won  brackets,  and 
twenty-one  were  stakes.  His  record  was  remarkable 
even  in  a  period  when  there  were  many  great  horses 
running  on  the  American  turf.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
notable  sons  of  Longfellow,  his  dam  being  Belle  Knight, 
by  Knightwood,  and  his  second  dam  Kentucky  Belle,  by 
Goodwood.  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  F.  B.  Harper,  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  afterward  became  the  property  of  Mr.  Ed 
Corrigan,  in  whose  colors  he  raced  for  six  years.  As  a 
three-year  old  he  won  the  Phoenix  Hotel,  the  Maiden,  the 
Fall  City  and  the  Louisville  Stakes.  In  his  four-year  old 
form  he  took  the  Cincinnati  Hotel  and  the  Louisville 
Stakes.  When  he  was  five  years  old  several  important 
events  fell  to  him,  including  the  Distillers',  the  Dixiana, 
the  Merchants',  the  Turf,  the  Boulevard,  the  Excelsior 
and  the  Columbia  Stakes  and  the  Citizens'  Plate.  Among 
his  winnings  in  other  years  were  the  Boulevard,  the 
Excelsior,  the  Champion,  the  Special  and  the  Mer- 
chants' Stakes  and  the  Morrissey  Handicap.  His  races 
with  the  great  mare  Miss  Woodford  at  Monmouth  Park, 
in  188s,  were  classed  among  the  stirring  events  in  the 
racing  world  of  that  year.  On  August  10,  he  defeated 
Miss  Woodford  for  the  Champion  Stakes,  \yi  miles,  and 


eight  days  later  defeated  her  again  for  the  Special  Stakes, 
I  %  miles.  The  result  of  these  two  victories  brought 
about  another  match  for  $2, 500  a  side  between  the  two 
horses,  with  $2,500  added  by  the  Monmouth  Park  Asso- 
ciation. This  time  Miss  Woodford  won  by  a  head.  A 
month  later  the  two  met  again  in  a  sweepstakes  for  all 
ages,  \}(  miles.  Modesty,  Monogram,  Richmond  and 
Bersan  also  contesting,  and  Freeland  won  in  a  canter  by 
four  lengths  in  2  minutes,  8  seconds.  After  his  turf 
career  was  ended  he  stood  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  George 
Wright,  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  died  in  December, 
i8q6. 

Bramble,  whose  most  celebrated  get  are  Ben  Brush, 
Clifford,  Somnambulist  and  Little  Bramble,  was  a  son  of 
imported  Bonnie  Scotland  and  Ivy  Leaf.  His  sire,  the 
son  of  lago  and  Queen  Mary,  had  a  pedigree  that  is  given 
on  another  page  and  that  traced  back  through  many 
crosses  to  the  most  aristocratic  equine  blood  of  England. 
His  dam.  Ivy  Leaf,  was  by  imported  Australian,  son  of 
West  Australian  and  Emilia,  Ivy  Leaf's  dam  being  Bay 
Flower,  daughter  of  Lexington  and  Bay  Leaf.  Bramble 
was  bred  by  General  W.  G.  Harding  at  the  Belle  Meade 
Stud,  and  was  foaled  in  187s.  Beginning  his  turf  career 
in  his  two-year  old  form,  he  was  started  seven  times, 
and  won  the  Young  America  Stakes  at  Nashville  and  the 
Saratoga  Stakes  at  Saratoga,  being  second  twice  and 
third  twice.  He  entered  upon  his  three-year  old  career 
by  running  for  the  Withers  Stakes  at  Jerome  Park, 
being  defeated  by  Duke  of  Magenta  in  i  minute,  48  sec- 
onds. During  this  season  he  won  the  Maxwell  House 
Stakes  at  Nashville  and  the  Great  American  Stallion 
Stakes  at  Louisville.  As  a  four-year  old  he  achieved  a 
wonderful  success,  starting  in  twenty  races,  fifteen  of 
which  he  won.  His  victories  included  the  Baltimore 
Cup,  the  Ocean  Stakes,  the  Monmouth  Cup,  the  Saratoga 
Cup  and  the  Brighton  Cup.  His  important  victory  as  a 
five-year  old  was  the  winning  of  the  Centennial  Stakes 
at  Nashville.  The  following  year  he  was  started  only 
once,  when  he  ran  second  to  Ferida  in  a  heat  race  at  Bal- 
timore. Retired  to  the  stud,  he  sired,  in  addition  to  his 
sons  already  mentioned,  Biggonet,  Bryson,  Brambleton, 
Rambler,  Woodruff,  Wightman  and  Jack  Murray. 

In  Eolus,  who  was  foaled  in  1868,  and  who  died  in 
1897  at  the  Ellerslie  Stud,  in  'Virginia,  was  united  the 
blood  of  two  great  thoroughbred  families,  that  of  im 
ported  Leamington  and  the  more  purely  American,  rep 
resented  by  Revenue.  The  sire  of  Eolus  was  imported 
Leamington,  and  his  dam  was  Fanny  Washington,  by 
Revenue,  out  of  Sarah  Washington.  Through  his  dam 
he  had  four  distinct  crosses  of  Sir  Archy,  and  traced  to 
Eclipse  and  Herod  through  collateral  branches.  Revenue, 
who  was  a  son  of  Trustee  and  Rosalie  Somers,  was  a 
stallion  of  singular  beauty,  symmetrical  in  form  and 
proud  in  his  carriage,  and  was  successful,  both  on  the 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


turf  and  in  the  stud.  He  was  for  a  long  time  the  great- 
est horse  in  the  stable  of  that  grand  old  Virginia  turfman, 
the  Honorable  John  Minor  Botts.  The  last  two  years  of 
his  life  were  passed  at  Major  Horner's  farm,  Belle  Air, 
near  Warrenton,  Va.  His  death  occurred  in  1868  from 
old  age.  Sarah  Washington,  the  dam  of  Fanny  Wash- 
ington, was  the  daughter  of  Garrison's  Zinganee  and 
Stella.  The  Washington  family  was  very  distinguished 
in  its  day,  several  of  the  greatest  horses  of  the  period 
before  the  Civil  War  bearing  the  name. 

Eolus,  who  was  a  dark  bay  with  a  star  in  the  forehead 
and  both  hind  heels  white,  stood  is%  hands  high.  He 
was  bred  by  Major  Thomas  W.  Doswell,  of  the  Bullfleld 
Stud,  Hanover  Junction,  'Va.  Although  put  into  early 
training,  he  was  not  brought  out  until  he  was  three  years 
old,  when  he  started  in  six  races,  of  which  he  won  three. 
After  an  entire  year  of  rest,  he  came  again  upon  the  turf 
as  a  five-year  old,  but  was  only  moderately  successful, 
winning  three  out  of  the  eight  races  in  which  he  started. 
The  following  year  he  carried  off  two  out  of  the  three 
prizes  for  which  he  contested.  During  his  turf  career  he 
started  seventeen  times,  being  first  eight  times,  second 
once,  third  twice  and  unplaced  six  times.  His  most 
famous  victory  was  at  Baltimore  in  1874,  when  he  won 
two-mile  heats,  taking  the  first  heat  in  3  minutes,  40 
seconds,  and  the  third  heat  in  3  minutes,  36^  seconds, 
which  was  a  record  breaker.  After  he  was  placed  in  the 
stud,  he  got  such  champions  as  Hole,  Eolist,  St.  Saviour, 
Knight  of  Ellerslie,  Eurus,  Eolian,  Elkwood,  Eon,  Diablo, 
Russell  and  Morello. 

First  in  order  of  the  get  of  Eolus  and  War  Song,  Eole 
had  a  long  and  reputable  career.  Foaled  in  1878,  he  was 
bred  by  Mr.  R.  J.  Hancock,  of  Virginia.  He  came  slowly 
into  condition,  and  his  form  gave  so  little  promise  that 
he  was  not  started  as  a  two-year  old.  The  next  year  he 
made  his  debut  at  the  Spring  Meeting  at  Jerome  Park, 
and  was  beaten  by  Saunterer  for  the  Belmont  Stakes. 
At  Saratoga  he  beat  Getaway,  but  did  not  accomplish 
much  more  until,  in  the  Dixie  Stakes  at  Baltimore,  he  as- 
tonished everybody  by  beating  Barrett  and  finishing  a 
good  second  to  Crickmore.  Afterward,  at  Jerome  Park, 
he  defeated  Blue  Lodge,  and  during  the  season  added 
other  winnings  to  his  credit,  so  that  he  closed  with  a 
record  of  eight  out  of  nineteen  races  and  over  $10,000  in 
stakes  and  purses.  In  his  four-year  old  form  he  won  the 
Metropolitan  Stakes  at  Jerome  Park  and  the  Jockey  Club 
Handicap,  2  miles,  in  3  minutes,  38}^  seconds,  which 
stamped  him  in  the  most  decisive  manner  as  a  performer 
of  the  first  class.  For  the  Coney  Island  Cup  he  was 
beaten  by  Hindoo,  but  after  that  the  Monmouth  Cup,  the 
Champion  Stakes,  the  Morrissey  Stakes  and  the  Autumn 
Cup  fell  to  him,  and  he  succeeded  to  the  place  in 
public  esteem  that  the  famous  Hindoo  vacated  that 
year  after  his  long  and    imposing  career.     He  became. 


foi'  the  time  being,  the  representative  cup  horse  of 
America. 

The  blood  of  the  great  English  family  represented  by 
imported  Bonnie  Scotland  and  that  of  the  far-famed 
American  family  represented  by  Lexington  came  together 
again  in  Bushwhacker,  one  of  the  representative  horses 
of  the  present  generation.  Bred  by  the  Messrs.  Rice  & 
McCormack  at  the  Belle  Meade  Stud  in  1874,  Bush- 
whacker was  a  buckskin  bay,  with  a  blaze  in  his  face 
and  both  forelegs  and  the  left  hind  leg  white.  His  sire 
was  Bonnie  Scotland  and  his  dam  Annie  Bush,  by  Lex- 
ington, out  of  Banner,  the  latter  being  a  daughter  of 
Albion  and  Clara  Howard.  He  did  not  make  his  debut 
upon  the  turf  until  he  was  three  years  old,  when  he  ap- 
peared for  the  first  time  at  the  spring  meeting  in  Balti- 
more in  1877.  His  record  for  this  season  was  thoroughly 
discouraging,  for  although  he  started  ten  times,  he  did 
not  succeed  in  winning  a  single  race,  but  was  second 
three  times  and  third  twice.  The  following  year  he  won 
only  four  out  of  the  thirteen  races  in  which  he  started, 
being  second  seven  times  and  third  once,  his  principal 
victories  being  the  Rancocas  and  the  Bowie  Stakes. 

His  career  in  187c)  was  quite  as  disastrous,  for  he  ran 
third  and  second  in  two  races  at  Baltimore  at  the  spring 
meeting  and  then  was  injured  so  that  he  was  not  able  to 
appear  again  for  two  years,  hi  the  spring  of  1881,  he 
reappeared  at  Baltimore,  and  in  the  course  of  that  season 
succeeded  in  winning  one  out  of  the  nine  races  in  which 
he  started,  the  Morrissey  Stakes  at  Saratoga,  when  he 
defeated  Checkmate,  Boulevard  and  others,  being  his 
single  victory.  In  1882,  at  the  autumn  meeting  of  the 
Coney  Island  Jockey  Club,  after  he  had  been  defeated  in 
every  race  which  he  had  run  that  season,  he  carried  off 
the  Great  Long  Island  stakes,  defeating  such  good  per- 
formers as  Glenmore,  Thora,  Eole  and  Lida  Stanhope. 
This  event  was  the  more  interesting,  inasmuch  as  it  was 
the  third  year  of  the  revival  of  the  old  four-mile  heats, 
which  were  such  a  feature  of  the  American  turf  genera- 
tions before.  The  previous  winners  of  this  event  had 
been  Ferida,  in  1880,  and  Glenmore,  in  1881.  Bush- 
whacker's time  for  the  two  heats  was  8  minutes,  1% 
seconds,  and  8  minutes,  10  seconds,  which  was  a  very 
creditable  performance,  even  when  compared  with  some 
of  the  old-time  great  four-mile  races,  inasmuch  as  the 
track  was  heavy  and  the  rain  was  falling  in  torrents. 
Later  in  the  same  season  he  won  the  Bowie  Stakes,  also 
four-mile  heats,  over  the  Pimlico  Course  at  Baltimore. 

In  1891,  imported  St.  Blaise  was  the  grand  star  of  the 
Nursery  Stud  sale,  when  Mr.  Charles  Reed  astounded 
everybody  by  paying  the  magnificent  sum  of  $100,000 
for  him.  Nevertheless,  as  big  a  price  as  that  may  have 
seemed  for  the  wonderful  stallion,  his  performances  on 
the  turf  and  his  record  in  the  stud  seemed  to  fully  justify 
it.     In  the  previous  year,  1890,  for  example,  he  was  at 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


the  head  of  the  list  of  winning  sires  of  the  American 
turf.  A  rich,  dark  chestnut,  with  white  blaze  in  the  face 
and  white  upon  the  hind  legs,  St.  Blaise  stood  i6  hands, 
y^  inch  high.  He  was  bred  by  Lord  Arlington  and  foaled 
in  1880.  His  sire  was  Hermit,  by  Newminster,  out  of 
Seclusion,  Newminster  being  a  son  of  Touchstone  and 
Beeswing  and  Seclusion  a  daughter  of  Tadmor  and  Miss 
Selim.  The  dam  of  St.  Blaise  was  Fusee,  daughter  of 
Marsyas  and  Vesuvienne,  her  sire  being  by  Orlando,  out 
of  Malibran,  and  her  dam  by  Gladiator,  out  of  Venus. 
Among  the  many  crosses  which  have  served  to  distin- 
guish St.  Blaise  were  those  of  Sir  Hercules,  Bay  Middle- 
ton,  Whalebone,  Eclipse,  Highflyer,  Canary,  Partisan, 
Whisker,  Waxy,  Sultan,  Penelope,  Emilius,  Trumpator, 
Priam,  Blacklock,  Gohanna,  Herod,  Regulus,  the  Godol- 
phin  Arabian  and  the  Darley  Arabian. 

Hermit,  who  was  a  winner  of  the  Derby  and  other 
great  prizes,  was  one  of  the  best  stallions  known  to  Eng- 
land in  modern  times.  Fusee  also  had  a  long  and  distin- 
guished career.  As  a  two-year  old  she  won  the  Chelms- 
ford Nursery  Handicap  and  the  Stratton  Nursery  Handi- 
cap, and  ran  second  for  the  Nursery  Plate  at  Croyden 
and  third  for  the  Abbey  Nursery  Handicap.  She  won 
nine  out  of  the  eleven  races  in  which  she  started  as  a 
three-year  old,  including  the  Nursery  Cup  at  Chester,  the 
Littlejohn  Stakes  at  Nottingham,  the  Welter  Cup  Handi- 
cap at  Kingsbury,  the  Kingsbury  Handicap  and  the 
Queen's  Plate  at  Nottingham,  at  Newmarket,  at  Win- 
chester, at  Salisbury  and  at  Chelmsford,  the  distance  for 
these  last  five  events  being  from  2  to  jy^  miles.  In  the 
stud  Fusee  produced,  to  Blair  Athol,  Gobang,  winner  of 
the  Winchester  Biennial  Stakes.  After  throwing  Friar 
Rush,  another  good  horse,  she  next  produced  St.  Blaise 
and  then  Match  Girl,  by  Plebeian,  and  also  Candlemas, 
another  full  brother  to  St.  Blaise  and  winner  of  the  Epsom 
Grand  Prize,  the  Zetland  Biennial  and  the  Chesterfield 
Cup. 

In  his  two-year  old  form  St.  Blaise  was  started  in  six 
races  and  won  four,  including  a  walkover  and  a  dead 
heat,  his  walkover  being  the  Troy  Stakes  and  his  dead 
heat  being  with  Elzevir  for  the  Malcomb  Stakes  at  Good- 
wood. He  won  the  Stockbridge  Biennial  at  the  Bibury 
Club  meeting  and  the  Newmarket  Troy  Stakes,  and  was 
defeated  for  the  Hurstbourne  Stakes  and  the  Dewhurst 
Plate'  at  Newmarket.  When  he  was  three  years  old  he 
started  out  by  running  unplaced  for  the  Two  Thousand 
Guineas,  that  was  won  by  Galliard.  Next  taken  to 
Paris,  he  ran  second  to  Frontin  for  the  Grand  Prix,  the 
victor  in  that  event  being  considered  the  best  three-year 
old  in  Europe  that  year.  He  failed  to  win  the  great 
Derby,  but  walked  over  for  the  Stockbridge  Biennial  and 
the  Winchester  Biennial  Stakes.  Imported  in  1885,  his 
career  in  the  Nursery  Stud  was  phenomenally  bril- 
liant.    Among  his  most  famous  get  have  been  Potomac, 


La  Tosca,  Calypso,  St.  Florian,  Chesapeake  and  Clarendon. 

A  descendant  of  West  Australian,  one  of  the  contem- 
poraneous importations  who  have  brought  so  much  new 
and  strong  blood  to  the  later  development  of  the  Amer- 
ican thoroughbred,  the  brood  mare,  Maggie  B.  B., 
had  a  record  that  is  in  every  way  worthy  of  her  notable 
origin.  On  the  maternal  as  well  as  on  the  paternal  line, 
she  came  of  some  of  the  greatest  stock  of  the  Old  World. 
Her  great-granddam,  Myrtle,  was  a  daughter  of  Mame- 
luke, who  stood  conspicuous  among  the  famous  horses 
of  his  day,  being  a  winner  of  the  Derby  and  second  for 
the  St.  Leger.  The  dam  of  Myrtle  was  Bobadilla,  a 
famous  race  mare,  who  won  the  Gold  Cup  at  Ascot  and 
the  Drawing  Room  Stakes  at  the  same  place  in  1828. 
Myrtle  was  imported  to  the  United  States  for  breeding 
purposes.  She  was  not  very  prolific  and  threw  only  a 
small  number  of  foals.  Her  produce  was  generally  of 
good  repute,  however,  and  her  daughter.  Magnolia,  who 
served  long  in  the  stud,  became  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful and  most  celebrated  brood  mares  that  have  ever  been 
known  in  connection  with  the  turf  in  the  United  States. 
Magnolia's  foals  included  several  distinguished  horses, 
among  them  being  Kentucky,  Gilroy,  Victory,  Skedaddle, 
Madonna,  Magic,  Simon  Kenton,  Princeton  and  Daniel 
Boone.  Her  daughter,  Madeline,  was  got  by  Boston  only 
a  few  months  before  he  died. 

Madeline  was  not  a  prolific  brood  mare,  her  foals  being 
only  five  in  number,  Maggie  B.  B.,  by  Australian,  who 
was  foaled  in  1867,  being  her  last  and  best.  Bred  by 
Mr.  James  B.  Clay,  Jr.,  of  Kentucky,  the  colt  was  named 
after  Miss  Maggie  B.  Beck,  daughter  of  United  States 
Senator  James  B.  Beck.  Her  career  on  the  turf  as  a  two- 
year  old  was  limited  to  seven  races,  of  which  she  won 
three,  being  second  in  the  remaining  four,  her  most  im- 
portant victory  being  for  the  Young  America  Stakes,  i 
mile,  in  i  minute,  45  J^  seconds.  At  Louisville  she  led 
Lyttleton  and  Engineer,  being  defeated  by  Lynchburg 
only  by  a  neck,  but  in  the  contest  for  the  Young  America 
Stakes  she  defeated  Lynchburg,  Hamburgh  and  Enquirer. 
In  1870,  although  she  ran  a  strong  race  for  the  Excelsior 
Stakes,  she  was  beaten  by  Glenleg  and  ran  second  to 
Enquirer  for  the  Continental  Hotel  Stakes  at  Monmouth 
Park.  Between  these  two  failures  she  won  the  Sequel 
Stakes  at  Saratoga,  2  miles,  in  3  minutes,  yj^i  seconds, 
doing  the  first  mile  in  i  minute,  49  seconds,  and  the  sec- 
ond mile  in  i  minute,  48^  seconds.  In  the  stud  she 
was  bred  principally  to  Leamington  and  Alarm.  By 
Leamington  she  produced  the  chestnut  colt  Lord  Clive, 
the  bay  filly  Pera,  the  chestnut  colt  Magnum  Bonum,  the 
chestnut  filly  Jaconet,  the  chestnut  colt  Harold,  the 
famous  Iroquois,  the  bay  filly  Francesca  and  others.  By 
Alarm  she  produced  Red  and  Blue,  Panique  and  others. 
Her  fame  will  forever  rest  firmly  upon  the  wonderful 
career  of  her  famous  son,  Iroquois. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Foster,  who  won  the  great  four-mile  heat  race  in  San 
Francisco  in  1876,  was  a  chestnut  horse  foaled  in  1867, 
by  Lexington,  out  of  Verona,  by  imported  Yorkshire, 
the  dam  of  Verona,  imported  Britannia,  being  by  Muley, 
out  of  Nancy,  by  Dick  Andrews.  He  was  bred  at  Wood- 
burn,  Ky.,  and  sold  when  a  yearling  to  Mr.  D.  Swigert. 
Not  long  afterward  he  became  the  property  of  Messrs. 
Moore  &  Coffee,  who  paid  $1,500  for  him.  When  three 
years  old  he  was  started  for  the  first  time  on  the  turf  in 
the  Belmont  Stakes,  in  1870,  running  second  to  King- 
fisher, under  adverse  conditions.  Next  he  ran  third  to 
Kingfisher  and  Telegram  for  the  Travers  Stakes  at  Sara- 
toga, and  at  the  Jerome  Park  Fall  Meeting  won  the  Lorn 
bard  Stakes,  2  miles,  beating  Remorseless,  Hamburgh  and 
Finesse.  For  the  Dinner  Party  Stakes  at  Baltimore  he 
was  a  favorite  against  the  field,  but  only  finished  a  good 
third  to  Preakness  and  Eliptic.  In  his  four-year  old  form 
he  won  eight  out  of  the  twelve  races  in  which  he  started, 
at  various  distances  from  a  mile  dash  up  to  four-mile 
heats.  His  last  recorded  race  in  the  East  was  in  1872  at 
the  Metairie  Course,  New  Orleans,  for  the  club  purse, 
when  he  ran  unplaced  to  Monarchist.  He  made  a  season 
in  the  stud  in  Tennessee,  and  then  was  taken  to  the 
Pacific  Coast,  where  he  was  used  in  the  stud  and  also 
re-entered  upon  a  racing  career,  winning  several  events 
at  mile  heats,  two-mile  heats  and  three  miles,  hi  the 
California  four-mile  heat  race  he  was  a  substitute  for 
Wildidle,  who  broke  down  in  training,  and  showed  that, 
although  aged,  he  still  had  a  great  deal  of  merit  left  in 
him. 

War  Dance  enjoys  the  unique  reputation  of  never  hav- 
ing won  a  single  race  during  his  turf  career,  which,  in- 
deed, was  limited  to  a  solitary  appearance.  Nevertheless, 
what  he  failed  to  achieve  on  the  turf,  he  more  than  made 
up  by  his  service  in  the  stud,  being  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful stallions  known  to  the  Stud  Book  in  modern  days. 
There  was  no  apparent  reason  why  he  should  not  have 
been  a  great  race  horse,  as  well  as  a  great  sire.  Son  of 
Lexington,  he  belonged  to  one  of  the  most  famous  fam- 
ilies of  American  horses,  and  his  name  might  well  have 
been  emblazoned  beside  those  of  his  noble  kinsmen, 
Harry  Bassett,  Kentucky,  Tom  Ochiltree,  Duke  of  Ma- 
genta, Asteroid,  Pilgrim,  Wanderer  and  others.  He  was 
foaled  in  1861,  and  was  got  by  Lexington,  out  of  Reel. 
A  gray  mare  bred  in  1838  by  Mr.  J.  Jackson,  of  Alabama, 
Reel  was  a  daughter  of  imported  Glencoe,  by  Gallopade, 
her  dam  being  by  Catton,  out  of  Camillina,  Gallopade 
being  also  the  dam  of  Fandango  and  Cotillion,  by  Levia- 
than, and  Waltz,  Jigg,  Quadrille  and  Hornpipe,  by 
Glencoe.  Reel  was  also  the  dam  of  Lecomte,  Prioress 
and  Stark. 

Mr.  A.  Keene  Richards  purchased  War  Dance  when 
he  was  three  years  old,  and  his  form  then  gave  great 
promise    for    his    future.      The    Civil    War    that    was 


laging  throughout  the  South  prevented  him  from  being 
brought  out  on  the  turf,  and  a  plan  was  arranged  to  send 
him  to  England,  where  his  brother,  Starke,  had  just 
achieved  some  success.  The  approach  of  the  Federal 
armies  prevented  the  carrying  out  of  this  plan,  and  War 
Dance,  with  others  from  Mr.  Richards'  farm,  were  sent 
to  Texas  for  safety.  After  the  war  he  was  brought  back 
to  Louisiana,  where,  in  1866,  he  was  entered  for  a  three- 
mile  dash  at  the  Crescent  Course.  The  strain  of  training 
after  the  long  time  that  he  had  spent  in  Texas  in  idleness 
and  without  proper  care,  was  too  much  for  him,  and 
when  he  went  to  the  post  he  was  already  broken  down. 
After  this  failure  he  was  taken  back  to  Kentucky  and 
made  his  first  season  there  in  1866.  He  remained  in  Mr. 
Richards'  stud  until  1881,  when  his  owner  died,  and  he 
then  became  the  property  of  Mr.  James  A.  Grinstead. 
He  died  in  April,  1881,  only  a  few  months  after  Mr. 
Richards  had  passed  away.  Among  his  most  famous 
get  were  Sly  Dance,  Fusilade,  Dakota,  Auriola,  Bullion 
and  Sachem.  For  many  years  he  stood  very  near  the 
head  of  the  list  of  winning  sires. 

Although  he  did  not  have  a  great  reputation  as  a  race 
horse,  Virgil  was  still  possessed  of  very  decided  merit. 
The  few  performances  in  which  he  was  engaged  showed 
that  he  inherited  the  best  qualities  of  his  ancestors  and 
was  capable  of  good  deeds.  When  he  was  a  three-year 
old,  he  was  started  in  eight  races  and  won  all  except 
two  of  them,  and  even  then  he  bowed  his  head  only  to 
such  first-class  champions  as  Monday  and  Ruthless.  He 
was  a  son  of  Vandal,  by  Hymenia.  Through  Vandal's 
sire,  Glencoe,  he  descended  from  Sultan,  Trampoline, 
Selim,  Bacchante  and  Tramp,  and  through  Vandal's  dam 
from  Tranby,  Blacklock  and  Trumpator.  His  dam, 
Hymenia,  was  by  Yorkshire,  out  of  Little  Peggy,  the 
pedigree  of  the  former  leading  through  St.  Nicholas, 
Moss  Rose,  Emilius,  Sea-Mew,  Tramp  and  others  back 
to  the  first  equine  families  of  England.  Little  Peggy 
was  by  Cripple,  out  of  Peggy  Stewart,  her  sire  being  by 
Medoc,  out  of  Grecian  Princess,  and  her  dam  by  Whip, 
out  of  Mary  Bedford. 

When  in  training  in  the  spring  of  1868,  Virgil  failed 
and  was  put  in  the  stud,  among  his  get  of  that  year 
being  Giri  of  the  Period,  from  Nannie  Butler.  His  suc- 
cess was  only  moderate,  however,  and  his  owner,  Mr. 
M.  H.  Sanford,  allowed  him  to  pass  from  his  possession 
as  a  wellnigh  worthless  piece  of  property.  A  few  years 
later,  however,  Mr.  Sanford  repurchased  him,  and  the 
performances  of  his  get,  such  as  Vagrant,  Virginius  and 
Vigil,  soon  established  his  reputation  as  a  first-class  sire, 
a  reputation  that  has  increased  as  the  years  have  gone 
by,  and  his  progeny  have  added  to  their  victories  and 
enriched  the  records  of  the  racing  calendar.  Among  his 
most  celebrated  sons  have  been  Hindoo,  Minstrel,  "Vigil, 
Vagrant,  Virginius  and  Cariey  B. 


103 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Scarcely  ranked  as  first-class  in  his  native  England, 
imported  Billet  nevertheless  achieved  a  creditable  reputa- 
tion as  a  race  horse,  and  in  this  country  got  several 
meritorious  sons  and  daughters.  He  was  foaled  in  i86s 
by  Voltigeur,  out  of  Calcutta.  Through  his  sire  he  had 
crosses  of  Blacklock,  Whitelock,  Phantom,  Mulatto  and 
others.  His  dam  was  a  daughter  of  Flatcatcher  and  Miss 
Martin,  the  former  being  by  Touchstone,  who  was  by 
Camel,  out  of  Banta,  and  the  latter  by  St.  Martin,  out  of 
Wagtail,  being  descended  from  Actaeon,  Galina  and 
Whisker.  Billet  was  bred  by  Mr.  James  Smith  and 
brought  out  in  1867,  winning  the  Zetland  Stakes  at  York, 
the  Egham  Stakes  at  Egham,  the  Marcham  Park  Stakes  at 
Abingdon,  a  sweepstakes  at  Newmarket  and  a  selling 
stakes  at  Worcester.  That  was  the  end  of  his  racing 
career,  for  he  was  overworked.  In  1869  he  was  im- 
ported to  the  United  States.  His  first  season  in  the  stud 
was  in  1870,  and  he  continued  successfully  there  for 
more  than  fifteen  years.  His  most  famous  sons  and 
daughters  were  Eva  S.,  Ballard,  Washburn  and  La  France, 
Runnymede  and  Barnes,  out  of  Mercedes,  and  Miss 
Woodford,  out  of  Fancy  Jane. 

When  Glenmore  was  foaled  in  187s  there  were  few 
indications  that  his  future  would  justify  even  moderate 
expectation.  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Alexander,  of 
the  Woodburn  Stud.  His  sire  was  Glen  Athol,  of  whose 
merit  as  a  stallion  there  was  as  yet  no  evidence,  while 
his  dam,  Lotta,  although  not  untried,  had  never  yet  been 
successful.  Glen  Athol  had  not  figured  conspicuously 
on  the  turf,  and  his  ungainly  appearance  did  not  seem  to 
promise  much  for  his  progeny.  Glenmore  was  the  first 
of  his  get,  and  although  trained  as  a  two-year  old,  did 
not  start.  In  his  three-year  old  form  he  made  his  debut 
at  Nashville,  and  was  beaten,  and  also  failed  in  two 
other  races  in  which  he  started,  one  at  Nashville  and 
another  at  Louisville.  He  was  then  sold  to  Mr.  William 
Jennings  for  $3 so,  which  was  an  advance  of  $175  over 
the  price  that  his  former  owner,  Mr.  Dan  Swigert,  had 
paid  for  him  as  a  yearling.  The  general  impression 
among  turfmen  was  that  Mr.  Swigert  had  made  a  very 
good  bargain. 

Glenmore's  sun  was  rising,  however,  for  after  he 
passed  into  the  hands  of  his  new  owner,  he  won  six 
races  to  offset  those  that  he  lost  in  that  season.  As 
a  four-year  old  he  started  by  running  a  dead  heat  with 
Fortuna  at  the  Louisville  Spring  Meeting,  and  then  after 
losing  five  times  won  a  two-mile  race  at  Chicago  in  3 
minutes,  37%  seconds,  defeating  Checkmate,  Blossom, 
Edinburgh  and  Aunt  Winnie.  During  that  season  he 
won  eleven  out  of  the  twenty-three  races  in  which  he 
started.  His  most  famous  victory  was  for  the  Bowie 
Stakes  at  Baltimore,  four-mile  heats,  in  which  he  took 
the  second  and  third  heats  in  7  minutes,  30^  seconds, 
and  7  minutes,  31   seconds.     As  a  five-year  old,  he  ran 


thirteen  races  and  won  six,  and  the  following  year  won 
two  out  of  six,  including  the  Coney  Island  Cup  at 
Sheepshead  Bay,  when  he  defeated  Monitor,  Parole, 
Luke  Blackburn  and  Uncas  in  3  minutes,  58^  seconds. 
In  the  first  five  years  that  he  was  on  the  turf,  he  ran 
altogether  eighty-eight  races,  winning  forty-one  of  them. 
Four  of  his  races  were  at  four-mile  heats,  of  which  he 
won  two,  three  being  broken  heats.  His  race  for  the 
Bowie  Stakes  was  the  best  then  on  record. 

Tom  Bowling  was  one  of  the  best  of  the  great  race 
horses  of  the  seventies,  when  to  be  best  implied  trans- 
cendent merit,  for  there  were  many  phenomenal 
thoroughbreds  then  on  the  American  turf.  He  was 
another  of  the  celebrated  sons  of  Lexington,  his  dam 
being  Lucy  Fowler,  by  imported  Albion,  and  his  second 
dam  by  imported  Leviathan.  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  H. 
P.  McGrath  and  foaled  in  1870.  Trained  as  a  two-year 
old,  he  started  in  very  promisingly  by  taking  the  Thes- 
pian, the  August  and  the  Flash  Stakes,  and  running  second 
in  the  Hopeful  and  the  July  Stakes.  As  a  three-year  old  he 
showed  a  vastly  improved  form  and  won  brackets  seven 
times  out  of  the  eight  starts  that  he  made,  running  sec- 
ond in  the  remaining  event,  for  the  Ocean  Stakes.  He 
defeated  Springbok  in  the  Jersey  Derby  and  the  Jerome 
Stakes,  and  also  won  the  Dixie  Stakes,  the  Robins 
Stakes,  the  Annual  Sweepstakes  and  the  Travers  Stakes. 

In  his  four-year  old  form  he  started  only  four  times, 
but  was  not  defeated  in  a  single  race.  His  best 
achievement  this  year,  and  perhaps  the  greatest  per- 
formance of  his  life,  was  winning  the  Monmouth  Cup, 
2>^  miles,  in  4  minutes,  42}(  seconds.  He  also  won  the 
Mansion  House  Stakes  and  two  purse  races,  one  at  i  j4 
miles  and  one  at  3  miles.  After  his  retirement  from  the 
turf  he  spent  the  remaining  years  of  his  life  upon  Mr. 
McGrath's  farm  in  Kentucky,  where  he  died  in  1897. 
Like  some  other  of  the  sons  of  Lexington,  who  were 
noted  for  their  performances  on  the  turf,  he  was  in  no- 
wise successful  in  the  stud.  He  was  a  bad-tempered 
horse,  and  his  obstinacy  made  him  difficult  to  manage. 
Although  he  was  one  of  the  worst  starters  that  the  turf 
knew  in  his  time,  he  was  thoroughly  game,  and  when 
once  off  never  weakened  until  the  last  rod  of  the-  race 
had  been  run.  During  his  career  he  went  to  the  post 
with  the  greatest  of  all  the  racers  of  that  period,  and, 
sooner  or  later,  defeated  them  all. 

The  blood  of  Leamington  and  Lexington  has  united  in 
developing  some  of  the  most  celebrated  thoroughbreds 
known  to  the  American  turf  during  the  last  quarter  of  a 
century  and  more,  and  Henlopen,  who  was  bred  by  Mr. 
H.  P.  McGrath  in  1880,  stands  high  on  the  list  of  those 
who  have  reflected  credit  upon  their  great  ancestors. 
The  sire  of  Henlopen  was  Aristides,  son  of  Leamington 
and  Sarong,  the  latter  being  a  daughter  of  Lexington  and 
Greek  Slave,    who  was   by  imported    Glencoe,    out   of 


104 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Margaret  Hunter.  Susan  Ann,  the  dam  of  Henlopen, 
was  by  Lexington,  out  of  Roxana,  the  latter  being  by 
Chesterlleld.  out  of  Levia.  Chesterfield  was  by  Priam, 
out  of  Worthless,  and  Levia  was  by  Tranby,  out  of 
Tolivia.  Henlopen  was  a  big,  blood-red  chestnut,  with 
blaze  in  her  face,  and  had  many  of  the  characteristics  of 
appearance  that  distinguished  Thora.  So  great  promise 
did  she  give  as  a  yearling  that  she  was  sold  for  |2,ooo. 
Her  tlrst  appearance  as  a  two-year  old  was  at  the  Balti- 
more meeting,  when  she  won  the  Clabaugh  Memorial 
Stakes,  >3  mile,  beating  eight  others,  in  =ii  seconds.  In 
that  and  subsequent  seasons  she  was  very  successful, 
being  entered  in  all  the  great  events  of  the  period  and 
winning  many  of  them. 

Leonatus,  who  won  the  Kentucky  Derby  in  1883,  was  ■ 
a  son  of  Longfellow,  out  of  Semper  Felix,  by  imported 
Phiieton.  His  second  dam  was  Crucifix,  by  Lexington; 
his  third  dam  Lightsome,  by  Glencoe;  his  fourth  dam 
Levity,  by  imported  Trustee;  his  fifth  dam,  by  imported 
Tranby,  was  also  the  dam  of  Vandal.  His  pedigree 
combined  crosses  of  Leamington,  Lexington  and  Phaeton, 
with  a  double  Glencoe  cross  through  Pocahontas  and 
Lightsome.  Semper  Felix,  his  dam,  was  bred  in  1871, 
but  never  was  known  upon  the  turf.  In  1883,  in  his 
three-year  old  form,  Leonatus  ran  second  to  Cardinal 
McCloskey  for  the  Maiden  Stakes  at  Louisville,  beating 
twelve  others,  in  i  minute,  22  seconds.  His  perform- 
ance was  so  creditable  and  his  appearance  so  promising 
that  he  was  sold  to  Messrs.  Chinn  &  Morgan  for  $s,ooo, 
and  was  considered  one  of  the  most  likely  candidates  for 
the  Derby.  In  the  betting  he  stood  8  to  i  and  afterward 
4  to  I ,  holding  rank  even  with  Ascender  as  favorite.  He 
ran  the  distance  in  2  minutes,  43  seconds,  which,  in 
comparison  with  that  of  other  winners  of  the  Derby, 
was  not  at  all  creditable,  being,  with  one  exception,  that 
of  Riley,  in  1890,  the  slowest  time  that  has  ever  been 
made  for  that  event. 

In  Waverly,  who  was  foaled  in  1870,  two  strains  of 
latter-day  English  blood  were  united.  His  sire  was  im- 
ported Australian,  son  of  West  Australian  and  Emilia, 
and  his  dam  was  Cicily  Jopson,  daughter  of  Weatherbit 
and  Cestria.  He  was  a  rich  brown  horse,  1 5  hands,  3 
inches  high,  and  well  built.  His  dam,  Cicily  Jopson, 
was  bred  in  England,  in  18^9,  by  Mr.  John  Osborne,  and 
imported  to  the  United  States  as  a  yearling.  Coming  to 
this  country  just  before  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War, 
she  never  appeared  upon  the  course,  but  immediately 
became  a  brood  mare.  Through  her  sire,  Weatherbit,  she 
was  descended  from  Sheet  Anchor  and  Miss  Letty,  and 
by  her  dam,  Cestria,  went  back  to  Faugh-a-Ballagh, 
Waverly  thus  having  a  strain  of  the  blood  that  was  made 
famous  by  Leamington.  As  a  three-year  old  Waverly 
was  successful  in  three  out  of  six  starts,  was  once  second 
and  twice  unplaced.     He  won  two-mile  heats  at  Lexing- 


ton in  3  minutes,  40>^  seconds  and  3  minutes,  4s  sec- 
onds; a  three  mile  sweepstake  at  Lexington  in  s  min- 
utes, 58^^  seconds,  and  the  McGrath  Produce  Stakes 
at  Lexington,  mile  heats,  the  time  being  i  minute,  46 
seconds,  1  minute,  46^  seconds,  and  i  minute,  49 
seconds.  While  in  training  for  the  season  of  1874 
he  broke  down  and  went  to  the  stud  at  the  Walnut 
Hill  Farm,  where  he  died  in  1883.  Among  his  mos, 
celebrated  get  were  Wallenstein,  Lida  Stanhope,  Brake- 
speare,  Jennie  V.,  Sir  Hugh,  Abbotsford,  Nimblefoott 
Kinkead  and  Talisman.  His  son,  Wallenstein,  secured  a 
great  reputation  as  a  two-year  old  on  the  turf  of  Amer- 
ica, and  afterward  going  to  England,  established  himself 
in  high  rank  there,  being  ultimately  considered  one  of 
the  best  of  the  aged  class. 

By  many  competent  judges  imported  Mortemer,  who 
died  in  1892,  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  was  regarded 
as  the  best  race  horse  that  was  ever  brought  across  the 
Atlantic  to  enrich  the  blood  of  the  American  thorough- 
bred. Admiral  Rous,  than  whom  there  has  been  no 
more  competent  judge  in  this  generation,  said  of  him 
when  he  was  racing  in  England  that  he  was  "  the  best 
horse  in  the  world  from  6  furlongs  up  to  2^2  miles."  It 
is  perhaps  difficult  to  fix  beyond  question  the  positive 
rank  of  any  particular  horse  in  comparison  with  all  his 
rivals,  and  a  sweeping,  unqualified  statement  that  one  is 
in  every  respect  the  best  may  admit  of  some  reasonable 
doubt,  even  though  it  comes  from  such  high  source  as 
Admiral  Rous.  At  the  same  time,  there  is  no  doubt  that 
Mortemer  was  a  horse  of  the  highest  rank,  and,  on  the 
whole,  had  no  superiors  and  probably  few  equals.  He 
was  bred  by  Count  Frederick  de  la  Grange  at  the  Dangu 
Stud,  in  France,  and  possessed  remarkable  speed  and 
endurance.  As  a  two-year  old  he  won  two  races,  and 
the  following  year  was  successful  in  four.  When  he 
was  taken  to  England,  that  year,  his  work  was  less  sat- 
isfactory, for  although  he  ran  four  races  there,  the  best 
that  he  could  do  was  to  he  second  once  and  third  once. 
In  his  four-year  old  form  he  began  to  give  better  indica- 
tion of  his  capacity,  winning  nine  out  of  eighteen  races 
in  which  he  started,  at  all  distances  and  all  weights, 
being  second  seven  times,  third  once  and  unplaced  once. 

When  he  was  five  years  old  he  did  even  better,  win- 
ning five  races  out  of  the  six  that  he  ran  on  the  Conti- 
nent, and  the  only  race  in  which  he  started  in  England, 
that  for  the  Stockbridge  Cup.  The  following  year  he 
was  seen  only  on  the  English  courses,  where  he  won  the 
Ascot  Gold  Cup  and  a  sweepstakes  at  Newmarket,  being 
third  once  and  second  once.  He  then  had  a  reputation 
that  extended  all  over  Europe,  and  during  the  Franco- 
Prussian  War  the  Prussians  laid  special  plans  to  capture 
him,  but  were  frustrated  in  their  attempts  by  his  owner 
having  him  smuggled  across  the  Channel  to  England. 
After  he  entered  the  stud  he  got  several  notable  horses. 


105 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


chief  among  them  being  Chamant,  out  of  Araucaria,  and 
a  half-brother  to  Rayon  d'Or.  He  was  brought  to  the 
United  States  by  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  and  placed  in  the 
Rancocas  Stud.  Among  his  earlier  get  were  Wanda, 
Exile,  Chimera,  Unrest,  Katrina,  Heva  and  Bahama,  and 
the  brood  mares  that  are  descended  from  him  have  exer- 
cised a  valuable  influence  that  it  is  believed  will  be  per- 
manent. 

Equally  distinguished  by  his  pedigree,  his  performances 
and  his  get,  Himyar  occupies  an  important  position  in 
the  thoroughbred  history  of  America  in  this  generation. 
His  sire  was  Alarm  by  Eclipse,  out  of  Maud.  Through 
Eclipse,  who  was  a  son  of  Orlando  and  Gaze,  he  went 
back  to  Touchstone,  Vulture,  Bay  Middleton  and  Fly- 
catcher and  other  famous  English  thoroughbreds,  while 
through  Maud  he  traced  to  Stockwell,  The  Baron,  Poca- 
hontas, The  Countess  of  Albemarle  and  others.  His 
dam  was  Hira,  daughter  of  Lexington  and  Hegira,  Lex- 
ington giving  him  the  blood  of  Boston,  Timoleon,  Sarpe- 
don.  Sir  Archy  and  imported  Diomed,  while  through 
Hegira,  the  daughter  of  Ambassador  and  Flight,  he  was 
descended  from  Plenipotentiary,  Jennie  Miles,  Leviathan 
and  others.  Both  his  dam  and  his  grandam  were  good 
race  horses,  the  latter  having  a  record  of  2  miles  in  3 
minutes,  34;^  seconds.  His  great-grandam.  Flight,  was 
the  dam  of  Oliver,  who  won  three  mile  heats  in  5 
minutes,  3814^  seconds,  and  5  minutes,  38>4  seconds. 

Foaled  in  187s,  Himyar  started  as  a  two-year  old  by 
winning  the  Colt  Stakes  at  Lexington  in  i  minute,  \byi 
seconds;  the  Colt  and  Filly  Stakes  at  the  same  place  in 
I  minute,  44^^  seconds,  and  the  Belle  Meade  Stakes  at 
Louisville,  Ky.,  in  i  minute,  \b%  seconds.  In  1878,  he 
won  the  Belle  Meade  Stakes  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in  2 
minutes,  43  seconds;  the  Phoenix  Hotel  Stakes  at  Lex- 
ington, in  3  minutes,  22y2,  seconds,  and  the  January 
Stakes  at  St.  Louis,  mile  heats,  in  i  minute,  42)4^  sec- 
onds, and  I  minute,  43 J4  seconds.  In  1879,  he  won  a  i 
mile  race  at  Lexington  in  i  minute,  51^  seconds,  a  i 
mile  and  i  furlong  sweepstakes  at  Louisville  in  i  minute, 
56  seconds,  and  a  2  mile  race  at  Louisville  in  3  minutes, 
33  seconds.  He  put  four  events  to  his  credit  in  1880— a 
mile  heat  race  in  i  minute,  42^^  seconds,  and  i  min- 
ute, 44 J^  seconds;  the  Merchant  Stakes  at  Louisville  in 
I  minute,  si/i  seconds;  the  Turf  Stakes  at  Louisville  in 
I  minute,  S73<(  seconds,  and  a  race  of  i  mile  and  i 
furlong  at  Louisville  in  i  minute,  S4^  seconds.  After 
he  was  retired  to  the  stud,  he  got  many  good  racers, 
among  them  being  those  phenomenal  ones.  Domino  and 
Correction. 

Aristides,  the  first  winner  of  the  Kentucky  Derby,  in 
1875,  was  for  a  long  time  regarded  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most competitors  of  Ten  Broeck,  and  in  the  several  races 
in  which  they  contended  against  each  other,  first  one 
and  then  the  other  was  successful.     Aristides,  like  Ten 


Broeck,  entered  upon  his  turf  career  in  1874.  His  first 
appearance  was  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  when  he  ran  second 
to  Leona  in  a  half-mile  sweepstakes  for  two-year  olds. 
His  successive  ventures  were  not  less  promising,  for 
although  he  ran  unplaced  to  Meco  for  the  Juvenile  Stakes 
at  Jerome  Park,  unplaced  to  Caroline  for  the  Hopeful 
Stakes  at  Long  Branch,  and  unplaced  to  Willie  Burke  for 
the  Saratoga  Stakes  in  July,  he  was  second  to  Sweet 
Lips  for  the  Thespian  Stakes  at  the  Second  Saratoga 
Meeting  in  August,  won  a  one-mile  race  in  i  minute, 
46i<(  seconds,  and  at  the  Jerome  Park  Fall  Meeting  in 
October  won  a  purse  at  five  furlongs  in  i  minute,  4J^ 
seconds,  beating  Babylon,  Scramble,  Holbrook  and 
others.  After  running  second  to  James  A.  in  a  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  brush,  he  closed  the  season  by  win- 
ning a  purse  for  two-year  olds,  i  mile  distance,  in  i 
minute,  44^  seconds,  beating  Joe  Cerns,  Aniella  and 
Holbrook. 

During  the  following  season  he  ran  nine  times.  His 
first  winning  event  was  the  inaugural  Kentucky  Derby  at 
Louisville,  in  May,  when  he  beat  Ten  Broeck,  Volcano, 
Verdegris,  Bob  Woolley  and  other  good  ones.  Next,  at 
Jerome  Park,  in  June,  he  captured  the  Withers  Stakes,  i 
mile,  in  i  minute,  45^  seconds,  with  Rhadamanthus 
second  and  Ozark  third.  The  Jerome  Stakes  at  Jerome 
Park,  in  October,  2  miles,  fell  to  him  in  3  minutes,  43 
seconds,  with  Calvin  second,  Joe  Cerns  third  and  Tom 
Ochiltree  and  others  unplaced.  He  closed  the  season  by 
winning  the  Breckenridge  Stakes  at  Baltimore  in  October, 
2  miles,  in  3  minutes,  j,b)i  seconds,  beating  Viator,  Tom 
Ochiltree,  Joe  Cerns  and  Bay  Final.  In  his  four-year  old 
form,  in  1876,  his  only  appearance  was  at  Lexington, 
where  he  ran  two  races.  The  first  was  for  lyi  miles, 
in  which  he  conquered  Ten  Broeck,  after  a  fierce  strug- 
gle, in  3  minutes,  4s 5^  seconds.  His  second  race  was 
for  a  purse,  2yi,  miles,  which  he  won  in  4  minutes,  27 J^ 
seconds.  Both  these  races  were  record-breaking  per- 
formances. As  a  two-year  old  he  started  nine  times  and 
won  three  times;  as  a  three-year  old  he  won  five  out  of 
the  nine  races  in  which  he  entered,  and  won  both  of  his 
four-year  old  events,  making  a  total  of  ten  winnings  out 
of  the  twenty  which  he  attempted. 

Prominent  position  in  the  annals  of  the  turf  of  this 
generation  must  be  accorded  to  Buckden,  who  was  im- 
ported from  England  by  Messrs.  Hunter  &  Travers  in 
1 87 1.  He  was  bred  in  England  in  1869  by  Captain  F. 
Thompson.  His  sire  was  Lord  Clifden,  a  St.  Leger  win- 
ner, and  his  dam  was  Consequence  by  Bay  Middleton, 
his  second  dam  Result  by  Mulatto,  and  his  third  dam 
Problem  by  Euclid.  His  pedigree  combined  crosses  of 
Touchstone,  Melbourne,  Sultan,  Catton  and  Emilius. 
When  he  came  to  this  country  he  was  a  fine  two-year 
old  and  presented  a  distinguished  appearance.  His  turf 
career  began  at  Monmouth  Park  in  July,  1871,  when  he 


106 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


nin  second  to  Malita  for  the  Hopeful  Stakes,  leaving 
behind  him  such  good  ones  as  Hubbard,  Experience 
Oaks  and  others.  That  was  his  only  appearance 
during  that  season,  for  he  fell  off  in  training  and 
was  rested.  in  1S72,  at  Jerome  Park,  he  ran 
unplaced  to  Ortolan  in  the  Fordham  Handicap,  but 
in  a  nine  furlongs  dash  beat  Brennus,  Business,  Girl  of 
the  Period  and  Mimi.  At  Saratoga  he  ran  a  dead  heat 
with  Grey  Planet,  \]4.  miles,  leaving  Jury  and  Piedmont 
behind. 

Then  he  ran  unplaced  to  Allie  Hunt  in  a  selling  race; 
second  to  Experience  Oaks,  beating  Grey  Planet,  Mimi 
and  others;  second  to  Hubbard,  beating  Nevada,  and 
afterward,  at  Jerome  Park,  unplaced  to  Sue  Ryder,  in  a 
dash  of  I  }i  miles.  At  the  Baltimore  meeting  he  beat  Sue 
Ryder,Nevada,Victoria,Wheatly  and  Teetotal, in  i  minute, 
44 >^  seconds  for  i  mile  distance,  and  then  ran  unplaced 
to  Nevada  in  a  free  handicap  and  second  to  Joe  Daniels, 
mile  heats.  As  a  four-year  old,  in  1873,  he  ran  third  to 
Business  in  the  Peyton  Stakes  at  Baltimore,  and  then 
won  a  consolation  race,  in  which  he  beat  Artist,  John 
Boulger  and  Sanford  at  i>^  miles.  After  running  un- 
placed in  the  Fordham  Handicap  that  was  won  by  Mate, 
second  to  Springbok,  mile  heats,  and  second  to  Stock- 
wood,  in  a  mile  and  a  quarter  handicap,  he  won  the 
Utica  Handicap,  beating  Joe  Daniels,  King  Henry  and 
The  Moor,  and  closed  his  turf  career  in  1874  by  running 
second  to  Fadladeen  in  a  free  handicap  at  Jerome  Park. 
When  he  broke  down  and  was  retired  from  the  turf,  in 
1875,  he  became  an  inmate  of  the  Magnolia  Stud  and 
succeeded  Daniel  Boone  at  the  head  of  that  establish- 
ment. Among  his  get  were  Bend  Or  out  of  Kate 
Walker,  Kimball  out  of  Meta  H.,  Mendelssohn  out  of 
Metella,  Ascender  out  of  Ascension,  and  Babcock  out 
of  Ethel  Sprague.  He  also  sired  the  first  winner  of  the 
great  Omnibus  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park.  He  died  at 
the  Magnolia  Stud  in  Danville,  Ky.,  in  1882. 

Great  Tom,  a  beautiful  golden  chestnut  with  a  narrow 
blaze  and  both  hind  legs  white,  was  bred  by  Lord  Fal- 
mouth in  England,  in  1873.  His  sire  was  King  Tom  and 
his  dam  was  Woodcraft  by  Voltigeur.  He  was  full 
brother  to  Kingcraft,  the  winner  of  the  English  Derby, 
in  1870.  He  was  a  horse  of  great  size,  standing  16 
hands,  2  inches  high,  but  was  withal  graceful  and  full 
of  style.  In  his  only  race  as  a  two-year  old  he  was 
unplaced  for  the  Boscawen  Stakes  at  Newmarket.  In 
his  three-year  old  form  he  secured  only  two  out  of  the 
nine  races  that  he  attempted,  winning  the  Doncaster 
Stakes,  when  he  beat  Coltness  and  Morning  Star  and 
dividing  the  St.  James  Palace  Stakes  with  Glacis.  For  the 
Prince  of  Wales  Stakes  he  ran  second  to  Petrarch,  and 
for  the  Newmarket  Derby  third  to  Skylark.  In  his  four- 
year  old  form  he  ran  six  races,  being  at  the  head  in  one, 
second  twice  and  third  twice.     For  the  first  race  ever 


run  for  the  Great  Champion  Stake  he  was  third  to  Spring- 
field and  Silvio. 

In  1878,  he  was  imported  to  the  United  States  and 
placed  in  the  stud,  where  he  achieved  exceptional  suc- 
cess. He  was  the  sire  of  General  Harding,  one  of  the 
famous  two-year  olds  of  this  generation.  His  son 
Thackeray  was  another  of  his  best  get.  Through  his 
sire  he  had  some  of  the  best  equine  blood  in  the 
world.  King  Tom  being  by  Harkaway  out  of  Poca- 
hontas, and  being  himself  the  sire  of  such  cracks  as 
Phseton,  King  Ernest  and  King  Ban,  as  well  as  Great 
Tom.  In  the  male  line  King  Tom  traced  to  Economist, 
Whisker  and  others,  and  on  the  maternal  line  direct  to 
Glencoe,  Sultan,  Trampoline,  Muley  and  others.  Through 
his  dam  Woodcraft  Great  Tom  traced  to  Voltair,  Veni- 
son, Blacklock  Mulatto,  Partisan  and  others.  He  was 
also  directly  descended  from  the  immortal  Mandane, 
who  was  the  dam  of  Lottery,  Manuella  and  Altisidora. 

Famous  alike  on  the  turf  and  in  the  stud,  the  long  and 
creditable  career  of  Hindoo  has  given  that  stallion  a  high 
place  in  the  American  Stud  Book.  A  bay  colt,  16  hands 
high,  he  was  bred  by  Mr.  Daniel  Swigert.  His  sire  was 
Virgil,  by  Vandal  and  Hymenia,  and  through  him  he 
traced  to  Glencoe,  Yorkshire  and  others.  His  dam  was 
Florence,  daughter  of  Lexington  and  Weatherwitch,  the 
latter  being  by  Weatherbit.  In  his  two-year  old  form  he 
started  out  in  the  most  brilliant  manner.  His  engage- 
ments were  on  the  courses  of  the  South  and  West,  and 
there  he  won  seven .  races  before  he  met  with  a  reverse. 
Then  he  lost  two  events  and  was  withdrawn  from  the 
turf  for  the  rest  of  the  season,  having  established  his 
reputation  as  one  of  the  greatest  two-year  olds  of  his 
generation. 

His  successes  were  the  Colt  and  Filly  Stakes  at  the 
Lexington  Spring  Meeting,  ^  of  a  mile  in  1  minute, 
17^  seconds;  the  Alexander  Stakes  at  the  Louisville 
Spring  Meeting,  yi  mile  in  50  seconds;  the  Tennessee 
Stakes  at  the  same  meeting,  ^  of  a  mile  in  1  minute,  16 
seconds;  the  Juvenile  Stakes  at  the  St.  Louis  Spring 
Meeting,  3^  of  a  mile  in  i  minute,  17^  seconds;  the 
Jockey  Club  Stakes  at  the  same  meeting,  i  mile  in  i 
minute,  44  seconds,  and  the  Criterion  Stakes  at  Chicago, 
^  of  a  mile,  in  1  minute,  1  s  seconds.  At  Chicago  he 
ran  third  for  the  Hotel  Stakes  and  second  for  the  Day 
Boat  Lake  Stakes.  In  1 881,  he  began  by  winning  the 
Blue  Ribbon  Stakes  at  the  Lexington  Spring  Meeting, 
1  %  miles,  in  2  minutes,  38  seconds,  and  then  carried  off 
the  Kentucky  Derby  at  Louisville  in  2  minutes,  \oyi  sec- 
onds, and  the  Clark  Stakes,  i  %  miles,  at  the  same  meet- 
ing, in  2  minutes,  loj^  seconds.  His  defeat  of  Eole  for 
the  Coney  Island  Cup,  in  1883,  was  his  last  appearance 
upon  the  turf.  After  that  event  a  special  match 
between  the  two  champions  was  arranged,  but  before 
it    could    come    off  '  Hindoo     went    amiss    and     was 


107 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


retired  to  the  comfort  of  the  stud,  which  he  had  well 
earned. 

A  son  of  Hindoo,  and  also  the  sire  of  Hamburg,  Han- 
over has  had  an  unexampled  career.  Bourbon  Bell,  his 
dam,  was  out  of  Ella  D. ,  by  Bonnie  Scotland.  The  pedigree 
of  Bonnie  Scotland,  through  lago,  Queen  Mary,  Don  lohn, 
Gladiator  and  others,  has  been  already  given  on  another 
page  of  this  volume.  Ella  D.  was  a  daughter  of  Vandal 
by  imported  Glencoe,  and  her  dam,  Falcon,  was  by 
Woodpecker  out  of  Ophelia.  Bred  in  1884,  Hanover, 
in  his  two-year  old  form,  carried  off  the  Hopeful,  the  July 
and  the  Sapling  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park.  The  follow- 
ing year,  as  a  three-year  old,  he  started  in  twenty-seven 
races,  of  which  he  won  twenty,  his  principal  victories 
being  the  Brookdale  Handicap  and  the  Brooklyn  Derby  of 
the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club,  the  Withers  and  the  Belmont 
Stakes  at  Jerome  Park,  the  Swift,  the  Tidal,  the  Spend- 
thrift and  the  Emporium  Stakes,  and  the  Coney  Island 
Derby,  of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club,  and  the  Loril- 
lard,  the  Stockton,  the  Barnegat  and  the  Stevens  Stakes 
at  Monmouth  Park. 

He  showed  phenomenal  speed  and  endurance,  and  was 
so  far  superior  to  others  in  his  class  that  he  practically 
carried  everything  before  him.  One  of  his  best  races 
was  the  winning  of  the  Emporium  at  Sheepshead  Bay, 
when,  carrying  128  pounds,  he  ran  i>^  miles  in  2  min- 
utes, 35^  seconds,  defeating  Dunboyne,  Oneko,  Stock- 
ton and  others.  Going  stale  after  he  had  taken  fourteen 
races,  he  lost  the  Raritan  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park, 
being  defeated  by  Laggard  on  a  heavy  track.  After  that  he 
won  the  Champion,  the  United  States  Hotel,  the  Second 
Special,  the  Breckenridge  and  the  Dixie  Stakes.  He  con- 
tinued to  be  a  great  winner  as  long  as  he  was  on  the  turf, 
and  after  he  was  placed  in  the  stud  got  some  of  the  best 
race  horses  of  the  present  day.  In  1894,  the  record  of  his 
progeny  led  that  of  all  other  sires.  Thirty-two  of  his 
get  started  in  three  hundred  and  forty-eight  races,  being 
first  in  eighty,  second  in  fifty-two,  third  in  forty-two, 
and  unplaced  in  one  hundred  and  forty-seven.  The 
largest  winners  were  Handsome,  The  Commoner,  Hand- 
spun,  Urania  and  Hessie.  In  1897,  he  again  headed  the 
list  of  winning  stallions,  chief  among  his  get  being  the 
great  Hamburg. 

Monitor  was  bred  at  the  Preakness  Stud  by  Mr.  M.  H. 
Sanford  in  1876,  and  was  for  a  long  time  one  of  the 
most  reliable  horses  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  George  L.  Loril- 
lard.  He  was  a  son  of  imported  Glenelg  out  of  Minx, 
who  was  by  Lexington  out  of  Levity  by  imported 
Trustee,  and  was  also  a  full  sister  to  Monarchist  and 
Sultana.  He  signalized  his  debut  upon  the  turf  as  a  two- 
year  old  by  winning  at  Monmouth  Park  the  first  race  in 
which  he  started.  After  running  second  to  Harold  for 
the  July  Stakes,  he  won  again  at  Saratoga,  but  meeting 
with  an  accident  was  not  seen  again  that  season.     As  a 


three-year  old  he  won  the  Excelsior  Stakes  at  Saratoga, 
beating  Bramble,  the  Beach  Stakes  at  Coney  Island,  and 
the  Jerome  Stakes,  defeating  Spendthrift,  who  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  horses  of  that  year. 
Later  on,  for  the  Dixie  Stakes  at  Baltimore,  he  beat  Lord 
Murphy,  the  Kentucky  Derby  winner,  who  had  been 
brought  East  for  the  special  purpose  of  subduing  him. 
As  a  four-year  old  he  became  a  cup  winner,  taking  the 
Coney  Island  Cup  from  Uncas  and  also  the  Baltimore 
Cup  and  the  Jerome  Park  Cup.  Uncas,  however,  de- 
feated him  for  the  Westchester  Cup,  but  before  the 
season  was  through  he  won,  in  addition  to  cup  events, 
the  Elberon  Handicap,  the  Pimlico  Stakes  and  the  Bowie 
Stakes,  the  latter  at  four-mile  heats. 

In  his  five-year  old  form  he  again  placed  the  Baltimore 
Cup  to  his  credit,  and  also  added  to  his  triumphs  the 
Monmouth  Cup,  the  Grand  National  Handicap,  the  Long 
Branch  Handicap  and  the  Navesink  Handicap.  When 
he  was  seven  years  old,  in  1883,  he  won  the  Westchester 
Cup,  the  Long  Branch  Handicap,  the  Shrewsbury  Handi- 
cap and  the  Champion  Stakes,  and  ran  third  to  Eole  and 
George  Kinney  for  the  Monmouth  Stakes,  with  Iroquois 
behind  him.  In  1884,  he  started  in  twenty  races,  win- 
ning several  of  them,  in  one  of  which  he  defeated  Gen- 
eral Monroe,  the  Suburban  winner  of  that  year.  His  last 
race  was  in  a  handicap  at  Monmouth  Park,  in  1883, 
when  he  ran  unplaced  to  Euclid.  During  his  career  he 
started  in  one  hundred  and  seventeen  races,  of  which  he 
won  forty-two,  being  second  in  thirty-eight  and  third  in 
nineteen,  his  total  winnings  amounting  to  $61, 130.  He 
had  a  popular  fame  that  was  second  to  no  horse  in  his 
generation.  After  the  close  of  his  turf  career  he  was 
retired  to  The  Locusts,  near  Eatontown,  N.  J.,  where  he 
died  in  1893. 

Strains  of  the  great  Lexington  and  of  Glencoe  gave  to 
Uncas  pre-eminence  on  the  turf  and  in  the  stud.  His 
sire  was  Lexington  and  his  dam  Coral  by  Vandal,  who 
was  by  Glencoe.  His  granddam  was  imported  Cairn- 
gorme  by  Cotherstone,  a  son  of  Touchstone,  and  a  win- 
ner of  the  Derby  and  the  Two  Thousand  Guineas.  In 
his  two-year  old  form  Uncas  started  only  three  times. 
He  won  the  Kentucky  Stakes,  defeating  Harold,  Idler, 
Dan  Sparling  and  others,  and  ran  second  in  the  Saratoga 
and  the  Nursery  Stakes.  He  was  one  of  the  main 
dependences  of  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard's  stable  in  that  gen- 
tleman's first  venture  upon  the  English  turf,  but  was  a 
rank  failure  there,  running  unplaced  for  the  Two  Thou- 
sand Guineas,  the  only  race  in  which  he  was  started. 
After  he  was  returned  to  this  country  he  won  five  out  of 
the  fifteen  races  in  which  he  went  to  the  post  as  a  four- 
year  old,  among  them  being  the  Westchester  Cup,  when 
he  defeated  Ferida,  Monitor  and  others.  In  six  races  he 
was  second,  and  only  once  failed  to  secure  place. 

So  many  noble  race  horses  have  come  upon  the  turf  dur- 


108 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


ing'  the  last  two  decades  of  the  centui'y  that  it  is  ahnost 
a  herculean  task  to  keep  track  of  them.  Where  there 
were  scores  who  distinguished  themselves  in  the  olden 
times,  there  are  now  hundreds  who  struggle  with  each 
other  for  fame  and  whose  names  crowd  the  Stud  Book 
and  the  racing  calendar.  They  have  won  rank  in  turf 
annals  equal  to  the  best  that  have  preceded  them,  and  in 
the  gloiy  of  their  achievements  must  be  placed  in  the 
same  class  as  the  most  famous  of  those  who  adorned  the 
race  track  a  half  century  and  more  ago.  Equally  entitled 
to  historical  recognition  along  with  such  champions  as 
Boston,  Fashion,  Lexington  and  others  who  made  the 
early  period  of  the  American  turf  so  glorious,  their  num- 
bers alone  may  operate  to  some  extent  to  deprive  them 
of  that  fair  consideration  to  which  they  are  individually 
entitled  by  reason  of  their  work.  However  brilliant  their 
careers,  it  is  almost  impossible  that  they  should  not  suffer 
from  being  part  of  a  large  army  of  equally  good  ones. 
Where  many  are  of  like  distinction,  the  fame  of  a  single 
one  may  not  shine  so  brightly  as  in  the  days  when  a  few 
held  the  entire  front  rank  for  themselves. 

Nevertheless,  the  racing  world  will  cherish  quite  as 
fondly  in  remembrance  the  peerless  youngsters  of  to-day 
as  it  has  long  held  the  memory  of  their  ancestors.  If 
briefer  consideration  must  be  given  to  them  by  reason  of 
the  large  numbers  who  equally  demand  attention,  the 
merest  record  of  their  notable  careers  will  be  sufficient  to 
embalm  them  forever  in  the  memories  of  all  lovers 
of  the  turf  and  to  give  them  a  permanent  place  in 
turf  annals.  Who  can  forget  Lamplighter,  who  stood 
at  the  head  of  the  Rancocas  Stable  in  1893?  He  was 
the  son  of  Spendthrift  and  out  of  imported  Torch- 
light, the  sire  of  Spendthrift  being  Australian.  The 
dam  of  Spendthrift  was  ^^rolite  by  Lexington,  out  of 
Florine  by  Glencoe.  Through  his  dam.  Torchlight, 
Lamplighter  traced  to  other  noted  families.  His  grand- 
sire  was  Speculum,  son  of  Vedette  by  Voltiguer,  the 
dam  of  Speculum  being  Doralice  by  Alarm  (or  Orlando) 
out  of  Preserve.  Lamplighter's  grandam  on  the  mater- 
nal side  was  Midnight  by  King  Tom  out  of  Starlight. 

Lamplighter  did  not  display  much  brilliancy  in  his 
career  as  a  two-year  old.  In  one  of  his  races  at  Jerome 
Park,  however,  he  electrified  the  crowd  by  a  grand  rush 
through  the  stretch,  coming  from  at  least  six  lengths 
behind  the  last  horse  and  winning  the  race.  As  a  four- 
year  old  he  began  his  work  by  running  third  in  the  Su- 
burban. During  that  season,  he  started  in  sixteen  races 
and  won  ten,  including  a  walkover  at  Morris  Park.  Pur- 
chased by  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  for  $30,000,  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Rancocas  Stable  and  then  won  seven  and 
lost  three  races.  His  race  for  the  Bridge  Handicap  was 
one  of  the  best  ever  seen,  as  he  carried  127  pounds  and 
ran  completely  away  from  all  his  opponents,  covering 
the  1%  miles  in  the  fast  time  of  2  minutes,  35!  seconds. 


In  1803,  he  was  a  leading  favorite  for  the  Brooklyn  Handi- 
cap, but  was  only  able  to  run  a  good  second  to  Diablo. 
The  same  year  he  won  the  Standard  Stakes,  the  Maturity 
Handicap,  the  Fall  Stakes  and  the  Labor  Day  Stakes. 

A  good  all-around  horse  that  came  out  of  the  Nurs- 
ery Stud  was  Badge,  who  was  foaled  in  1885.  His 
sire  was  imported  The  111  Used,  and  his  dam  Baroness 
by  Kentucky,  the  latter  being  by  Lexington  and  out  of 
Magnolia,  by  imported  Glencoe.  His  second  dam  was 
Lady  Blessington  by  imported  Eclipse,  and  his  third 
dam  Philo  by  Mariner.  Badge  was  a  horse  of  unusual 
good  speed,  fine  action  and  extraordinary  endurance. 
He  was  a  hard  worker,  and  more  reliable  than  many  of 
his  rivals  who  had  a  more  shining  reputation.  As  a 
two-year  old  he  won  the  Autumn  Selling  Stakes  at 
Coney  Island  and  other  important  events,  beating  such 
all-aged  sprinters  as  Kingston,  Cyclops  and  others,  and 
winning  nine  out  of  his  twenty-one  starts.  As  a  three- 
year  old  he  was  started  twenty-nine  times  and  won  fif- 
teen races.  His  record  in  the  West  was  extraordinarily 
successful,  and  he  swept  the  board  there.  In  the  East 
he  won  the  Palisade  Stakes,  the  Cape  May  Handicap,  the 
Katonah  Handicap  and  others.  Although  he  was  a 
favorite  for  the  Suburban  of  1889,  he  failed  even  to 
secure  a  place.  His  winnings  that  year,  which  were 
twelve  out  of  twenty-nine  starts,  included  the  Merchants 
Handicap  and  the  Kentucky  Handicap  at  Louisville,  the 
Mid-summer  Handicap  and  the  Rahway  Handicap  at  Mon- 
mouth Park  and  the  Racing  Stakes  at  Coney  Island.  In 
1890,  he  ran  second  to  Castaway  II.  for  the  Brooklyn 
Handicap,  and  that  year  won  thirteen  out  of  thirty-six 
starts,  while  in  the  ensuing  year  he  started  thirty-two 
times  and  won  twelve  times.  After  that  he  was  pur- 
chased by  Mr.  August  Belmont  and  became  again  an  in- 
mate of  the  Nursery  Stud. 

Ramapo,  who  won  the  Suburban  in  1894,  was  by  Run- 
nyemede  (or  Pontaic)  out  of  Annie  F.  Through  Pontiac,  he 
had  in  his  pedigree  crosses  of  Beadsman,  Salamanco,  Ad- 
venturer, Weatherbit,  Newminster,  Rataplan  and  others. 
Through  his  dam,  Annie  F.,  he  traced  to  the  Lexington, 
Australian  and  Revenue  families.  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  J. 
O.  Donner,  in  the  Ramapo  Mountains,  New  Jersey,  whence 
his  name.  As  a  two-year  old  he  became  the  property  of 
Messrs.  Gideon  &  Daly,  and  that  year  won  the  Cham- 
pagne and  the  Dunmow  Stakes  at  Morris  Park.  As  a 
three-year  old  he  started  twenty-four  times,  winning 
nine  races  and  being  second  in  nine,  his  earnings 
amounting  to  $28,07=;.  His  victory  in  the  Omnibus 
Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park  was  his  most  important  feat 
that  year. 

Among  the  sons  of  imported  Billet  few  were  held  in 
higher  esteem  or  were  more  deserving  of  the  fame  that 
came  to  them  than  Sir  Dixon,  who  was  foaled  in  i88s. 
Through  his  sire,  who  was  by  Voltiguer  out  of  Calcutta, 


109 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


he  was  descended  from  Blacklock,  Flycatcher  and  Touch- 
stone, and  had  several  crosses  of  Herod.  His  dam  was 
Jaconet,  daughter  of  imported  Leamington  and  Maggie 
B.  B.  Jaconet  was  full  sister  to  Iroquois,  and  traced  to 
imported  Myrtle  and  the  Layton  Barb  mare.  The  fourth 
dam  of  Sir  Dixon  was  Magnolia  by  Glencoe,  one  of  the 
best  producing  mares  of  her  generation.  Sir  Dixon  was 
bred  at  the  Runnymede  Stud,  and  ran  in  the  colors  of 
Mr.  G.  B.  Morris  and  afterward  in  the  stable  of  Dwyer 
Brothers.  As  a  two-year  old  he  won  the  Camden,  the 
Select  and  the  Flatbush  Stakes,  defeating  for  the  latter 
Tea-Tray,  Raceland  and  others,  in  i  minute,  29  seconds. 
In  his  three-year  old  form  he  defeated  Raceland,  Prince 
Royal,  Tea-Tray,  Los  Angeles  and  others,  winning  the 
Withers,  the  Belmont,  the  LoriUard  and  the  Travers 
Stakes. 

Onondaga,  son  of  Leamington  and  Susan  Beane,  was 
confined  to  his  two-year  old  form  as  a  race  horse. 
He  started  in  nine  races,  of  which  he  won  four,  in- 
cluding the  Juvenile,  the  July  and  the  Kentucky  Stakes, 
and  was  then  retired.  He  was  a  product  of  the 
Erdenheim  Stud,  and  was  foaled  in  1879.  In  the 
stud  he  was  remarkably  successful,  his  get  coming 
to  the  front  early  in  their  careers  and  taking  rank  among 
horses  of  the  first  class.  For  several  seasons  he  stood 
near  the  top  of  the  list  of  winning  sires.  Among  the 
most  celebrated  of  his  get  have  been  Oregon,  Yum  Yum, 
Once  Again,  Onward,  Ambulance  and  Outlook. 

Hornpipe  who  won  the  ninth  renewal  of  the  Brooklyn 
Handicap  in  189s,  defeated  a  field  of  heavily  backed  favor- 
ites, including  Ramapo  and  Dr.  Rice.  His  victory  was 
well  deserved,  for  he  was  in  good  form  and  made  a  good 
running.  Hornpipe  belonged  to  the  stable  of  the  Messrs. 
Keene,  and  was  then  a  good  four-year  old.  He  was 
foaled  in  1891,  the  son  of  imported  Mr.  Pickwick  and 
Round  Dance.  Mr.  Pickwick  was  by  Hermit,  out  of 
Tomato,  the  Hermit  lineage  tracing  to  Newminster, 
Touchstone,  Tadmor  and  others,  while  Tomato,  by  King 
Tom  and  Mince  Meat,  was  descended  from  Harkaway, 
Pocahontas  and  Sweetmeat.  Through  his  dam,  Round 
Dance,  Hornpipe  had  distinctively  American  blood,  his 
grandsire.  War  Dance,  having  the  Lexington,  Boston  and 
Glencoe  crosses,  while  his  grandam.  Sue  Dorrity,  traced 
to  Glencoe  on  the  maternal  line  and  to  Irish  Birdcatcher 
on  the  paternal  line. 

One  of  the  best  daughters  of  Hanover  was  Handspun, 
who  was  out  of  Spinaway,  daughter  of  Leamington  and 
Megara,  the  latter  being  by  Eclipse  by  Orlando,  while 
her  dam  was  Ulrica  by  Lexington  out  of  imported 
Emilia.  Foaled  in  1892,  Handspun  was  bred  at  the 
McGrathiana  Stud,  in  Kentucky,  and  sold  as  a  yearling 
for  $3,  soo.  She  made  her  debut  upon  the  turf  as  a  two- 
year  old  by  winning  a  purse  race,  at  Memphis,  and  fol- 
lowed this  up  by  winning  the  Lassie  Stakes  at  the  same 


meeting,  and  the  Thora  Stakes,  J^  mile,  in  48^4  seconds. 
For  the  Pepper  Stakes  at  Lexington,  4)4  furlongs,  she 
ran  a  dead  heat  with  Lollie  Easton  by  Bishop  out  of 
Dublin  Belle.  Spinaway,  the  dam  of  Handspun,  was 
one  of  the  best  two-year  old  fillies  of  1880,  winning 
seven  out  of  the  nine  races  in  which  she  started  and 
coming  in  second  in  the  remaining  two.  She  won  the 
Juvenile  Stakes  at  Jerome  Park,  the  Foam  and  the  Surf 
Stakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  the  Bouquet  and  the  Chestnut 
Hill  Stakes  and  the  Hopeful  and  July  Stakes  at  Monmouth 
Park. 

Lazzarone,  who  was  defeated  in  the  Brooklyn  Handi- 
cap of  189s  by  Hornpipe,  more  than  retrieved  himself  a 
month  later  by  winning  the  Suburban.  He  was  then  a 
four-year  old,  having  been  bred  in  1891,  and  in  his  earlier 
years  raced  principally  in  the  West  in  the  colors  of 
Messrs.  Leigh  &  Rose.  In  1894,  he  was  sold  and  be- 
came the  property  of  Messrs.  F.  D.  &  J.  A.  Beard,  of  the 
Erie  Stable,  of  Brooklyn.  He  was  a  son  of  Spendthrift 
by  Australian  out  of  Aerolite,  thus  being  bred  on  paternal 
lines  to  Melbourne,  Matchem  and  Young  Emilius  of 
modern  English  thoroughbreds,  and  to  the  purely  Amer- 
ican lines  of  Lexington,  Boston  and  Glencoe.  Lazzarone 
was  out  of  Spinaway,  one  of  the  speediest  mares  that  ever 
ran.  She  was  the  daughter  of  imported  Leamington  and 
Megara,  thus  having  crosses  of  Sir  Hercules,  Eclipse  and 
Lexington  in  her  pedigree.  She  was  the  dam  of  several 
good  horses,  among  them  Spinalong,  Handspun  and 
Montauk. 

Raceland,  one  of  the  best  known  members  of  Mr. 
August  Belmont's  stable,  was  by  imported  Billet  out 
of  Calomel,  and  was  foaled  in  1885.  As  a  yearling  he 
gave  no  promise  of  future  greatness  and  was  sold  at  a 
small  price  to  Bookmaker  Ullman.  His  appearances 
were  deceptive,  however,  for  when  he  came  into  his 
two-year  old  form  he  took  his  place  along  with  the  best 
horses  of  that  year,  winning  nine  races  out  of  the  twelve 
in  which  he  started,  being  second  in  one  and  unplaced  in 
two.  His  victories  included  the  Quickstep  Stakes  at  Chi- 
cago, the  Great  Eastern  Handicap  at  Coney  Island  and  the 
Arlington  and  the  Capitol  Stakes  at  Washington,  defeat- 
ing such  good  horses  as  Los  Angeles,  Sir  Dixon,  Badge, 
George  Oyster  and  others.  After  1887,  he  raced  for  the 
stable  of  Mr.  August  Belmont,  who  paid  for  him  $17,500. 
When  the  Nursery  Stud  was  sold,  in  1891,  Mr.  Dwyer 
bought  him  for  $7,000.  As  a  three-year  old,  he  won 
seven  races,  was  second  twice,  third  once  and  unplaced 
twice.  The  following  year  he  came  more  than  ever  into 
prominence  by  winning  the  Suburban,  and  then  added 
seven  other  successes  to  his  record,  running  second  three 
times  and  being  unplaced  twice. 

In  1890,  he  ran  again  for  the  Suburban,  and  was  de- 
feated, but  won  four  out  of  his  eight  starts,  being  second 
twice  and  unplaced  twice.     His  record  for  1891,  the  first 


no 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


year  that  he  ran  in  the  colors  of  Mr.  M.  F.  1  )wyer,  was  quite 
as  good,  for  he  won  seventeen  events  and  was  second  in 
six,  third  in  three  and  unplaced  in  three.  The  following 
year  he  was  successful  in  only  seven  out  of  twenty-one 
starts,  but  in  iSqi  came  strongly  to  the  front  again,  win- 
ning eighteen  races  out  of  thirty-four  in  which  he  started, 
being  second  in  ten,  third  in  two  and  unplaced  in  four. 
His  great  successes  this  year  were  the  Hudson  River 
Handicap  at  Morris  Park  in  2  minutes,  14  seconds,  beating 
His  Highness;  a  high  weight  handicap  at  Coney  Island 
in  2  minutes,  8  seconds,  beating  Gloaming,  and  a  i 
mile,  I  furlong  at  Morris  Park  in  i  minute,  s^j^  seconds. 
The  season  of  1893  saw  the  practical  end  of  his  racing 
career.  In  the  following  year  he  was  started  twice,  ran 
third  once  and  was  unplaced  once,  and  then  broke  down 
and  was  withdrawn  from  the  turf.  A  year  later  his 
condition  was  such  that  his  owner  had  him  shot.  Dur- 
ing the  eight  years  that  he  was  on  the  turf  he  started  in 
one  hundred  and  thirty-one  races,  of  which  he  won  sev- 
enty, bringing  to  his  owners  a  total  of  $119,460.  He 
was  second  in  twenty-seven  races,  third  in  thirteen  and 
unplaced  in  twenty-one. 

The  principal  member  of  the  Oneck  Stable,  in  the  early 
nineties,  was  Sir  Walter,  who  was  at  all  times  a  popular 
horse.  He  was  the  son  of  imported  Midlothian  out  of 
La  Scala,  Midlothian  being  by  Rataplan  (or  Strathconan) 
out  of  Lufra.  Rataplan  was  by  Newminster  out  of 
Souvenir,  Newminster  being  a  son  of  Touchstone  and 
Beeswing,  and  Souvenir  a  daughter  of  Chanticleer  and 
Birthday.  Lufra  was  by  Windhound  out  of  Maud,  the 
former  being  by  Pantaloon  out  of  Phryne,  and  the  latter 
by  Loup  Garou  out  of  Venilia.  La  Scala,  the  dam  of  Sir 
Walter,  was  by  Joe  Hooker  out  of  Abbey,  her  sire  being 
a  son  of  Monday,  who  was  by  Colton  out  of  Molly  Jack- 
son, his  dam  being  Mayflower  by  imported  Eclipse,  out 
of  Hennie  Farrow.  Abbey,  the  dam  of  La  Scala,  was  a 
daughter  of  Norfolk  and  Ada  C,  the  former  a  Lexington 
colt  and  the  latter  by  Revenue  out  of  Sally  Morgan. 

As  a  two-year  old  Sir  Walter  won  the  Great  American 
Stakes,  defeating  Don  Alonzo,  Ajax,  Morello  and  others; 
the  Seaside  Stakes,  the  Great  Eclipse  Stakes,  beating 
Don  Alonzo  again;  the  Atlantic  Stakes  and  the  Seabright 
Stakes,  his  total  winnings  for  the  year  being  $41,743. 
In  his  three-year  old  form  there  was  none  better  on  the 
turf  at  that  time,  and  he  easily  beat  such  famous  ones  as 
St.  Leonard,  Don  Alonzo  and  Ramapo.  His  victories  this 
year  included  the  Tidal,  the  Lorillard,  the  Stockton,  the 
Stevens  and  the  Fulton  Stakes,  his  total  winnings  being 
$39, 550.  In  1894,  he  captured  the  all-aged  Serial  Handicap 
and  other  events,  and  ran  third  for  the  Brooklyn  Handicap. 
The  following  year  he  made  an  attempt  for  the  Brooklyn 
Handicap  again  and  ran  third,  and  was  also  second  for 
the  Suburban  of  that  year.  He  ran  third  for  the  Metro- 
politan Stakes  in  1896,  and  then  captured  the  Brooklyn 


Handicap  on  his  thii'd  trial  in  that  I'ace.  He  has  had  a 
long  and  notable  career,  being  one  of  the  most  faithful 
and  hard-working  horses  in  contemporaneous  times. 
Most  of  the  great  events  of  the  turf  have  fallen  to  him 
sooner  or  later,  and  in  1897,  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  he 
was  still  in  good  condition  and  considered  worthy  to 
enter  for  the  Suburban  of  1898. 

Dobbins,  who  carried  Mr.  Richard  Croker  to  fame  as  a 
turf  magnate,  was  a  Tennessean  of  royal  equine  birth. 
His  sire  was  imported  Mr.  Pickwick,  and  his  dam  the 
great  racing  filly  and  brood  mare,  Thora,  daughter  of 
Longfellow,  and  granddaughter  of  both  Leamington  and 
Lexington.  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  Charles  Reed,  and  as  a 
yearling  became  an  inmate  of  the  Ehret  Stable.  When 
the  Ehrets  gave  up  racing  and  sold  their  horses,  Mr. 
Croker  bid  high  and  became  the  owner  of  this  promising 
half-brother  to  the  famous  Yorkville  Belle.  The  colt, 
which  up  to  that  time  had  been  nameless,  was  now 
called  Dobbins,  and  in  the  spring  of  1893  went  to  the 
post  under  the  Croker  colors.  After  he  got  through 
going  that  season  and  was  retired  to  rest  for  the  winter, 
he  had  been  fifteen  times  a  winner  and  had  brought  to 
the  Tammany  chieftain  something  like  $57,000  in  stake 
money.  He  was  started  in  twenty-five  races  and  fought 
many  hard  contests,  his  gameness  early  making  him  a 
favorite  and  steadily  increasing  his  popularity  as  the 
season  went  on. 

His  first  winning  was  a  half-mile  sweepstakes  at  the 
Brooklyn  Spring  Meeting,  and  after  that  he  beat  Halton, 
Bowers,  Sir  Excess  and  others  for  the  Control  Stakes; 
ran  second  to  Domino  in  the  Great  American  Stakes; 
beat  Declare,  Hurlingham  and  others  for  the  Tremont 
Stakes  at  Morris  Park;  won  the  Bartow  Stakes  at  Morris 
Park;  was  second  to  Domino  in  the  Great  Eclipse  Stakes; 
won  the  Anticipation  Stakes,  the  Foam  and  the  Zephyr 
Stakes;  ran  third  in  the  Great  Trial  Stakes  at  Coney 
Island;  won  the  June  Stakes  and  the  Atlantic  Stakes; 
was  beaten  by  Jack  of  Spades  in  the  Seabright  Stakes 
and  also  beaten  for  the  Cairo  Stakes  and  the  Select 
Stakes,  the  latter  by  Senator  Grady;  won  two  purses  at 
Saratoga;  lost  the  Futurity  to  Domino  by  a  head;  ran 
that  famous  dead  heat  with  Domino  in  a  match  race, 
that  was  the  sensational  turf  affair  of  the  year;  was 
beaten  by  Prigg  in  the  Prospect  Stakes  and  by  Henry  of 
Navarre  in  the  Algeria  Handicap;  and  after  winning  a 
sweepstakes  and  the  Dunmow  Stakes,  closed  the  year  by 
yielding  to  Sir  Excess  by  a  neck  in  the  Champagne 
Stakes.  The  great  Dobbins-Domino  match  race  was  one 
of  the  most  sensational  turf  affairs  of  the  year  and  per- 
haps of  the  decade.  Domino  had  run  an  unchecked 
career,  and  yet  the  followers  of  Dobbins  believed  that 
their  favorite  was  the  better  horse.  When  the  race  came 
off  there  was  a  battle  of  giants,  a  struggle  of  fierce  en- 
deavor.    At  the  end  of  it  the  judges  could  not  separate 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


the  two  heads,  one  from  the  other,  and  the  world  heard 
of  the  gamest  dead  heat  that  had  ever  been  fought. 
Domino  went  to  the  stud  unbeaten,  but  the  star  of  Dob- 
bins was  in  the  ascendant. 

When  the  spring  came  again,  the  son  of  Mr.  Pickwick 
was  in  good  form  and  began  his  three-year  old  career  in 
full  promise  of  surpassing  even  himself.  He  stood 
almost  supreme  on  the  turf,  and  galloped  along  through 
the  hot  summer  days  and  managed  to  carry  off  full  $=^5,- 
Goo,  despite  the  fact  that  three-year  old  races  are  not  as 
valuable  as  those  for  the  two-year  olds,  in  189s,  he  was 
in  the  stable  that  Mr.  Croker  took  to  England.  Great 
hopes  were  based  upon  him,  and  it  was  confidently 
believed  that  he  was  a  sure  thing  for  a  surprise  of  the 
Britains  upon  their  own  soil.  But  these  expectations 
were  doomed  to  disappointment.  While  he  was  in 
training  he  pulled  up  lame.  Then  he  was  sent  into  retire- 
ment and  was  surrounded  with  some  of  the  best  brood 
mares  of  England.  He  was  great,  game  and  honest,  the 
highest  type  of  the  first-class  American  horse. 

Chosen  to  be  another  of  the  leading  representatives  of 
rhe  American  turf  in  the  string  that  Messrs.  Croker  & 
Dwyer  took  to  Europe  in  189s,  Banquet,  who  was  then 
an  eight-year  old,  had  already  proven  himself  to  be  a 
worthy  son  of  imported  Rayon  d'Or.  He  was  foaled  in 
1887  and  bred  by  the  Honorable  William  L.  Scott  at  the 
Algeria  Stud.  His  dam,  Ella  T.,  was  by  War  Dance 
out  of  Bonnie  Kate,  the  latter  being  by  imported  Knight 
of  St.  George  out  of  Eagle,  who  was  a  famous  gray 
mare,  foaled  in  i8s2.  In  his  two-year  old  and  three-year 
old  forms  he  was  raced  in  the  colors  of  Mr.  Scott.  He 
then  became  the  property  of  Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer,  and  dur- 
ing the  next  four  years,  previous  to  his  departure  for 
Europe,  had  a  notable  career.  In  1889,  he  won  five 
races;  in  i8qo,  thirteen;  in  1891,  thirty-four;  in  1892, 
twenty-two;  in  1893,  twenty-four,  and  in  1894,  twenty, 
making  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  eighteen.  One  of  his 
best  achievements  was  the  winning  of  the  Navesink 
Handicap  at  Monmouth  Park,  in  1892,  i^  miles,  in  2 
minutes,  34^  seconds. 

The  following  year  at  the  Spring  Meeting  of  the  New 
York  Jockey  Club  he  won  the  Standard  Stakes,  i  %  miles, 
in  2  minutes,  ^Y\  seconds.  His  dead  heat  with  Ramapo 
for  a  handicap  sweepstakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  in  1894, 
which  was  run  off  and  won  by  him,  was  the  exciting 
event  of  that  season.  Among  his  other  successes  were 
the  Expectation  Stakes,  in  1889,  and  the  Realization, 
the  Lorillard,  the  Stevens  and  the  Stockton  Stakes,  in  1890, 
the  latter,  \%  miles,  in  2  minutes,  }%  seconds.  In  1891, 
he  won  the  Monmouth  Handicap  and  the  Country  Club 
Handicap.  Less  successful  on  the  English  turf  than  he 
had  been  in  his  native  land,  in  July,  189s,  he  ran  second 
to  Virago  in  a  trial  plate  selling  race  at  Newmarket,  with 
Golden  Slipper  third.      The  owner   of   Golden   Slipper 


claimed  him,  and  he  passed  out  of  the  hands  of  Messrs. 
Croker  &  Dwyer.  Previous  to  this,  however,  he  had 
won  a  selling  race  over  the  ditch  mile  at  Newmarket,  an 
uphill  course  and  one  of  the  severest  in  England,  defeat- 
ing Drugo,  Courante  and  seven  others. 

Stonenell,  a  chestnut  horse  by  Stonehenge  out  of  Nell, 
was  bred  by  Mr.  D.  D.  Withers  and  foaled  in  1889.  As 
a  two-year  old  he  was  raced  in  the  colors  of  Mr.  Withers, 
but  the  same  year  became  the  property  of  Mr.  M.  F. 
Dwyer.  He  then  won  twelve  races,  his  best  perfor- 
mances being  a  sweepstakes  at  Coney  Island  over  the 
Futurity  course  in  i  minute,  io|  seconds,  and  a  welter- 
weight handicap  at  Morris  Park,  =;  furlongs,  in  59^  sec- 
onds. He  was  successful  in  twenty-four  races  in  1893, 
winning  three  at  a  mile  distance,  one  of  them  in  i  min- 
ute, 4i}4  seconds,  a  time  that  would  compare  with  the 
best  records  of  the  American  turf.  He  was  best  at  7 
furlongs  and  under.  In  1894,  he  won  fourteen  races, 
being  defeated  twice  that  year  by  Glenmoyne. 
Taken  to  England  as  the  second  member  of  Messrs. 
Croker  &  Dwyer's  string  in  189s,  his  career  as  an 
American  race  horse,  under  American  colors,  was 
brought  abruptly  to  an  end,  for  he  ran  in  a  selling  race 
at  Newmarket  in  May  and  was  claimed  by  Mr.  T.  Hood- 
less. 

Domino,  who  won  the  Futurity  in  1893,  was  bred  by 
Major  B.  G.  Thomas  at  the  Dixiana  Stud.  He  was  a  son 
of  Himyar  out  of  Mannie  Grey.  His  dam  was  a  daughter 
of  Enquirer  out  of  Lizzie  G.,  Enquirer  being  a  son  of  im- 
ported Leamington  out  of  Leader,  daughter  of  Lexington 
and  Lize.  Lizzie  G.,  the  grandam  of  Domino,  was  by 
the  celebrated  War  Dance,  by  Lexington  out  of  Reel,  her 
dam  being  a  daughter  of  Lecomte  and  Edith.  Domino 
was  a  full  brother  to  Correction,  and  was  sold  as  a  year- 
ling, in  1892.  to  Mr.  James  R.  Keene  for  $3,000.  He 
became  one  of  the  most  celebrated  horses  on  the  Ameri- 
can turf  in  this  generation,  beating  everything  with 
which  he  was  brought  into  contact.  His  first  start  as  a 
two-year  old  in  1893,  was  for  a  sweepstake,  5  furlongs, 
which  he  won  by  6  lengths  in  a  gallop  in  i  minute,  2 
seconds. 

His  subsequent  winnings  that  year  were  the  Great 
American  Stakes  at  Gravesend  in  i  minute,  1%  seconds; 
the  Great  Eclipse  Stakes  at  Morris  Park  in  i  minute,  \2% 
seconds,  when  he  beat  Dobbins,  Declare,  Sit.  Julian, 
Hurlingham  and  Sam  Lucas;  the  Great  Trial  Stakes  at 
Coney  Island  in  i  minute,  14  seconds,  beating  Hydera- 
bad, Dobbins,  Declare  and  others ;  the  Hyde  Park  Stakes 
at  Washington  Park,  Chicago,  in  i  minute,  14  sec- 
onds, beating  Peter  the  Great,  Vassal  and  others;  the 
Produce  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park  in  i  minute,  14^ 
seconds,  and  the  Futurity  against  Dobbins,  Galilee  and 
others.  As  a  result  of  the  Futurity  a  special  race  for 
$10,000  a  side  was  arranged  between  Domino  and  Dob- 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


bins,  ;ind  was  run  at  Sheepshead  Ray  over  the  Futurity 
Course  and  was  a  dead  lieat  Ix'lween  the  two  in  i  min- 
ute, I2i.|  seconds.  Domino  then  won  the  Matron  Stal<es 
at  Morris  Park  in  i  minute,  q  seconds,  and  closed  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  careers  ever  known  to  the  Ameri- 
can turf,  having  fairly  earned  the  title  that  was  given 
to  him  of  being  "  the  unbeatable  black  wonder." 

Great  surprises  have  always  come  to  be  looked  for  on 
the  turf,  and,  paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  surprises  are, 
after  all,  not  always  surprises  in  the  broadest  sense  of 
the  word.  When  Mr.  Marcus  Daly's  Ogden  came  in  at 
the  head  of  a  large  field  in  the  Futurity  of  1896  the  sur- 
prise was  one  that  was  not  wholly  unanticipated, 
although  perhaps  the  majority  of  frequenters  at  Sheeps- 
head Bay  had  not  discounted  it,  especially  in  their  bet- 
ting. It  has  been  estimated  that,  as  a  result  of  Ogden's 
winning,  at  least  $soo,ooo  changed  hands  upon  that 
eventful  occasion,  and  his  victory  at  that  time  was  not 
that  of  an  outsider,  for  he  was  brought  to  the  post  in 
perfect  condition  and  showed  himself  entitled  to  rank 
among  the  fastest  and  gamest  two-year  olds  of  this  gen- 
eration. He  ran  the  race  a  full  second  lower  than  the 
best  previous  record,  which  had  been  established  at  i 
minute,  11  seconds,  by  The  Butterflies  in  1894.  Ogden 
was  a  brown  colt  of  the  best  English  and  Irish  blood.  His 
sire  was  Kilwarlin,  son  of  Arbitrator  and  Hasty  Girl. 
Arbitrator  was  by  Solon  out  of  True  Heart,  Solon  being 
a  son  of  West  Australian  and  True  Heart  a  daughter  of 
Musjid  and  Mary  Jane. 

Hasty  Girl,  the  dam  of  Kilwarlin,  was  a  daughter  of 
Lord  Gough  and  Irritation,  Lord  Gough  being  by  Glad- 
iateur  out  of  Battaglia,  and  Irritation  by  King  of  Trumps 
out  of  Patience.  Kilwarlin  was  bred  in  1884  by  Tom 
Connolly  at  Curragh  View,  County  Kildare,  Ireland.  As 
a  racer  he  had  a  good  career,  winning  the  St.  Leger  in 
1887,  and  the  Tenth  Great  Challenge  Stakes  at  New- 
market in  the  same  year,  when  he  defeated  Fronduce, 
Wise  Man,  Fleur  de  Marie  and  Bella  Donna.  Oriole,  the 
dam  of  Ogden,  was  by  Bend  Or  out  of  Fenella.  She 
was  bred  in  1887  by  the  Duke  of  Westminster.  Bend 
Or,  as  is  well  known,  traced  to  Doncaster,  Stockwell, 
Thormanby  and  the  great  English  families  which  those 
champions  represented.  Fenella  was  by  Cambuscan  out 
of  La  Favorita,  the  former  being  a  son  of  Newminster 
and  The  Arrow,  and  the  latter  a  daughter  of  Monarque 
and  Constance.  Fenella  was  also  the  dam  of  Dourance, 
by  Rosicrucian.  By  Bend  Or,  Dourance  was  the  dam  of 
Q.uetta,  who  threw  Gray  Leg  and  Cayenne,  both  by 
Pepper  and  Salt  and  Helen  by  Marian. 

The  blood  of  imported  Leamington,  Lexington,  im- 
ported Glengarry,  Thormanby,  the  great  Derby  winner, 
and  imported  Bonnie  Scotland,  were  all  united  in  Dr. 
Rice,  whose  pedigree  had  crosses  of  the  most  famous 
thoroughbreds  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.     The  sire 


of  Dr.  Rice  was  Onondaga,  son  of  imported  Leamington 
and  Susan  Beane.  His  dam  was  Bonnie  Lee,  by  imported 
Glengarry  out  of  Bonnie  Harold.  Dr.  Rice's  great  title 
to  fame  was  his  winning  of  the  Brooklyn  Handicap  in 
1894,  when  he  ran  the  distance  in  2  minutes,  7^4^  sec- 
onds. He  was  bred  in  1890  at  the  McGrathiana  Stud, 
and  in  general  appearance  and  build  favored  his  noted 
sire.  As  a  two-year  old  he  was  one  of  the  best  in  his 
class,  defeating  nearly  all  his  rivals,  and  in  his  three-year 
old  form  he  won  the  Withers  Stakes  and  other  events. 
Ornament,  who  won  the  Latonia  Derby  in  1897,  and  the 
Brooklyn  Handicap  in  1898,  has  earned  a  reputation  of 
being  one  of  the  best  horses  of  his  age  in  the  country.  He 
is  a  son  of  imported  Order,  who  was  by  Bend  Or  out  of 
Angelica.  Through  Bend  Or  he  traced  to  Stockwell, 
Doncaster  and  Thormanby,  and  through  Angelica  to 
Vedette  and  Flying  Duchess.  Victorine,  the  dam  of 
Ornament,  was  got  by  Onondaga,  son  of  imported  Leam- 
ington, her  dam  being  Maria  D.,  who  traced  to  Lisbon, 
Phaeton,  Lexington  and  Lightsome. 

Hamburg,  one  of  the  most  sensational  horses  of  1897, 
and  perhaps,  even  of  the  decade,  was  got  by  Hanover 
out  of  Lady  Reel.  His  great  performance  that  brought 
him  to  public  attention  and  established  him  as  the  fore- 
most two-year  old  of  the  year,  was  his  winning  of  the 
Great  Trial  Stakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay  in  July,  when  he 
ran  over  the  Futurity  Course,  in  i  minute,  I2-|- seconds. 
He  was  not  looked  upon  as  a  winner  in  the  betting,  the 
odds  being  7  to  i  against  him.  He  beat  such  good  ones 
as  Previous,  who  was  second;  George  Keene,  who  was 
third,  and  a  field  consisting  of  Firearm,  who  was  the 
favorite  in  the  betting,  Bowling  Brook,  Varus,  Handball, 
Landemann,  Kitefoot,  Urillo,  The  Huguenot  and  Com- 
merce. During  1897,  h^  was  owned  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Mad- 
den, but  was  subsequently  sold  to  Mr.  Marcus  Daly, 
who,  according  to  report,  paid  $40,000  for  the  celebrated 
colt.  About  the  same  time  his  dam.  Lady  Reel,  was 
sold  in  Kentucky  for  | is, 000,  a  phenomenal  price  for  a 
brood  mare. 

The  winner  of  the  Kentucky  Derby  in  1897,  Typhoon 
II.,  was  by  imported  Topgallant  out  of  Dollie  Varden. 
Topgallant  was  a  son  of  Sterling  and  Seamark,  Sterling 
being  by  Oxford,  son  of  Birdcatcher  and  Honey  Dear, 
while  his  dam.  Whisper,  was  the  daughter  of  Flat- 
catcher  and  Silence.  Seamark  was  by  Adventurer,  out 
of  Seagull,  the  former  being  a  son  of  Newminster  and 
Palma,  and  the  latter  a  daughter  of  Lifeboat  and  Wild 
Cherry.  Dollie  Varden,  the  dam  of  Typhoon  II.,  was  by 
imported  Glenelg  out  of  Nannie  Black,  the  latter  being 
by  Virgil,  son  of  Vandal,  and  out  of  Nannie  Butler, 
daughter  of  Lexington  and  Tokay.  As  a  two-year  old 
Typhoon  II.  won  seven  out  of  the  sixteen  races  in  which 
he  started,  and  was  second  five  times.  Among  his  best 
work  was  the  defeat  of  Ornament  in  two  races. 


"3 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Howard  Mann,  the  winner  of  the  Brooklyn  Handicap 
of  1897,  was  foaled  in  1893,  being  a  son  of  Duke  of 
Montrose  by  Seamew.  Through  his  sire  he  traced  to 
Australian,  Weatherbit,  Bonnie  Scotland  and  Sovereign, 
and  through  his  dam  to  Rosicrucian,  Beadsman,  Cam- 
buscan,  Buckden  and  Lexington. 

Probably  no  son  of  Eolus  has  been  more  famous  ur 
more  deserving  of  the  reputation  that  he  achieved 
than  Morello,  the  famous  Futurity  winner.  He  has  been 
called  "one  of  the  most  sensational  horses  that  ever  ran 
in  America."  Bred  by  Dr.  W.  C.  Hardy  and  Captain 
R.  J.  Hancock,  of  Virginia,  he  was  sold  as  a  yearling  to 
Mr.  Bernard  Doswell  for  only  $100,  so  absolutely 
unpromising  was  his  appearance.  By  the  time  he  was  a 
two-year  old,  he  had  so  improved  that  he  was  valued  at 
$1,000,  at  which  price  he  was  sold  to  Mr.  William 
M.  Singerly  and  Mr.  Frank  Van  Ness.  Before  he  started 
in  the  Futurity  of  1892,  he  had  won  eleven  out  of  four- 
teen races,  although  few  of  them  had  been  important 
events.  He  was  not  in  the  best  condition  to  run  the 
Futurity  Course,  but  easily  landed  the  prize,  defeating 
Lady  Violet,  St.  Leonards  and  others,  in  i  minute,  12^ 
seconds.  At  the  Hawthorne  Park,  Chicago,  the  follow- 
ing year,  he  won  the  Chicago  Derby  from  Boundless, 
but  his  great  achievement  was  the  winning  of  the 
Wheeler  Handicap  at  Washington  Park,  Chicago,  in 
July,  1893.  With  117  pounds  up,  he  covered  i}{  miles 
in  2  minutes,  5  seconds,  equaling  the  record  of  Salvator 
at  that  distance  three  years  previously  at  Sheepshead 
Bay.  The  record  stands  to-day  unchallenged  for  that 
distance.  It  is  considered  even  better  than  Salvator's, 
since  the  latter  was  a  four-year  old,  while  Morello 
was  only  in  his  three-year  old  form.  After  completing 
his  turf  career,  Morello  entered  the  stud  of  Mr.  J.  O. 
Reese,  in  California,  and  there  died  in  1896. 

By  all  odds  the  most  distinguished  son  of  Bramble  was 
Ben  Brush,  who  won  the  Suburban  Handicap  in  1897. 
He  was  a  horse  of  remarkably  good  breeding  on  the 
side  of  his  dam  as  well  as  on  that  of  his  sire.  His  dam 
was  Roseville,  a  mare  who  was  foaled  in  1888  and  bred 
by  Commodore  J.  E.  Kittson.  •  Roseville  was  by  Reform 
out  of  Albia.  Reform,  as  we  have  several  times  had 
occasion  to  point  out,  was  a  son  of  imported  Leaming- 
ton by  imported  Stolen  Kisses.  Albia  was  by  Alarm 
out  of  Elastic,  Alarm  being  a  son  of  imported  Eclipse  by 
imported  Maud,  and  Elastic  a  daughter  of  Kentucky  and 
Blue  Ribbon.  Albia  was  also  the  dam  of  Azra,  the 
winner  of  the  Kentucky  Derby,  the  Clark  Stakes,  and 
the  Travers  Stakes,  as  a  three-year  old  in  1892.  Ben 
Brush  was  bred  in  1893,  and  his  first  start  in  his  two- 
year  old  form  was  for  a  purse  at  Louisville  which  he 
won.  Afterward  he  won  the  Cadet  Stakes  at  Louis- 
villle,  4)4  furlongs,  in  58  seconds;  the  Harold  Stakes  at 
Latonia,  5  furlongs,  in  i  minute,  2^  seconds;  the  Emer- 


ald Stakes  at  Oakley,  5  furlongs,  in  i  minute,  2^  seconds; 
and  the  Diamond  Stakes  at  Oakley,  5^^  furlongs,  in  i 
minute,  8  seconds.  When  he  made  his  appearance  upon 
the  Eastern  tracks-  that  year  he  had  an  unbroken  record 
of  success,  but  the  rest  of  his  season  was  less  satisfac- 
tory to  his  owner. 

Starting  first  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  he  finished  third  to 
Right  Royal  and  Floretta  IV.  in  a  six  furlongs  race, 
which  the  winner  made  in  i  minute,  13^  seconds.  He 
succeeded  in  winning  at  five  furlongs  in  1  minute,  |  of  a 
second,  but  came  in  second  to  Requital  for  the  Flatbush 
Stakes  and  ran  unplaced  for  the  Great  Eastern  Handi- 
cap. His  victory  in  the  Holly  Handicap  at  Gravesend 
served,  however,  to  re-establish  him  in  public  favor, 
since  he  ran  the  five  furlongs  in  i  minute,  ij4  seconds, 
beating  Margrave,  Crescendo,  Silver  II.  and  others. 
When  he  won  the  Suburban,  beating  Havoc  and  others, 
and,  running  the  distance  in  2  minutes,  ■]\  seconds,  he 
became  firmly  fixed  in  racing  history  as  one  of  the 
speediest  horses  of  his  generation. 

When  Requital  won  the  Futurity  in  1895,  a  represen- 
tative of  the  choicest  and  most  fashionable  blood  in  Eng- 
land at  the  present  time  came  conspicuously  to  the  front. 
Eothen,  the  sire  of  Requital,  was  bred  at  Yardley  Stud, 
England,  and  imported  as  a  yearling  in  1884,  by  Mr. 
D.  D.  Withers.  He  was  the  son  of  Hampton  and  Sul- 
tana, Hampton  being  by  Lord  Clifden  out  of  Lady 
Langden.  Lord  Clifden  was  the  son  of  Newminster 
and  The  Slave,  and  Lady  Langden  the  daughter  of 
Kettledrum  and  Haricot.  Sultana  was  by  Oxford  out 
of  Besika,  Oxford  being  by  Birdcatcher  out  of  Honey 
Dear  and  Besika  by  Beiram  out  of  Meirope.  Hampton 
was  for  several  years  one  of  the  leading  sires  of  England, 
rivaling  in  popularity  even  St.  Simon  and  Isonomy. 
Among  his  get  have  been  some  of  the  greatest  per- 
formers on  the  English  turf  in  this  generation,  includ- 
ing Merry  Hampton,  winner  of  the  Derby  in  1887, 
Ayrshire,  winner  of  the  Derby  in  1888,  and  Ladas,  win- 
ner of  the  Derby  in  1894. 

Oxford,  the  sire  of  Sultana,  was  also  the  sire  of  Ster- 
ling and  of  Isonomy,  who,  in  turn,  was  the  sire  of 
Isinglass  and  Common.  Eothen's  second  dam,  Besika, 
also  threw  Moslem,  a  winner  of  the  Two  Thousand 
Guineas,  while  his  third  dam,  Merope,  produced  Fly- 
ing Duchess,  who  was  the  dam  of  Galopin,  the  sire  of 
St.  Simon.  Retribution,  the  dam  of  Requital,  was  by 
Reform  out  of  Nemesis  and  was  finely  bred  in  the  lines 
of  Eclipse  and  Herod.  Her  sire,  Reform,  was  by  im- 
ported Leamington  out  of  Stolen  Kisses,  the  latter  being 
a  daughter  of  Knight  of  Kars  and  Defamation.  Neme- 
sis, the  dam  of  Retribution,  was  by  imported  Eclipse, 
son  of  Orlando  and  Gaze,  her  dam  being  Echo  by  Lexing- 
ton out  of  Mary  Innis.  Requital  was  bred  at  the  Brook- 
dale  Farm  of  Messrs.  W.  P.  Thompson  &  Sons,  and  foaled 


114 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


in  1893.  He  was  a  horse  of  fine  appearance  and  a  great 
favorite  wiien  lie  started  for  tlie  Futurity,  wiiicli  he  suc- 
ceeded in  carrying  off,  having  previously  won  that  year 
live  out  of  the  six  events  for  which  he  was  started. 

Among  the  names  of  the  greatest  thoroughbreds  that 
have  achieved  public  approval  on  the  American  turf  in 
this  generation,  the  name  of  Tenny  is  conspicuously  en- 
tered in  a  high  place.  His  sire.  Rayon  d'Or,  had  the  Eng- 
lish St.  Leger  and  other  victories  to  his  credit,  and  trans- 
mitted to  his  son  the  blood  of  such  famous  English  thor- 
oughbreds as  Flageolet,  Plutus,  Trumpator,  Monarque 
and  Chamant.  Araucaria,  the  dam  of  Rayon  d'Or,  was 
a  daughter  of  Ambrose  and  Pocahontas,  Ambrose  being 
by  Touchstone  and  Annette  and  Pocahontas  by  Glencoe 
and  Marpessa.  Among  other  distinguished  ancestors  of 
Tenny,  on  the  side  of  his  sire,  were  Priam,  Orlando,  Bay 
Middleton,  Venison  and  Darkness,  comprising  some  of 
the  best  blood  of  the  English  turf.  The  dam  of  Tenny 
was  Belle  of  Maywood,  daughter  of  Hunter's  Lexington 
and  Julia  Mattingly.  Hunter's  Lexington,  it  is  almost 
needless  to  say,  was  a  son  of  the  great  horse  whose 
name  he  bore,  and  his  dam  was  Sally  Lewis,  daughter 
of  imported  Glencoe  and  Motto.  Sally  Lewis  was  one  of 
the  best  mares  of  the  middle  of  the  century.  She  was 
the  dam  of  Susan  Beane,  who  in  turn  was  the  dam  of 
Sensation,  Stratford,  Susquehanna  and  Onondaga, 
Julia  Mattingly,  the  grandam  of  Tenny,  was  by  John 
Morgan,  son  of  imported  Sovereign  and  Sally  Lewis. 
Her  dam  was  Blue  Bell,  daughter  of  Chorister. 

In  his  two-year  old  form  Tenny's  maiden  race  was  the 
Owner's  Handicap  at  Latonia.  The  following  year  he 
demonstrated  his  prowess  by  winning  the  Fort  Hamilton 
Handicap  at  Brooklyn,  the  Volunteer  Handicap  at  Sheeps- 
head  Bay,  the  Passaic,  the  Eatontown  and  the  Choice 
Stakes  at  Monmouth,  the  Van  Nest  and  the  Electric  Stakes 
at  Morris  Park,  the  Fulton  Stakes  at  Brooklyn  and  the 
Oakland  Stakes  at  the  Fall  Meeting,  Morris  Park.  In  his 
four-year  old  form  the  Westchester  Cup  and  the  New 
York  Jockey  Club  Handicap  fell  to  him  at  Morris  Park, 
the  Ocean  and  the  Eatontown  Stakes  at  Monmouth  and 
the  Labor  Stakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay.  The  great  Salvator- 
Tenny  match  of  the  same  year  was  a  turf  event  that  will 
never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  witnessed  it.  The 
season  that  he  was  five  years  old,  Tenny  won  the 
Brooklyn  Handicap,  the  Flight  Stakes  at  Sheepshead 
Bay  and  the  Ocean  Stakes  at  Morris  Park.  After  he 
was  retired  to  the  stud  he  got  several  good  horses, 
the  best  known  of  his  sons,  perhaps,  being  David  II.,  a 
bay  colt,  who  ran  in  England  with  considerable  success, 
and  had,  among  his  other  triumphs,  a  win  in  the  Maiden 
Stakes  at  Newmarket. 

Fewer  horses  have  ever  had  a  higher  place  in  popular 
esteem  in  recent  times  than  Henry  of  Navarre.  His 
blood  was  of  the  best,  having  in  it  strains  of  Lexington, 


Glencoe,  Eclipse,  Leamington  and  other  famous  cracks. 
Foaled  in  1891,  he  was  got  by  Knight  of  Ellerslie  out  of 
Moss  Rose.  His  sire  was  by  Eolus  and  Lizzie  Hazle- 
wood,  and  Eolus  was  by  imported  Leamington.  The 
dam  of  Eolus  was  Fanny  Washington  out  of  Sarah 
Washington,  by  Revenue,  all  three  of  the  last  named 
horses  being  among  the  most  successful  on  the  American 
turf  in  the  closing  years  of  the  first  half  of  this  century. 
Lizzie  Hazlewood,  the  dam  of  Knight  of  Ellerslie,  was 
by  Scathelock  out  of  War  Song,  Scathelock  being  a  son 
of  the  great  American  Eclipse  and  Fanny  Washington, 
while  War  Song  was  by  War  Dance  out  of  Eliza  Davis. 
On  the  side  of  his  dam  Henry  of  Navarre  traced  to  Lexing- 
ton and  imported  Glencoe,  and  had  all  the  virtue  of  blood 
that  pertained  to  those  great  families.  His  dam,  Moss 
Rose,  was  by  imported  The  Ill-Used  out  of  Scarlet. 
The  Ill-Used  gave  to  him  some  of  the  best  blood  known 
to  the  modern  English  turf.  Scarlet,  the  dam  of  Moss 
Rose,  was  by  Kentucky,  dam  Marroon,  Kentucky  being 
a  son  of  Lexington  and  Magnolia,  and  Marroon  a  daugh- 
ter of  Glencoe,  out  of  a  sister  to  Tangent. 

In  his  two-year  old  form,  Henry  of  Navarre  in  1893 
ran  ten  races,  being  first  in  six,  second  in  two,  third  in 
one  and  once  unplaced.  His  first  success  was  in  carry- 
ing off  the  Breeders'  Stakes  at  Lexington  in  i  minute, 
4%  seconds.  His  total  winnings  the  first  year  were 
$10,708.  As  a  three-year  old  in  1894  he  did  not  start  off 
well,  running  second  or  third  in  such  events  as  the  Brook- 
lyn Handicap,  the  Metropolitan  Handicap  and  the  Withers 
Stakes.  He  won  the  Belmont  Stakes  in  i  minute,  56}^ 
seconds,  and  was  unplaced  in  the  Suburban.  Among 
his  other  triumphs  of  this  season  were  the  Travers  Stakes, 
for  which  he  covered  the  distance  in  2  minutes,  loX  sec- 
onds, the  Foxhall  stakes,  in  i  minute,  53^  seconds;  and 
thelroquis  Stakes  in  1  minute,  43  seconds.  His  total  win- 
nings for  the  year  were  $37,760.  In  1895,  he  won  the 
Merchants'  Stakes  of  the  Latonia  Jockey  Club  in  i 
minute,  55  seconds;  the  Country  Club  Stakes  of  the 
Cincinnati  Jockey  Club  in  i  minute,  55 J^  seconds;  the 
Manhattan  Handicap  at  Morris  Park  in  2  minutes,  7  sec- 
onds; the  Municipal  Handicap  at  Morris  Park  in  3  min- 
utes, 2  seconds,  and  several  special  races,  earning$i4,oi5. 
His  great  success  in  1896  was  in  winning  the  Suburban, 
which  he  carried  off  in  the  good  time  of  2  minutes,  7 
seconds.  During  the  first  three  years  that  he  was  on  the 
turf  he  started  in  forty  races,  twenty-seven  of  which  he 
won. 

Son  of  imported  St.  Blaise  and  Susquehanna,  Potomac 
was  one  of  the  greatest  thoroughbreds  ever  foaled  in 
America.  Through  his  sire,  who  was  a  son  of  Hermit 
and  Fuzee,  he  traced  to  Newminster,  Touchstone,  Tad- 
mor,  Orlando,  Gladiator,  Vesuvienne,  Malibran  and  other 
great  horses  of  the  English  turf.  On  the  side  of  his  dam, 
Susquehanna,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Leamington  and 

15 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Susan  Beane,  he  united  the  Leamington  and  Lexington 
blood,  Susan  Beane  being  a  daughter  of  Lexington  and 
Sally  Lewis,  who  was  a  daughter  of  imported  Glencoe 
and  Motto.  Potomac  made  his  debut  upon  the  turf  in 
his  two-year  old  form,  in  1890,  when  he  cantered 
home  in  front  of  Masher  for  the  Futurity,  with  Strath- 
meath,  Montana,  Rey  del  Rey,  Ambulance,  Kildeer, 
Russell  and  others  also  behind  him.  His  other  winnings 
in  this  year  were  the  Red  Bank  Stakes  at  Monmouth 
Park  and  the  Flatbush  Stakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay.  In 
his  three-year  old  form  he  won  the  Spendthrift  and  the 
Realization  Stakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay  and  the  Barnegat 
Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park,  and  earned  the  distinction  of 
being  the  only  horse  who  had  ever  won  those  two 
richest  events  of  the  American  turf,  the  Futurity  and  the 
Realization.  As  a  four-vear  old  he  won  several  purses 
and  sweepstakes  and  was  then  retired  to  the  stud.  The 
grand  total  of  his  performances  were  twenty  races,  in 
eleven  of  which  he  was  first,  being  second  in  four,  third 
in  two  and  unplaced  in  three.  His  total  winnings  were 
$116,085. 

The  chestnut  colt  Handspring,  who  was  foaled  in  1893, 
added  to  the  reputation  of  his  sire,  Hanover  and  his 
grandsire  Hindoo.  The  blood  of  Virgil,  Vandal,  Lex- 
ington and  Bonnie  Scotland,  that  came  to  him  on  the 
male  side,  was  fully  displayed  in  his  achievements  as  a 
two-year  old  and  a  three-year  old.  His  dam.  My 
Favorite,  was  a  daughter  of  imported  Rayon  d'Or  and 
Nannie  H.,  the  latter  being  a  daughter  of  Imported  Glen 
Athol  and  Sallie  Watson  by  Ringgold,  out  of  Ann  Wat- 
son. As  a  two-year  old  in  189s  he  won  the  Great  Trial 
Stakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  easily  defeating  Applegate  by 
i>^  lengths.  In  1896,  his  great  achievement  was  his 
defeat  of  Hastings  at  Morris  Park,  in  one  of  the  finest 
and  closest  struggles  that  the  race  course  has  ever  seen, 
both  great  thoroughbreds  fighting  it  out  inch  by  inch  and 
Handspring  winning  by  a  short  head  in  1  minute,  41 
seconds. 

Although  St.  Blaise  gave  many  eminent  thoroughbreds 
to  the  American  turf,  few,  if  any  of  them,  have  surpassed 
Clarendon  in  brilliancy  of  performance.  His  dam  was 
Clara  by  imported  The  Ill-Used,  out  of  imported  Camilla. 
The  111-Used  was  the  sire  of  His  Highness,  Lady  Violet  and 
many  others  of  equally  high  rank.  Camilla  was  a  daughter 
of  King  Tom,  who  was  by  Harkaway  out  of  Pocahontas ; 
her  dam  was  Agnes,  one  of  the  finest  representatives  of 
the  family  that  went  by  that  name.  Bred  in  1887,  Clar- 
endon made  his  debut  upon  the  turf  as  a  two-year  old, 
but  did  not  appear  to  advantage,  being  unable  to  score 
brackets,  although  he  showed  himself  possessed  of 
qualities  entitling  him  to  rank  in  the  first-class.  During 
the  season  he  beat  such  good  ones  as  Padishah, 
Chaos,  Chesapeake  and  others.  As  a  three-year  old  he 
won  a  sweepstakes  at  Morris  Park,  i  mile,  in  i  minute. 


41  j4  seconds;  a  sweepstakes  at  Monmouth  Park,  i}i 
miles,  in  i  minute,  57  seconds;  the  Seaside  Stakes  at 
Monmouth  Park,  6  furlongs,  in  i  minute^  16  seconds;  a 
6  furlongs  sweepstakes  at  Monmouth,  in  i  minute,  13 
seconds,  upon  which  occasion  he  beat  Tipstaff,  Major 
Daly,  Fitzjames,  Bella  B.,  Blackburn,  My  Fellow  and 
others;  the  Trenton  Stakes,  in  which  he  beat  Kempland 
and  others;  a  sweepstakes  over  the  Futurity  Course  at 
Sheepshead  Bay  at  the  head  of  a  field  of  sixteen,  in  i 
minute,  1 1-|  seconds,  and  a  handicap  at  Linden,  beating 
Eolo,  Lavina  Bell,  My  Fellow  and  others.  In  1 891,  he 
defeated  Eon,  son  of  Eolus,  at  Gravesend,  and  then  was 
defeated  for  the  Maturity  Handicap,  the  Parkway  Handi- 
cap and  the  Fourth  of  July  Handicap,  in  the  latter  run- 
ning second  to  Raceland.  In  1892,  he  ran  fifth  in  the 
Brooklyn  Handicap. 

Bright  Phoebus,  who  won  the  Realization  in  1895,  was 
a  son  of  Falsetto,  who  was  by  Enquirer  out  of  Farfaletta. 
Through  his  grandsire  he  had  the  much  prized  Leam- 
ington and  Lexington  blood,  while  through  his  grandam 
Farfaletta,  he  had  the  Australian,  Lexington  and  Glencoe 
blood.  The  dam  of  Bright  Phoebus  was  Buff  and  Blue, 
who  was  by  War  Dance  out  of  Balloon.  War  Dance 
transmitted  to  him  crosses  of  Boston,  Lexington  and 
Glencoe.  Balloon,  the  dam  of  Buff  and  Blue,  was  by 
imported  Yorkshire  out  of  Heraldry.  The  Butterflies, 
winner  of  the  Futurity  in  1894,  in  the  extraordinary 
good  time  of  i  minute,  1 1  seconds,  was  got  by  Sir 
Dixon  out  of  Mercedes.  Sir  Dixon  was  one  of  the  best 
sons  of  Billet  and  Jaconet,  thus  unitmg  the  Voltigeur, 
Leamington  and  Australian  blood.  The  dam  of  The  But- 
terflies was  by  Melbourne,  Jr.,  out  of  Lady  Hardway,  her 
sire  being  Knight  of  St.  George  by  Irish  Birdcatcher, 
and  out  of  Melrose  by  Melbourne.  Lady  Hardway  was 
by  Commodore  by  Boston  and  out  of  Reunion  by  Union. 

Another  recent  winner  of  the  Realization,  the  greatest 
of  three-year  old  events,  was  The  Friar,  who  came  in  at 
the  head  of  a  good  field  in  1897.  He  was  by  Friar's 
Balsam  out  of  Lizzie  Baker  and  was  imported  as  a  year- 
ling. His  performance  in  the  Realization  eclipsed  all 
previous  records  for  the  event.  Jack  of  Spades,  who 
won  the  Great  Eastern  Handicap  at  Sheepshead  Bay  in 
189?,  was  by  Magnetizer  out  of  Nellie  Jane.  His  pedigree 
showed  the  best  modern  strains  linked  to  some  of  the 
staunchest  lines  of  old  American  and  English  families. 
His  sire  was  by  The  lll-Used  out  of  Magnetism,  the 
former  giving  him  the  Stockwell,  Blink  Bonnie  and  other 
crosses  and  the  latter,  Lexington  and  Balrownie  crosses. 
Nellie  James  was  by  Dollar  out  of  Fleur  des  Chants, 
Dollar  being  descended  from  Flying  Dutchman  and  Bay 
Middleton  and  Fleur  des  Chants  through  her  sire  New- 
minster  tracing  to  Touchstone,  and  through  her  dam 
Maria  to  Harkaway. 

Kingston,  who  was  by  Spendthrift   out  of  Kapanga, 


116 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


w;is  foaled  in  1884.  Of  little  consequence  when  a  two- 
year  old,  lie  became  a  mighty  champion  as  he  advanced 
in  years.  He  was  trained  by  Mr.  E.  Snedeker,  and  in 
his  lirst  year  on  the  turf  took  part  in  six  races,  two  of 
which,  those  for  the  Camden  and  the  Select  Stakes,  he 
ran  in  fairly  good  style.  The  following  year  he  began 
to  show  something  like  his  true  form,  and  being  started 
eighteen  times,  won  thirteen  races.  It  was  in  the  Swift 
Stakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay  that  he  most  gallantly  main- 
tained his  own  against  Hanover  and  Firenze,  and  two 
days  later,  in  the  Tidal  Stakes,  although  beaten  by  Han- 
over, made  another  good  exhibition.  He  was  then  pur- 
chased by  the  Dwyer  Brothers,  who  paid  $12,000  for 
him.  Under  their  management  he  ran  for  the  next 
seven  years,  and  during  that  time  was  in  one  hundred 
and  ten  races,  of  which  he  won  eighty-three,  carrying 
off  a  total  of  over  $200,000.  Even  when  he  was  nine 
years  old  he  still  possessed  and  displayed  all  the  highest 
qualities  of  the  thoroughbred,  except  the  ability  to  go  a 
distance.  He  never  liked  to  travel  much  more  than  one 
mile.  The  Dwyers  were  anxious  to  match  him  against 
Salvator  for  $20,000  a  side,  but  could  not  agree  with  Mr. 
Haggin  over  the  conditions  of  such  a  race,  the  latter 
wanting  i^  miles,  while  the  former  insisted  upon  i}i 
miles. 

In  1890,  upon  the  dissolution  sale  of  the  Dwyer  Broth- 
ers, Kingston  was  sold  for  $30,000  and  became  the  prop- 
erty of  Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer.  In  the  summer  of  1891,  he 
made  an  unfortunate  journey  to  the  West  to  meet 
Marion  C,  Virgil  d'Or  and  Aloha  in  the  Garfield  Stakes. 
His  Eastern  admirers  believed  that  he  would  have  a  walk- 
over, but  the  journey  upset  him  and  Marion  C.  won 
easily  by  a  length.  A  week  later  he  turned  the  tables 
by  beating  Marion  C.  in  a  common  canter,  demonstrat- 
ing that  he  had  lost  the  Garfield  Stakes  only  because  he 
had  not  had  time  to  get  into  condition  after  his  long 
railroad  journey.  On  the  whole,  he  was  little,  if  any- 
thing inferior  to  such  champions  as  Tremont,  Hanover, 
Firenze  and  Salvator  and  lasted  longer  in  good  condi- 
tion, so  that  in  his  later  years  upon  the  turf  he  was  the 
oldest  high-class  horse  in  active  and  efficient  service. 
In  the  First  Special  Stakes  of  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club, 
in  1889,  he  beat  the  redoubtable  Tenny,  i}(  miles,  in 
2  minutes,  6}4  seconds.  On  this  occasion  he  made  a 
new  record,  the  time  for  the  distance  then  standing  at  2 
minutes,  7  seconds,  which  was  made  by  Dry  Monopole 
in  1887  upon  the  same  track.  His  performance  was 
considered  as  ranking  with  Longfellow's  Saratoga  Cup 
in  1 87 1,  Spendthrift's  Lorillard  in  1879,  Firenze's  Free- 
hold in  1888  and  other  great  weight-for  age  contests. 

Two  horses  in  the  early  nineties  carried  the  colors  of 
Mr.  J  B.  Haggin  to  the  front  upon  many  a  hard  fought  field 
of  battle,  and  added  imperishable  glories  to  the  Amer- 
ican turf.     Probably  no  horse  in  this  generation  was  a 


greater  public  favorite  and  more  deserved  the  enthu- 
siasm with  which  he  was  regarded  than  Salvator. 
Tenny  alone  rivaled  him  in  these  respects  and  the  strug- 
gles for  superiority  between  these  two  were  the  most 
brilliant  and  the  most  exciting  events  that  the  turf  had 
known  for  a  generation.  Salvator  was  bred  at  the  El- 
mendorf  Farm  of  Mr.  M.  H.  Sanford,  in  Kentucky.  He 
was  a  son  of  imported  Prince  Charlie,  "the  Prince  of  the 
T.  Y.  C,"  a  horse  that  fell  into  disfavor  in  his  native 
land  on  account  of  the  affection  in  his  wind,  commonly 
known  as  roaring.  He  was  not  successful  on  the  turf 
and  was  little  favored  in  breeding,  although  he  stood  in 
the  stud  in  England  for  many  years  and  got  some  very 
good  horses.  At  thirteen  years  of  age  he  was  brought 
to  the  United  States,  but  lived  here  only  long  enough  to 
serve  in  the  stud  for  three  seasons.  During  that 
time,  however,  he  did  very  much  to  improve  and 
strengthen  American  thoroughbred  strains.  His  most 
celebrated  get  were  Salvator,  Senorita,  Protection  and 
Brown  Princess. 

Salina,  the  dam  of  Salvator,  was  a  wonderful  race 
mare  and  granddaughter  of  the  famous  mare,  Levity,  by 
imported  Trustee.  In  his  Levity  strain,  Salvator  had 
some  of  the  bluest  blood  and  the  most  highly  prized  in 
this  country.  In  1889,  he  won  all  the  choicest  prizes 
that  are  set  apart  for  three-year  olds,  except  the  Omni- 
bus Stakes.  In  1890,  as  a  four-year  old,  he  reached  the 
height  of  his  glory;  that  year  was  the  scene  of  the  fierce 
struggle  with  Tenny.  He  won  the  Suburban  in  2  min- 
utes, 6f  seconds,  the  best  time  that  had  yet  been  re- 
corded for  the  event.  His  achievement  was  not  a  sur- 
prise, for  he  was  a  prime  favorite  in  the  betting.  Tenny 
ran  third  in  this  race,  which  led  to  the  special  match  be- 
tween the  two  that  came  off  a  week  later,  Salvator 
again  defeating  his  opponent.  In  August  of  the  same 
year  he  ran  his  great  mile  for  a  purse  against  the  record, 
I  minute,  39^  seconds.  This  race  was  run  at  Mon- 
mouth Park  and  the  time  which  the  peerless  son  of 
Prince  Charlie  put  up,  i  minute,  35  J^  seconds,  has  re- 
mained the  record  and  unchallenged  ever  since.  The 
same  year  he  won  the  Titan  Stakes,  the  Jersey  Handi- 
cap, the  September  Stakes,  and  other  important  events. 
After  his  retirement  from  the  turf  in  1891,  he  stood  in 
the  stud  at  Mr.  Haggin's  Rancho  del  Paso. 

Among  racing  fillies,  Firenze  occupies  the  highest  posi- 
tion, and  was  in  her  class  what  Salvator  was  in  his. 
During  her  long  career  she  conquered  all  the  very  best 
race  horses  of  her  day.  She,  too,  was  a  product  of  the 
Elmendorf  Farm,  which  has  given  to  the  turf  such  great 
horses  as  Tremont,  Monitor,  Dry  Monopole  and  a  score 
of  others  scarcely  less  meritorious.  Firenze  was  by 
Glenelg  out  of  Florida,  and  was  foaled  in  1884.  A  list 
of  her  victories  on  the  turf  during  the  seven  years  that 
she  was  raced  would  include  all  the  great  prizes,  and  she 


117 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


beat  Hanover,  The  Bard,  Exile,  Tenny  and  other  cham- 
pions. Some  of  her  best  achievments  were  the  winning 
of  the  Harvest  Handicap,  the  Monmouth  Cup  and  the 
Monmouth  Handicap  in  1888,  and  the  Handicap  Sweep- 
stal<es  at  Monmouth,  and  the  New  York  Handicap  and 
Omnium  Handicap  at  Sheepshead  Bay  in  1889.  Her 
greatest  triumphs  were  in  1888  and  1889,  and  in  the 
latter  year  by  far  the  largest  proportion  of  the  valuable 
all-aged  events  fell  to  her.  In  1891,  she  went  off  in  con- 
dition, and  was  retired,  carrying  with  her  the  feme  of 
having  been  one  of  the  greatest  racing  fillies  that  the 
world  has  ever  known. 

And  so  we  might  run  on  in  a  never  ending  recapitula- 


tion, recalling  with  pleasant  memories  such  thorough- 
breds as  Tournament,  by  Sir  Modred  and  Plaything; 
Hindoocraft,  by  Hindoo  and  Lady  Crafton;  Tea  Tray,  by 
Rayon  d'Or  and  Ella  T. ;  Come  to  Taw,  by  Long  Taw 
and  MollieSeabrooke;  Volunteer,  by  imported  Mortemer 
and  Sly  Boots;  Strideaway,  by  Glenmore  and  Spin- 
away;  Fordham,  by  Falsetto  and  Semper  Vive;  Judge 
Morrow,  by  Vagabond  and  Moonlight;  Longstreet,  by 
Longfellow  and  Semper  Idem;  the  Duke  of  Montrose,  by 
Waverly  and  Kelpie,  with  Tremont,  The  Friar,  The  Butter- 
flies, Miss  Woodford,  Runnymede  and  scores  of  others 
not  less  distinguished  than  the  many  that  have  already 
been  described. 


iiS 


AMERICAN   TURFMEN    IN   EUROPE 


Mr.    Richard   Ten    Broeck's   English   Campaign — Ventures   of   Messrs.    M.    H.    Sandford, 

Pierre  Lorili.ard,  James  R.    Keene  and  Others — The   Brilliant 

Victories   of   Iroqliois   and   Foxhall 


<;  NSTANCES  are  plentiful  to  show  the  interest  that  has 
■1  ^  always  been  taken  in  the  English  turf  by  those  who 
•T  have  followed  racing  affairs  in  the  United  States. 
*  All  the  leading  turfmen  of  America  have  from  time 
immemorial  made  a  study  of  racing  methods  in  the  Old 
Country,  and  a  hundred  years  ago,  even  as  it  is  to-day, 
the  Derby,  the  St.  Leger  and  other  historic  events  were 
looked  forward  to  with  scarcely  less  interest  on  the  part 
of  the  Americans  than  by  their  English  brethren.  As 
tar  back  as  the  concluding  year  of  the  reign  of  George 
IV.,  that  celebrated  Virginia  statesman,  John  Randolph, 
of  Roanoke,  paid  his  last  visit  to  England.  Differing 
with  many  American  statesmen  of  his  day,  Mr.  Ran- 
dolph was  always  conspicuous  for  his  attachment  to 
everything  English,  and  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  social 
life  and  customs  of  the  mother  country.  With  his  Vir- 
ginia training  and  education  he  understood  and  appre- 
ciated thoroughbred  horses  quite  as  well  as,  even  if  not  bet- 
ter, than  many  Englishmen  who  frequented  Newmarket  or 
Epsom.  During  his  stay  in  England  he  attended  every 
race  meeting  which  it  was  possible  for  him  to  reach  and 
his  correspondence  with  his  friends  in  Virginia  was 
aglow  with  bright  descriptions  of  what  he  saw  upon  the 
English  turf.  It  was  his  good  fortune  to  witness  the 
Derby  won  by  the  great  Priam,  one  of  the  best  English 
thoroughbreds  of  his  own  or  any  other  day,  and  it  was  a 
source  of  gratification  to  him  when  this  splendid  stal- 
lion became  the  property  of  a  Virginia  gentleman  and  an 
important  factor  of  the  American  Stud  Book.  Mr.  Ran- 
dolph even  then  expressed  his  conviction  that  the  time 
would  come  sooner  or  later  when  the  American  thor- 
oughbred would  be  able  to  contest  honors  with  the  best 
that  the  English  turf  could  present. 

It  was  not  long  after  this  visit  of  Mr.  Randolph  to 
England  in  1830  that  the  Englishmen  themselves  began, 
here  and  there,  to  pay  a  little  attention  to  the  subject  of 
racing  in  the  United  States  and  the  possibilities  of  our 
future  as  regarded  the  production  of  great  thoroughbreds. 
A  writer  in  The  Quarterly  Review  about  this  time  said, 
"  but  it  is  in  the  New  World — in  America— that  racing 
and  the  improvement  of  horses  are  making  the  most 
rapid  progress,  so  much  so,  indeed,  as,  from  the  excel- 
lent choice  our  kinsmen  make  in  their  stud  horses,  to 
incline  some  persons  to  the  opinion  that  in  the  course  of 
another  half  century  we  shall  have  to  go  to  the  United 


States  to  replenish  our  own  blood,  which  must  degen- 
erate, if  that  of  the  most  sound  and  enduring  qualities  is 
transported  into  that  country."  The  writer  then  gave  a 
list  of  more  than  thirty  valuable  English  sires  imported 
into  the  United  States,  among  them  being  Barefoot, 
Chateau  Margaux,  Lapdog,  Margrave  Rowton,  St.  Giles, 
Tranby,  Glencoe  and  Priam,  and  he  argued  that  the  de- 
scendants of  these  stallions  might  reasonably  be 
expected,  in  one  or  two  generations,  to  rival  anything 
that  English  breeders  might  be  able  to  produce.  Another 
English  authority,  many  years  after,  added  his  testimony 
to  the  effect  that,  "within  the  last  forty  years  this  list 
has  been  indefinitely  extended  until  it,  is  impossible  to 
deny  that  the  United  States  are  richly  furnished  with  our 
best  equine  blood." 

While  there  were  many  in  this  country  who  always 
gave  the  subject  much  thought  after  the  manner  of  Mr. 
Randolph,  it  must  be  confessed  that,  in  England,  writers 
or  turfmen  who  paid  attention  to  such  suggestions  as 
that  made  in  The  Quarterly  Review,  were  principally 
conspicuous  by  their  absence.  There  has  always  been 
an  ingrained  confidence  in  the  minds  of  all  Englishmen 
in  the  superiority  of  their  thoroughbreds  and  their  turf 
methods.  All  things  considered,  this  is  not  surprising. 
The  traditions  that  have  clustered  around  the  English 
turf,  dating  back  for  three  and  four  hundred  and  more 
years,  have  served  so  firmly  to  establish  the  great  na- 
tional institution,  that  in  the  opinions  of  those  most 
attached  to  it,  very  little,  if  anything  good  can  come  of 
efforts  outside  of  its  particular  sphere.  These  opinions, 
have,  however,  been  severely  shaken  in  contemporane- 
ous times  by  victories  of  American  horses  on  the  turf  of 
the  mother  country,  but  fifty  years  and  more  ago  the 
superiority  of  the  English  thoroughbred  was  scarcely 
challenged,  even  in  an  argumentative  way.  The  few 
Englishmen  who  considered  the  subject  at  all  rather 
looked  upon  the  American  thoroughbred  as  at  best  only 
a  second  rate  descendant  of  his  English  ancestors  and 
regarded  American  turf  practices  as  innovations  that 
were  altogether  reprehensible. 

Differences  between  the  English  and  the  American 
turf  have,  for  a  century  at  least,  been  of  a  thoroughly 
ingrained  character,  and  it  was  these  differences  that 
were  the  primal  cause  of  the  utter  disregard  of  American 
racing  by  Englishmen  generally,  while  at  the  same  time 


119 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


they  were  the  seed  that  was  to  lead  ultimately  to  some  of 
the  most  interesting  and  most  important  practical  tests, 
regarding  the  respective  superiority  of  the  two  great  fami- 
lies of  horses.  While  quarter-racing  was  the  particular 
form  of  sport  which  first  developed  in  this  country,  it  was 
not  long,  as  we  have  seen,  in  previous  chapters,  be- 
fore horsemen  began  to  find  their  greatest  pleasure  in 
races  for  greater  distances,  such  as  two,  three  and  four- 
mile  heats.  Soon  these  long-distance  contests  became 
not  only  predominant,  but  were  the  sole  and  distinguish- 
ing characteristic  of  the  American  turf 

Throughout  the  first  half  of  the  present  century, 
Americans  still  continued  to  lay  stress  upon  the  quality 
of  endurance,  as  well  as  of  speed,  in  their  thoroughbreds. 
The  favorite  style  of  race  long  remained  to  be  the  popu- 
lar four-mile  heat,  in  which  the  great  champions  of  several 
generations  won  their  finest  laurels.  These  races  often 
made  a  swift  succession  of  twelve  miles  and  were  some- 
times increased  to  sixteen  or  even  twenty  miles,  calling 
for  the  greatest  endurance  and  speed.  A  horse  was  not 
considered  first-class  unless  he  could  run  in  four-mile 
heats  and  perhaps  repeat  within  a  week.  In  the  esti- 
mation of  turfmen  he  must  needs  be  a  four-miler  and 
able  to  repeat,  or  was  nowhere.  Just  as  a  trotter  in 
those  days  was  obliged  to  be  able  to  strike  at  least  a 
2:40  pace,  if  he  hoped  to  maintain  his  standing  on  the 
track,  so  a  thoroughbred  was  called  upon  to  run  his 
four-mile  heats,  or  be  relegated  to  a  place  in  the  third- 
class. 

With  occasional  exceptions  the  races  were  all  weight- 
for-age,  with  a  view  of  giving  the  best  animal  of  his 
years  the  reward  of  merit,  while  the  handicap,  which  was 
then  the  prevailing  race  in  Britain  and  has  since  come 
into  favor  in  this  country,  was  almost  unknown.  It  was 
generally  considered,  in  those  days,  that  the  handicap 
system,  instead  of  encouraging  improvement  offered  a 
protection,  if  not  a  premium,  to  mediocrity.  Loading 
down  a  noble  courser  who  had  proved  his  fleetness  in 
many  a  well-contested  field  with  weight  enough  to 
make  him  lag  behind  an  animal  of  inferior  quality  was 
not  a  proceeding  that  was  regarded  with  favor  by  many 
conscientious  turfmen.  There  were  not  lacking  those 
who  freely  called  this  practice  an  abuse  of  speed  and  a 
persecution  rather  than  a  reward  of  merit,  and  as  being 
likely,  in  the  long  run,  to  conduce  to  the  deterioration  of 
the  thoroughbred.  All  breeding  and  training  at  that 
time  on  American  soil  tended  most  decisively  against 
this  system  or  anything  at  all  savoring  of  it. 

An  entirely  contrary  condition  of  things  existed  in 
England.  There  the  traditions  and  the  practices  of  the 
turf  were  in  favor  of  quick,  sharp  work  on  the  part  of 
their  racers.  English  horsemen  had  never  shown  any 
kindly  disposition  toward  racing  in  heats,  and  in  their 
single-heat  races  had  constantly  and  consistently  favored 


short  distances.  Even  as  it  is  now,  the  single  dash 
was  their  general  custom,  and  very  rarely  was  this  for  a 
four-miles'  distance;  for  the  most  part  they  contented 
themselves  with  two  and  two  and  a  half  miles  as  the  ex- 
treme limit,  and  most  of  their  races  were  even  at  shorter 
distances.  This  difference  in  practice  brought  our  Ameri- 
can turf  most  strikingly  in  contrast  with  that  of  England 
and  provoked  an  animated  controversy  over  the  relative 
merits  of  the  two  systems. 

The  comparative  stoutness  and  speed  of  English  and 
American  thoroughbreds  was  thus  a  prevailing  topic  of 
consideration  among  turfmen  generally,  and  for  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century  or  more  different  methods  of  running, 
weighting  and  timing  horses  that  were  prevalent  in  the 
two  countries,  were  variously  considered  according  to 
the  point  of  view  of  the  disputants,  while  abundant 
statistics  were  constantly  evolved  in  support  of  the  dif- 
ferent propositions.  It  must  be  confessed,  however, 
that  the  result  of  all  this  discussion  was  not  fruitful  in 
definite  conclusions.  Almost  everything  was  arithmetic- 
ally proved  by  both  sides;  little  or  nothing  was  actually 
determined.  The  fact  that,  between  the  thoroughbred 
of  the  two  countries,  the  advantage  is,  on  the  whole, 
imperceptible,  notwithstanding  different  racing  methods, 
was  not  recognized  then  and  you  could  not  convince  the 
ardent  turfman,  be  he  English  or  American,  that  there 
was  the  slightest  tenable  ground  for  this  proposition,  let 
alone  any  argument  to  support  it. 

Ultimately,  then,  the  question  became,  in  the  eyes  of 
the  racing  community  of  the  two  countries,  what  horse 
or  horses  should  be  considered  the  first  class,  those 
which  headed  the  turf  in  America  or  those  which  headed 
it  in  England.  It  was  forcibly  argued  that  the  great 
number  of  horses  run  in  almost  every  race  in  England, 
the  severity  of  their  courses  and  the  slashing  style  in 
which  the  races  were  run,  made  it  much  more  difficult 
for  the  horses  to  rise  to  the  foremost  rank  there  than  in 
this  country.  Furthermore,  the  English  did  not  permit 
us  to  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  on  their  tight  little  island 
they  had  more  races  in  one  month  than  were  held  in  the 
United  States  throughout  the  whole  year;  that  they  had 
many  times  the  number  of  thoroughbreds  constantly  in 
training  and  that  several  times  more  money  each  year 
in  public  purses  alone  was  held  up  as  reward  for  their 
breeders  and  owners.  And  it  was  added,  as  an  inevit- 
able deduction  from  these  recognized  facts,  that  the 
horse  which  headed  the  English  turf  indisputably  headed 
all  others  in  the  world,  since  he  had  run  against  and 
defeated  the  pick  of  more  race  horses  than  the  rest  of 
mankind  owned  altogether. 

On  the  American  side  of  the  argument  it  was  pointed 
out  as  a  somewhat  significant  fact  that  none  of  the  great 
English  thoroughbreds  who  had  been  brought  into  this 
country  since  we  began  to  produce  good  horses,  had 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


ever  been  able  to  contend  with  any  degree  of  success 
against  our  iiome  bred  stoci<  and  that,  too,  although 
many  of  them  had  been  winners  of  the  greatest  prizes 
of  the  EngHsh  turf,  not  even  excepting  the  Derby. 
Empliasis  was  also  laid  upon  the  recognized  fact  that  the 
much  praised  lleet  Arabian,  who  was  the  foundation  of 
the  Hnglish  thoroughbred,  had  been  far  outclassed  by 
his  progeny,  who  were  the  result  of  grafting  his  stock 
upon  the  native  English  horse.  From4his  it  was  argued 
that  history  might  repeat  itself  in  showing  a  similar 
advanced  development  to  be  secured  by  grafting  the 
English  thoroughbred  upon  purely  American  stock. 

As  a  matter  of  pure  assertion,  it  was  freely  and 
emphatically  declared  by  the  devoted  partisans  of  the 
American  high-mettled  racer,  that  he  was  unquestion- 
ably the  superior,  both  in  speed  and  bottom,  of  the 
English  racer,  and  comparative  time  records  of  the  two 
were  abundantly  cited  in  support  of  this  contention. 
Finally  the  confidence  of  American  breeders  and  owners 
in  the  blood  and  staunchness  of  their  horses  had  become 
so  firmly  seated  and  so  widely  extended,  that  little  doubt 
was  entertained  in  any  quarter  of  this  country  among 
horsemen  that,  though  the  English  horses  might,  perhaps, 
excel  as  regards  speed  for  the  short  dashes  to  which 
racing  had  already  been  reduced  on  that  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  our  animals  were  unquestionably  superior  in 
those  contests  which  called  for  bottom  and  reserved 
power. 

Thus,  the  question  had  for  a  long  time  engaged  the 
attention  of  horse  lovers  of  the  United  States.  The  con- 
troversy, supported  by  such  arguments  as  those  just 
quoted,  and  others  of  a  more  specific  character,  waged 
warm  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  at  least,  it  must  be 
confessed,  however,  that  on  the  other  side  of  the  water, 
not  much  serious  attention  had  as  yet  been  given  to  the 
subject.  English  turfmen,  with  that  supreme  confidence 
in  the  superiority  of  their  national  institution  that  has 
always  been  characteristic  of  them,  had,  as  a  rule, 
affected  to  consider  the  matter  of  little  consequence, 
principally  upon  the  ground  that  there  could  not 
even  be  a  question  of  the  superiority  of  their  methods 
and  their  horses.  To  their  minds,  the  point  at  issue  had 
long  been  settled,  and  by  themselves,  in  their  own 
favor.  They  had  yet  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
American  bred  horses,  and  to  acquire  a  respect  for  them, 
based  on  actual  experience  of  their  ability.  So  far,  the 
problem  was  merely  a  theoretical  one,  and  naturally 
American  breeders  were  not  content  to  rest  easy  under 
the  implication  of  their  brother  turfmen  of  England  that 
there  was  only  one  side  to  the  case,  and  that  was  the 
English.  As  the  time  went  by  it  became  more  and  more 
apparent  that  there  could  be  no  other  way  of  determining 
the  actual  right  or  wrong  of  these  opposing  opinions,  ex- 
cept by  putting  the  matter  to  the  supreme  test  and  arraying 


horse  against  horse.  From  these  conclusions  on  the 
part  of  American  turfmen  developed  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  most  important  features  of  the  turf  of 
England  and  America  in  the  closing  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

At  the  time  when  this  controversy  reached  its  height, 
nearly  half  a  century  ago,  Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck,  who 
was  then  the  owner  of  the  great  Lexington,  held  as 
high  rank  as  any  man  in  turf  circles  of  this  country 
for  his  enterprise,  skill  and  complete  knowledge  of  the 
thoroughbred.  He  felt  that  the  hour  had  arrived  when 
the  American  turf  had  become  an  institution  of  such 
importance  that  it  had  earned  the  right  to  demand  some- 
thing more  than  the  mere  scant  attention  that  had,  up  to 
this  date,  been  given  to  it  by  English  sportsmen. 
Accordingly  he  determined  to  contest  honors  with  Eng- 
lish horses  upon  their  own  ground,  and  went  about 
laying  his  plans  to  that  end.  The  co-operation  of  other 
American  turfmen  was  secured,  and  Mr.  Francis  Morris, 
of  New  York,  gave  the  financial  backing  to  the  enterprise 
that  was  necessary  for  carying  it  out.  In  1856,  Mr.  Ten 
Broeck  crossed  the  ocean,  having  already  given  consid- 
erable time  to  the  study  of  racing  conditions  there,  and 
having  arranged  to  enter  several  American  horses  in  the 
classical  events  in  Great  Britian.  This  memorable  enter- 
prise has  become  historic  and  is  a  conspicuous  mile  post 
in  the  history  of  the  American  turf. 

Mr.  Ten  Broeck  had,  in  his  string,  three  horses  that 
were  already  regarded  as  being  entitled  to  stand  in  the 
first  class  of  American  thoroughbreds.  Lecomte,  by 
Boston  out  of  Reel,  was  then  six  years  old,  and  remem- 
brance of  his  brilliant  contests  with  his  great  half- 
brother,  Lexington,  was  still  fresh  in  the  public  mind. 
Pryor,  by  imported  Glencoe  out  of  Gypsey  by  Eclipse, 
was  only  a  four-year  old  and  had  several  important  vic- 
tories to  his  credit.  The  third  horse  was  Prioress,  a 
three-year  old,  by  imported  Sovereign  out  of  Reel, 
being,  therefore,  a  half  sister  of  Lecomte.  In  her  two- 
year  old  form  she  won  two  out  of  the  three  races  in 
which  she  was  entered.  In  the  Equus  Stakes,  mile 
heats,  over  the  Metairie  Course,  she  easily  won  in  two 
straight  heats  in  i  minute,  46^  seconds  and  i  minute, 
45  second,  beating  a  Glencoe  fiUv  out  of  Blue  Filly,  a 
Lucy  Dashwood  colt,  and  L'Ingot  D'Or.  On  the  same 
course  she  also  won  a  mile  heat  race  in  i  minute,  47 
seconds  and  i  minute,  46)4  seconds,  again  beating  the 
Lucy  Dashwood  colt.  Upon  the  Fashion  Course,  Long 
Island,  she  was  beaten  for  the  Association  Stakes,  mile 
heats,  by  Nicholas  I.  in  two  straight  heats.  She  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  promising  fillies  on  the 
American  turf.  Another  horse  was  subsequently  added 
to  the  string,  the  three-year  old  chestnut  colt,  Babylon, 
by  imported  Belshazzar  out  of  a  dam  by  imported 
Trustee.  • 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


The  principal  engagements  of  iVIr.  Ten  Broeck  in  the 
first  year  of  his  campaign  on  English  soil  were  with 
Pryor  and  Prioress  for  the  Goodwood  Cup;  Lecomte  and 
Prioress  for  the  Champagne  Stakes  at  Brighton ;  Lecomte 
and  Prioress  for  the  Sussex  County  Cup;  Prioress  for  the 
Chesterfield  Handicap;  Pryor  and  Prioress  for  the  Royal 
Plate  at  the  Hereford  Meeting;  Pryor,  Prioress  and 
Lecomte  for  the  Warwick  Cup  at  Warwick;  Prioress  for 
the  Leamington  Stakes  at  Warwick;  Babylon  for  the 
Great  Yorkshire  Handicap  at  the  Doncaster  Meeting 
over  the  Doncaster  St.  Leger  Course,  and  Lecomte  and 
Pryor  for  a  four-mile  sweepstakes  for  all  ages  at  the  New- 
market Houghton  Meeting.  Disaster  attended  Mr.  Ten 
Broeck's  venture  from  the  outset.  His  horses  did  not 
become  acclimated,  so  as  to  make  good  running,  they 
were  not  well  cared  for  by  the  trainer,  and  the  much- 
vaunted  British  love  of  fair  play  was  scantily  manifested 
toward  them.  In  none  of  the  earlier  events  of  the  season 
were  the  American  horses  able  to  make  any  show- 
ing and  yet,  despite  the  discouraging  conditions  under 
which  they  ran,  they  exhibited  a  form  that  compelled 
even  the  unwilling  acknowledgment  from  the  English 
turf  writers  that  there  might  be  something  in  them  after 
all  when  they  should  be  in  condition. 

At  last,  however,  victory  came  to  the  stable  in  the 
most  important  event  of  the  season,  when,  in  October, 
Prioress  won  the  Cesarewitch,  2  miles,  2  furlongs,  28 
yards.  The  daughter  of  Sovereign  had  only  recovered 
her  true  form  a  day  or  two  previous  to  this  race,  and 
under  new  and  improved  training  all  her  best  and  latent 
qualities  were  brought  out.  The  race  was  run  twice, 
the  time  being  4  minutes,  9  seconds  and  4  minutes,  14 
seconds.  El  Harkim,  Queen  Bess,  Fright  and  thirty 
other  horses  were  also  in  the  running.  Upon  the  first 
trial  there  was  a  dead  heat  between  Prioress,  Queen  Bess 
and  El  Harkim.  The  second  heat  was  won  by  the  Amer- 
ican horse  by  a  length  and  a  half  over  El  Harkim  and 
Queen  Bess,  the  latter  lacking  only  a  head  of  being  sec- 
ond. By  this  victory,  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  recouped  himself 
for  the  losses  that  he  had  sustained  thus  far  in  the  sea- 
son and  was  able  to  put  a  comfortable  sum  to  the  credit 
of  his  enterprise  as  a  whole. 

But  further  disaster  overtook  the  stable.  Lecomte, 
who  had  never  got  fully  acclimated,  was  seized  with 
colicin  his  stable,  at  Stockbridge,  Hampshire,  and  died 
in  October,  1857.  He  had  been  able  to  start  only  once 
in  England,  for  the  Warwick  Cup,  when  he  was  beaten 
by  the  English  crack.  Fisherman,  and  pulled  up  very 
lame  after  the  race.  Less  than  three  weeks  later  Pryor 
fell  a  victim  to  an  attack  of  lung  fever,  which  all  the  best 
veterinary  skill  of  London  was  unable  to  repress.  His 
death  left  Mr.  Ten  Broeck's  stable  severely  crippled,  for 
Pryor  was  generally  regarded  as  his  most  promising  and 
trustworthy  animal. 


Notwithstanding  all  the  disappointments  and  ill  luck 
that  had  attended  him,  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  bravely  held  his 
position  as  the  exemplar  and  representative  of  the 
American  turf  on  English  ground  and  entered  with  cour- 
age upon  a  second  season  in  1858.  He  reinforced  his 
stable  with  the  successful  stallion,  Charieston,  by  im- 
ported Sovereign  out  of  Milwood  by  Monarch  and  also 
added  Woodburn  and  Bonita  and  several  English  horses 
to  his  string.  His  principal  engagements  with  his 
American  horses  were  Woodburn  for  the  Levant  Stakes, 
Babylon  for  the  Stewards'  Cup  and  the  Chesterfield  Cup, 
Charleston  and  Prioress  for  the  Goodwood  Cup,  and 
Bonita  for  the  Malcolm  Stakes,  all  at  the  July  Goodwood 
Meeting;  Babylon  for  the  Marine  Plate  and  Claret  Stakes 
at  Brighton;  Babylon  for  the  Chesterfield  Handicap  at 
York,  for  the  Town  Plate  at  Epsom,  the  Royal  Hunt  Cup 
at  Ascot,  the  Members'  Plate  at  Stockton  and  the  Port- 
land Plate  at  Doncaster;  Prioress  and  Charieston  for  the 
great  Ebor  Handicap  Stakes  at  York;  Prioress  for  the 
great  Yorkshire  Handicap  at  Doncaster,  the  Cesarewitch 
Handicap  at  Newmarket  and  the  Cambridgeshire  Stakes 
at  Newmarket,  and  Prioress,  Woodburn,  Bonita  and 
Babylon  for  several  matches  at  Newmarket. 

The  record  of  the  season  was  not  encouraging  to  those 
who  had  based  hopes  upon  the  American  horses. 
Babylon  ran  twelve  times  and  won  a  single  race. 
Prioress  ran  four  times  and  won  two  races.  Charleston, 
after  running  badly  forthe  Goodwood  Cup,  did  not  appear 
again.  Bonita  ran  three  times,  winning  twice.  Wood- 
burn  lost  the  only  race  in  which  he  started.  The  total 
was  twenty-one  starts  and  five  winnings  for  Mr.  Ten 
Broeck,  three  of  the  winnings  being  matches,  one  by 
Prioress  and  two  by  Bonita.  Babylon  won  the  Chester- 
field Handicap  against  a  field  of  eight.  Prioress  took 
the  Great  Yorkshire  Handicap  at  Doncaster  against  a  field 
of  twelve,  winning  by  four  lengths  in  3  minutes,  i5>^ 
seconds.  Her  running  in  the  Cesarewitch  Stakes  was 
almost  a  victory,  since  she  lost  only  by  a  short  neck,  the 
time  of  the  race  being  3  minutes,  59  seconds.  As  in 
the  previous  year,  the  performances  of  Mr.  Ten  Broeck's 
horses  for  1858  were  briefly  summed  up  in  the  simple 
declaration,  that  "the  American  horses,  which  have  thus 
far  performed  in  England,  have  not  proved  the  race  horse 
of  America  to  be  the  equal  of  the  race  horse  of  the  English 
turf."  The  ardor  of  the  American  backers  of  Mr.  Ten 
Broeck  was  by  no  means  diminished  by  these  reverses, 
however,  and  a  third  season  was  energetically  entered 
upon. 

In  1859,  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  ran  Prioress,  Babylon,  Starke, 
Woodburn,  Umpire,  Optimist  and  Satellite.  The  burden 
of  work  was  placed  upon  Prioress,  Babylon,  Starke  and 
Woodburn.  The  first  named  was  the  most  successful, 
winning  five  races  out  of  eleven  and  landing  for  her 
owner  the  sum  of  $5,550.     Starke  was  less  successful 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


in  the  number  of  races  th:it  he  succeeded  in  winning, 
takinif  only  three  out  of  ten.  His  winnings,  however, 
were  more  than  double  those  of  his  stable  companion, 
amounting  to  $u,  sio.  Babylon  won  only  $22S  in  one 
race,  losing  eight  races.  Woodburn  won  a  single  race, 
valued  at  11,675.  and  lost  ten  races.  Umpire  won$4,2S7, 
in  the  three  races  that  he  was  successRil  out  of  the  five 
in  which  he  was  entered.  Optimist  lost  all  four  of  the 
races  in  which  he  was  entered,  and  Satellite  the  one 
race  that  he  ran. 

Prioress,  who  was  then  six  years  old,  won  a  match  at 
the  Newmarket  Craven  Meeting  against  Count  Batthy- 
any's  Olympus,  ditch-mile,  seven  furlongs,  201  yards,  in 
I  minute,  56  seconds.  At  the  Newmarket  First  Spring 
Meeting  she  won  the  Queen's  Plate  over  the  round 
course,  3  miles,  4  furlongs,  139  yards,  beating  Polestar 
and  Target.  At  the  Epsom  Summer  Meeting  she  won 
the  Queen's  Plate,  2>4  miles,  in  4  minutes,  20  seconds, 
beating  Archduchess,  Julie  and  others.  At  the  New- 
market Houghton  Meeting  she  beat  by  twenty  lengths. 
Lord  Glasgow's  Toxopholite  over  the  Rowley  mile,  i 
mile,  17  yards,  in  i  minute,  55  seconds.  At  the  same 
meeting  she  beat  by  six  lengths  Lord  Glasgow's  Ted- 
dington,  across  the  flat,  in  2  minutes,  20  seconds.  She 
was  defeated  for  the  Tradesmen's  Plate  at  Chester  and 
the  Stewards'  Cup  at  the  same  meeting,  for  the  Good- 
wood Cup  at  Goodwood  and  the  Bentinck  Memorial 
Plate  at  the  same  meeting,  the  Cesarewitch  Stakes  at  the 
Newmarket  Second  October  Meeting  and  the  Cambridge- 
shire Stakes  at  the  Newmarket  Houghton  Meeting.  The 
winning  race  of  Babylon  was  a  Handicap  Sweepstakes, 
half  a  mile,  at  Lewes.  He  was  beaten  for  the  Bristol 
Plate  Handicap  at  Brighton,  the  Grand  Stand  Plate  at 
Lewes,  the  Bedfordshire  Stakes  Handicap  at  Bedford, 
and  in  other  events. 

Starke  was  not  successful  until  July,  when  he  achieved 
two  splendid  victories.  On  July  27,  he  won  the  Good- 
wood Stakes  Handicap,  2>4  miles,  beating  Lifeboat  by 
half  a  length,  Blue  Jacket  being  a  bad  third,  and  Heiress 
fourth,  while  thirteen  others  were  not  placed.  His 
time  was  4  minutes,  52  seconds.  Two  days  later,  at  the 
same  meeting,  he  won  the  Bentinck  Memorial  Plate 
Handicap,  2  miles,  5  furlongs,  97  yards,  beating,  by  six 
lengths.  Compromise,  who  was  a  head  before  Prioress, 
the  latter  being  a  neck  in  advance  of  Rouble,  while 
eleven  other  horses  were  not  placed.  Starke's  only 
other  victory  this  season  was  at  Warwick  in  September, 
when  he  won  the  Warwick  Cup,  3  miles,  beating  Liv- 
eryman and  Lifeboat.  The  principal  events  in  which  he 
was  entered  and  was  not  successful,  were  the  Royal 
Stand  Plate  at  Ascot  Heath,  the  Great  Ebor  Handicap  at 
York  and  the  Cesarewitch  at  the  Newmarket  Second 
October  Meeting.  The  single  race  won  by  Woodburn 
was  the  Harry  Fowler  Handicap,   5  furlongs,  at  Stock- 


ton.    In  nearly  all  the  other  nine   events  in  which   he 
was  entered  he  did  not  even  succeed  in  being  placed. 

Umpire  won  the  Nursery  Stakes  Handicap,  one  mile, 
at  Goodwood  in  July,  thus  enabling  his  owner  to  carry 
off  three  of  the  prizes  of  this  meeting,  adding  his 
triumph  to  those  of  Starke.  In  this  handicap  he  beat, 
by  seven  lengths.  Longbow  and,  by  eleven  lengths.  Be 
Quick,  while  nineteen  other  horses  ran  unplaced.  His 
time  was  i  minute,  49  seconds,  in  August  at  Stock- 
ton he  won  the  Cleveland  Stakes  for  two-year  olds, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile,  beating  High  Treason  and  ten 
others.  The  following  day  at  the  same  meeting,  he 
won  the  third  Zetland  Biennial  Stakes  for  two-year 
olds,  about  5  furlongs,  again  defeating  High  Treason 
and  others.  Mr.  R.  Hanlan,  who  accompanied  Mr.  Ten 
Broeck,  was  less  successful  than  his  compatriot.  He 
ran  Des  Chiles,  a  brown  filly,  four  years  old,  by  im- 
ported Glencoe  out  of  Brown  Kitty;  Lincoln,  a  chestnut 
colt,  four  years  old,  by  imported  Belshazzar  out  of  a  dam 
by  imported  Jordan,  and  Cincinnati,  a  brown  colt,  three 
years  old,  by  Star  Davis  out  of  a  dam  by  Uncle  John. 
Des  Chiles  ran  in  three  races,  Lincoln  in  two  and  Cincin- 
nati in  three.     No  one  of  them  was  successful. 

For  several  years  more  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  remained  in 
England  meeting  with  varying  success.  Generally,  his 
horses  failed  to  achieve  the  triumphs  that  were  hoped 
for  from  them,  or  to  substantially  establish  in  the  minds 
of  English  turfmen  the  full  worth  of  the  American 
thoroughbred.  They  were  not,  however,  without 
victories  now  and  then,  that  were  at  least  suggestive  of 
great  possibilities.  Umpire  won  several  races  and  exhib- 
ited himself  in  such  excellent  form  that  he  started  in  the 
Derby  of  i860  on  even  terms  in  the  betting  with  Thor- 
manby,  who  was  the  winner.  In  1861,  Mr.  Ten  Broeck's 
campaign  was  made  especially  brilliant  by  the  capture  of 
the  Goodwood  Cup  by  Starke.  Both  Starke  and  Opti- 
mist were  entered  for  this  event,  and  the  two  American 
horses  ran  first  and  third,  respectively.  Wizard  being 
second.  The  struggle  between  Starke  and  Wizard  was 
sharp,  but  the  American  horse  was  too  much  for  his 
four-year  old  opponent  and  made  a  good  finish,  running 
the  last  quarter  of  a  mile  under  the  whip. 

Mr.  Ten  Broeck  remained  abroad  until  the  revival  of 
racing  in  this  country,  in  the  period  following  the  Civil 
War,  was  already  under  way.  Whatever  opinion  may 
be  held,  generally,  regarding  his  venture,  he  had  at  least 
succeeded  in  breaking  the  ice  so  far  as  the  indifference  of 
English  turfmen  and  racing  authorities  toward  the  turf  in 
this  country  was  concerned.  After  his  time,  the  ques- 
tion of  the  worth  of  the  American  thoroughbred  was  no 
longer  dismissed  in  England  as  unentitled  even  to  con- 
sideration, which  had  hitherto  been  the  attitude  of  the 
English  turf  world.  Since  then  there  has  been  no  dis- 
pute  on   the   other   side   of  the  water  that  the  United 


123 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


States  stands  on  substantial  footing  with  tiie  mother 
country  as  regards  the  possession  of  thoroughbred  stock 
and  of  that  true  spirit  of  racing  which  makes  the  constant 
improvement  of  the  breed  a  matter  on  which  expense 
and  care  are  in  no  way  stinted.  It  was  not,  however, 
until  a  quarter  of  a  century  later,  and  as  a  result  of  the 
patriotism  of  later  American  owners,  that  the  complete 
demonstration  of  the  full  equality  of  the  American 
thoroughbred  with  his  English  compeer  was  demon- 
strated beyond  the  possibility  of  cavil  and  in  a  manner 
that  commanded  the  admiration  of  the  sporting  world  of 
two  continents. 

Nearly  two  decades  after  Mr.  Ten  Broeck's  venture, 
Mr.  M.  H.  Sanford  followed  in  his  footsteps.  In  1875, 
Mr.  Sanford  crossed  the  Atlantic,  taking  with  him  his 
great  stallion  Preakness  and  seven  other  American 
thoroughbreds,  including  Mate,  Bay  Final,  Brown  Prince, 
Egotist,  Donna,  Start  and  Bay  Eagle.  Preakness,  Mate 
and  Bay  Final  were  aged,  but  Preakness  was  believed 
to  hold  out  the  most  promise  of  success,  his  great 
victories  in  the  United  States  in  previous  seasons  having 
already  given  him  an  established  reputation  for  stamina, 
speed  and  reliability.  Preakness  was  by  Lexington  out 
of  Bay  Leaf  by  imported  Yorkshire.  Mate  was  by 
imported  Australian  out  of  Mattie  Gross,  who  was  a 
Lexington  filly.  Bay  Final  was  an  own  brother  to 
Preakness.  Bay  Eagle  and  Egotist  were  own  brothers, 
being  by  Bay  Wood  out  of  Earring  by  Ringgold.  Start 
was  by  imported  Glenelg  out  of  Stamps,  a  Lexington 
mare.  Donna  was  by  Haywood  out  of  Dot  by  Mad 
Anthony.  Brown  Prince  was  by  Lexington  out  of 
imported  Britannia  IV.  by  Flying  Dutchman.  Bay 
Eagle,  Egotist,  Start,  Donna  and  Brown  Prince  were 
two-year  olds  and  were  believed  to  be  full  of  promise. 
Brown  Prince,  in  1876,  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  best 
two-year  olds  of  that  season  at  Newmarket. 

In  the  first  season  Mr.  Sanford's  principal  entries  were 
Preakness  for  the  Newmarket  International  Handicap; 
Mate  in  the  Newmarket  Handicap  and  the  City  and 
Suburban  Handicap  at  Epsom;  Bay  Final  in  the  City 
and  Suburban  Handicap  and  the  great  Metropolitan 
Handicap  at  Epsom ;  Bay  Eagle  in  the  Prince  of  Wales' 
Stakes  and  the  Derby  at  Epsom  and  the  Scarbor- 
ough Stakes  at  Doncaster,  and  Start  in  a  two-year 
old  sweepstake  at  Scarborough.  This  season  was  prac- 
tically a  failure,  although  Bay  Final  won  the  Dillingham 
Handicap  at  the  Newmarket  Houghton  Meeting.  In 
1877,  Mr.  Sanford  had  several  small  successes,  Donna 
winning  a  handicap  stakes  at  the  Newmarket  Craven 
Meeting,  and  Brown  Prince  taking  a  plate  over  the 
Rowley  Mile.  In  this  last  event  Brown  Prince  did  so 
well,  winning  a  good  race  by  half  a  length,  that  he 
became  a  great  favorite  for  the  future  events  in  which  he 
was  entered,  the  Derby,  Grand  Prix  of  Paris  and  Don- 


caster  St.  Leger.     Some  enthusiasts  even  backed  him  at 
long  odds  to  win  the  Derby. 

The  great  success  of  the  season,  however,  was  later 
on  at  the  Spring  Newmarket  Meeting,  when  Brown 
Prince  ran  second  to  Chamant  for  the  Two  Thousand 
Guineas,  beating  Silvio,  Thunderstone,  Monk,  War- 
ren Hastings,  Monachus,  Morier  and  Strachino.  Al- 
though Mr.  Sanford  continued  in  England  until  188 1, 
his  success  was  in  nowise  marked.  From  time  to  time 
he  took  over  other  American  horses,  but  none  of  them 
performed  sufficiently  well  to  entitle  them  to  first  rank 
with  the  English  champions  or  to  give  to  Mr.  Sanford's 
enterprise  the  successful  character  which  he  had  hoped 
for  and  through  which  he  aimed,  as  had  Mr.  Ten  Broeck 
before  him,  to  impress  upon  the  English  mind  the  merit 
of  the  American  thoroughbred. 

Since  the  time  that  Mr.  Sanford  terminated  his  English 
racing  career  American  thoroughbreds  have  been  gradu- 
ally making  their  way  upon  the  turf  in  the  Old  World, 
until  in  recent  years  their  appearances  there  have  been 
so  numerous  and  their  successes  so  frequent  and  so  con- 
spicuous that  they  have  established  themselves  firmly  in 
the  approval  of  turfmen,  not  alone  in  this  country,  but 
abroad  as  well.  It  is  now  recognized  as  never  before 
that  for  speed,  endurance  and  gameness,  the  American 
horse  is  a  worthy  compeer  of  his  English  rival.  On 
many  a  hard  fought  battlefield  he  has  shown  his  prowess 
and  has  carried  off  the  highest  honors  that  the  English 
turf  or  the  French  turf  has  had  to  bestow  upon  its  equine 
heroes.  The  question  of  the  relative  merits  of  the  thor- 
oughbreds of  the  two  nationalities  is  still  open  to  dis- 
cussion and  opinions  vary  upon  the  matter.  Never- 
theless, the  American  thoroughbred  is  no  longer  looked 
down  upon  by  English  critics,  and  his  substantial  stand- 
ing is  frankly  recognized,  even  though  the  opinion  that 
he  is  not  quite  equal  to  the  product  of  the  English  stud 
still  may  be  strenuously  held  by  our  English  cousins. 

Mr.  Pierre  LoriUard,  who  began  his  racing  career  on 
the  English  turf  in  1879,  must  be  regarded  as  the  pioneer 
in  bringing  about  this  very  marked  change  in  the  atti- 
tude of  the  English  turf  toward  its  trans-Atlantic  rival. 
Mr.  Lorillard  went  abroad  in  the  autumn  of  1878,  taking 
with  him  eight  representative  American  thoroughbreds. 
At  the  head  of  the  string  was  the  brown  gelding  Parole 
by  imported  Leamington  out  of  Maiden  by  Lexington, 
his  grandam  by  Kitty  Clark  by  imported  Glencoe.  Sec- 
ond on  his  list  was  the  bay  colt  Uncas  by  Lexington, 
out  of  Coral  by  Vandal,  his  grandam  being  imported 
Cairn  Gorme  by  Cotherstone.  Then  there  was  the  bay 
colt  Friar  by  imported  Saxon,  out  of  Fanny  Washington 
by  Revenue,  his  grandam  being  Sarah  Washington  by 
Garrison's  Zinganee;  the  bay  colt  Boreas  by  imported 
Saxon  out  of  Nellie  Grey  by  Lexington,  his  grandam 
being  Fenella  by  imported  Glencoe;  the  bay  colt  Chero- 


124 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


kee  by  imported  Saxon  out  of  Fanny  Ludlow  by  im- 
ported Eclipse,  his  grandam  being  MoUie  Jackson  by 
Vandal;  the  chestnut  filly  Pappoose  by  imported  Leam- 
ington out  of  Maiden  by  Lexington,  her  grandam  being 
Kitty  Clark  by  imported  Glencoe;  the  bay  filly  Nereid 
by  imported  Saxon  out  of  imported  Highland  Lassie  by 
Blair  Athol,  her  grandam  being  Rupee  by  the  Nabob; 
and  the  bay  filly  Geraldine  by  imported  Saxon  out  of 
Girl  of  the  Period  by  Virgil,  her  grandam  being  Nannie 
Butler  by  Lexington. 

it  will  be  observed  that,  of  these  eight  horses,  five  i/f 
them  were  descendants  of  the  famous  Lexington,  one  of 
them  being  a  son.  The  blood  of  Vandal,  Glencoe, 
Revenue,  Eclipse,  Virgil  and  other  great  sires  of  the 
early  American  turf  was  also  represented.  Two  of  the 
string  were  by  imported  Leamington  and  five  bv  im- 
ported Saxon,  one  only,  Uncas  by  Lexington,  being 
the  get  of  a  distinctively  American  horse.  Doubts 
were  expressed  about  the  ability  of  Parole  to  hold  his 
own  in  the  English  field,  notwithstanding  his  success 
in  his  native  land.  Uncas  was  regarded  with  more 
confidence.  Parole  was  then  five  years  old,  while  Uncas 
was  two,  and  the  others  were  yearlings.  The  young- 
sters were  very  much  admired,  but,  of  course,  little  could 
be  predicated  concerning  their  future,  for  they  were  as 
yet  untried.  When  the  string  left  this  country  all  the 
horses  were  well  engaged  except  Parole.  Uncas  was  in 
the  Two  Thousand  Guineas,  the  Derby  and  the  St. 
Leger  of  1878  and  the  Champion  Stakes  of  1880  at  New- 
market. Cherokee,  Pappoose,  Nereid  and  Geraldine  were 
in  the  July  and  the  Chesterfield  Stakes  for  two-year 
olds  at  Newmarket  in  1879,  and  in  the  Richmond 
Stakes  at  Goodwood  the  following  year.  Cherokee, 
Boreas,  and  Friar  were  entered  for  the  Derby  and  St. 
Leger  in  1880,  and  Pappoose,  Geraldine  and  Nereid  in 
the  Oaks  for  the  same  year. 

The  success  of  Mr.  Lorillard  was  very  pronounced 
from  the  outset  and  exceedingly  gratifying  to  patriotic 
American  turfmen,  who  had  always  had  full  faith  in  the 
American  thoroughbred  and  in  his  ability  to  hold  his  own 
with  the  best  racers  of  the  world.  Although  Parole  did 
not  stir  the  Englishmen  to  enthusiasm  while  he  was  in 
training,  he  opened  their  eyes  when  he  won  the  New- 
market Handicap  in  1879,  beating  the  f;imous  Isonomy, 
who  is  to  this  day  regarded  by  many  as  the  greatest 
thoroughbred  that  ever  ran  on  the  turf  in  England  or 
anywhere  else.  Then  they  were  dumfounded  when 
the  brown  son  of  Leamington  followed  up  his  first  suc- 
cess by  carrying  off  the  City  and  Suburban  from  a  field 
of  fifteen  and  by  winning  the  Metropolitan  Handicap  and 
the  Cheshire  Handicap.  Pappoose,  as  a  two-year  old, 
won  the  first  race  in  which  he  was  entered  and  Geraldine 
won  the  Levant  Stakes  at  Goodwood. 

In  1880,  Mr.   Lorillard's  stable  was  increased  by  the 


addition  of  Iroquois,  Paw  Paw  and  others.  Meantime, 
Mr.  James  R.  Keene  had  entered  the  field  and  America 
was  further  represented  by  Wallenstein,  Foxhall,  Book- 
maker, Don  Fulano,  Nereid  and  Aristocrat,  all  of  whom 
were  winners.  The  following  year,  1881,  witnessed  the 
signal  triumph  of  the  Americans,  when  Iroquois  won 
the  Derby,  the  St.  James  Palace  Stakes  and  the  St. 
Leger,  while  Foxhall  carried  off  the  Grand  Prix  at  Paris 
and  the  Cesarewitch  and  Cambridgeshire  Stakes.  Fox- 
hall's  finish  for  the  Grand  Prix  was  one  of  the  most  mag- 
nificent that  had  ever  been  seen  on  the  French  Course. 
He  was  ridden  by  the  great  English  jockey,  Fordham, 
while  Fred  Archer  rode  his  closest  rival,  the  French  colt, 
Tristan.  As  they  came  along  the  home  stretch  Tristan 
was  slightly  behind,  but  Archer  rode  his  very  best  and 
lifted  his  horse  almost  even  with  Foxhall.  A  shout  of 
Tristan!  Tristan!  rended  the  air  from  the  throats  of 
thousands  of  excited  Frenchmen.  The  two  horses, 
head  by  head,  came  down  with  a  grand  rush,  past 
the  jockey  club  stand,  and  it  was  either  one's  race. 
For  the  first  time  Fordham  raised  his  whip.  A  single 
sharp  cut  on  the  shoulder  of  Foxhall  was  answered  by 
a  grand  leap  forward  from  the  noble  thoroughbred,  and 
in  the  fraction  of  a  second  the  Grand  Prix,  with  its 
160,000  francs,  was  won.  In  1882,  Foxhall  added  the 
Ascot  Gold  Cup  to  his  other  prizes,  and  Wallenstein 
won  the  Manchester  Cup,  one  and  three-quarter  miles, 
worth  $15,000,  while  Passaic,  Aranza,  Sachem,  Brake- 
speare,  Mehallah,  Jolly,  Sir  John,  Golden  Gate,  Abbots- 
ford,  North  Star,  Lady  Jane  and  Aristocrat  were  other 
horses  that  carried  the  colors  of  their  American  owners 
bravely  to  the  front. 

At  last  the  American  horse  could  no  longer  be  ignored 
by  English  turfmen.  Henceforth  he  was  a  quantity  that 
demanded  serious  recognition.  His  many  sweeping 
victories  at  the  historic  racing  centres  of  England  forced 
him  more  and  more  into  public  attention  during  this 
period  from  1879  to  1882,  both  inclusive,  that  was  a 
momentous  one  for  American  turfmen  and  that  was  rich 
with  results  at  once  gratifying  and  inspiring.  The  fame 
and  merit  of  the  American  thoroughbred  were  finally  and 
successfully  established.  During  these  four  years  there 
were  not  less  than  fifteen  or  sixteen  prominent  Ameri- 
can horses  that  appeared  in  the  various  meetings 
throughout  Great  Britain.  It  has  been  estimated  that 
their  winnings  were  close  upon  $300,000,  which  must 
be  regarded  as  a  very  respectable  sum  when  we  take 
into  consideration  the  large  fields  against  which  they 
were  compelled  to  run,  and  the  tremendous  disadvan- 
tages arising  from  differences  in  climate  and  racing 
methods,  than  those  of  their  native  land  under  which 
they  labored. 

Parole  and  Pappoose  led  the  American  string  in  1879, 
and   in    1880    seven    Americans,    Iroquois,    Paw    Paw, 


•125 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Wallenstein,  Foxhall,  Bookmaker,  Don  Fulano,  Nereid 
and  Aristocrat  carried  off  about  129,000.  In  188 1, 
Iroquois,  Foxhall  and  others  took  up  something  over 
$162,000.  It  was  not  easy  for  the  Americans  to  keep 
the  pace  which  they  had  fixed  for  themselves,  and  to 
retain  the  high  position  to  which  Iroquois  and  Fox- 
hall had  elevated  them.  Beginning  with  1882,  there 
was  a  decided  falling  off  in  the  American  contin- 
gent, and  the  glories  of  Iroquois,  Foxhall  and  their 
companions  became  somewhat  dim.  The  American 
stables  gradually  made  less  and  less  impression  upon 
England,  although  Mr.  Lorillard  was  still  in  the  field  and 
Iroquois  continued  to  win  occasionally.  It  was  some- 
what compensating,  however,  to  Yankee  patriotism 
that  upon  many  occasions  the  horses  that  represented 
this  country  were  beaten  by  others  who  were  of  our 
own  breeding,  but  who  had  passed  into  the  possession 
of  English  turfmen.  This  was  very  practical  evidence  of 
a  decided  change  of  opinion  toward  American  horses 
and  showed  the  high  esteem  in  which  they  had  finally 
come  to  be  held. 

In  1892,  Fiddler,  son  of  that  staunch  old  American 
stallion,  Preakness,  captured  the  Newmarket  Biennial 
and  the  Great  Metropolitan.  Passaic,  formerly  an  inmate 
of  Mr.  Lorillard's  stable,  achieved  a  victory  for  his  native 
land,  as  well  as  for  his  adopted  country,  by  winning  the 
City  and  Suburban,  one  of  the  most  celebrated  of  the 
great  English  spring  handicaps.  Passaic  had  become  the 
property  of  an  English  owner,  having  been  disposed  of 
some  six  months  previously.  He  was  eminently  a 
representative  American  horse,  brother  to  the  celebrated 
racing  filly  Thora.  His  sire  was  Longfellow  by  imported 
Leamington,  and  his  dam  Jury  by  Lexington,  a  combina- 
tion of  two  strains  of  blood,  than  which  none  has  been 
more  phenomenally  successful  in  the  annals  of  the 
American  turf  His  grandam  was  Roxana  by  imported 
Chesterfield.  As  a  two-year  old,  he  was  not  at  all  suc- 
cessful, but  he  was  afterward  regarded  as  an  even 
competitor  with  Iroquois.  His  performances,  however, 
failed  to  justify  the  expectations  that  were  based  upon 
him,  and  he  was  finally  sold  out  of  the  stable  as  a  piece 
of  deadwood,  only  to  turn  the  tables  upon  his  former 
owner  by  winning  the  City  and  Suburban  in  the 
following  spring. 

The  three  American  horses  that  in  Europe  stood  pre- 
eminent in  distinction  during  the  period  which  we 
have  had  under  consideration  are  more  thoroughly 
identified  with  the  English  turf  than  with  that  of  their 
native  land.  Their  victories  added  lustre  to  the  annals 
of  the  American  turf,  but  the  record  of  their  careers 
belongs  almost  entirely  to  the  racing  calendar  of  the 
mother  county.  Of  this  trio,  none  has  been  more 
flimous  than  Iroquois,  who  achieved  the  supreme  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  only  American  thoroughbred  who 


has  won  the  Derby,  the  Blue  Ribbon  of  the  English  turf 
He  occupies  the  unique  position  of  being  an  American 
horse  whose  entire  racing  career  was  confined  to  the 
English  turf  while  his  contributions  to  the  American 
turf  have  been  alone  through  his  progeny,  several  of 
whom  are  to  be  included  among  the  finest  thorough- 
breds of  this  generation.  Probably  no  horse,  if  we 
except  possibly  Foxhall,  ever  achieved  a  greater  reputa- 
tion that  made  him  known  throughout  the  entire  world, 
his  success  in  winning  the  Derby  having  placed  him,  so 
far  as  public  estimation  is  concerned,  in  a  class  entirely 
by  himself 

Iroquois  was  bred  by  Mr.  Aristides  Welch,  proprietor 
of  the  Erdenheim  Stud,  at  Chestnut  Hill,  near  Philadel- 
phia. His  sire  was  Leamington  and  his  dam  Maggie  B. 
B.,  who  was  by  Australian.  Thus  on  both  sides  he 
traced  to  English  thoroughbred  families  of  the  highest 
class,  one  of  which  was  of  the  past  generation,  while  the 
other  has  come  into  prominence  in  comparatively  recent 
times.  He  was  a  brown  colt,  with  blaze  face  and  near 
hind  ankles  white  above  the  pastern.  Of  substantial 
muscular  build,  he  had  a  rare  blood-like  appearance  and 
showed  all  the  quality  of  his  high  breeding,  and  as  a 
yearling  gave  abundant  promise  of  a  great  future.  Pur- 
chased as  a  yearling  by  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard,  the  follow- 
ing year,  he  was  shipped  to  Europe  as  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  Mr.  Lorillard's  string  to  struggle  with  the  English 
thoroughbreds  on  their  own  ground.  The  English  paid 
little  or  no  attention  to  him  while  he  was  in  training  at 
Newmarket,  where  he  was  placed  as  soon  as  he  arrived 
in  the  Old  Country. 

When  he  came  to  the  post  at  Newmarket  in  1880, 
for  the  two-year  old  plate,  5  furlongs,  not  much  was 
expected  of  him  and  he  surprised  the  talent  by  coming 
in  an  easy  winner,  beating  Herman,  Red  King  and 
others.  At  the  Epsom  Summer  Meeting  he  ran  unplaced 
to  Angelina  first  and  Wandering  Nun  second,  but  at  the 
same  meeting  two  days  later,  he  won  a  two-year  old 
stake,  5  furlongs.  At  Ascot  in  June  he  ran  unplaced  to 
Sir  Charles,  Tristan  and  Angelina,  and  at  Newmarket  in 
July  ran  second  to  Bal  Gal  for  the  July  Stakes,  and  won 
the  Chesterfield  Stakes,  defeating  Panique,  Voluptuary 
and  others.  At  the  second  Sandown  Summer  Meeting 
he  ran  unplaced  to  King  of  Scotland,  Montrose  and 
others  for  the  Kingston  Plate;  at  Goodwood,  in  July, 
won  the  Levant  Stakes,  defeating  Isola,  Madre  and  others, 
and  at  the  same  meeting  was  second  to  Wandering  Nun 
for  the  Findon  Stakes.  In  the  fall  meetings  he  ran  un- 
placed for  the  Champagne  Stakes  at  Doncaster,  for  the 
Hopeful  Stakes  at  the  Newmarket  First  October  Meet- 
ing and  for  the  Clearwell  Stakes  at  the  Newmarket 
Second  October  Meeting.  On  the  whole,  his  success 
during  this  first  season  was  fairly  satisfactory  and  some- 
what surprising  to  the  English  turfmen,  although  it  was 


J26 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


generally  conceded  that  he  had  not  been  well  handled  or 
well  ridden  and  became  stale  toward  the  latter  end  of 
the  season  for  having  been  too  heavily  worked. 

His  failures  in  the  latter  part  of  the  season  lost  him  in 
a  large  measure  the  favor  that  had  been  accorded  to  him 
for  his  earlier  work,  and  English  critics  were  inclined  to 
place  comparatively  little  dependence  upon  him  for  his 
three-year  old  form.  During  the  winter,  however,  he 
had  a  generous  rest  and  was  brought  well  into  con- 
dition before  the  spring  opened,  the  quickness  with 
which  he  recovered  being  a  well-known  characteristic 
inherited  from  his  sire.  He  was  liberally  engaged  for 
the  season  of  1881,  but  no  one  outside  his  own  stable 
expected  brilliant  performances  from  him.  He  started 
in  by  running  second  for  the  Two  Thousand  Guineas 
at  Newmarket,  but  this  was  rather  a  good  beginning, 
for  he  left  behind  him  the  flower  of  the  English  turf. 
Although  defeated,  his  running  called  general  attention 
to  him  and  probably  few  were  surprised  when  two  days 
later  he  won  the  Newmarket  Stakes,  defeating  Lord  Fal- 
mouth's Lennoxlove.  In  the  second  Newmarket  Meet- 
ing he  walked  over  for  the  Burwell  Stakes,  and  there- 
after began  to  be  looked  upon  with  considerable  favor, 
although  it  was  scarcely  expected  that  he  had  much 
chance  for  the  Epsom  Derby,  for  which  he  was  next 
entered. 

■  His  great  achievement  that  forever  established  his  repu- 
tation and  that  astounded  all  England  was  at  the  Epsom 
Summer  Meeting  in  June,  1881,  when  he  won  that 
prize  of  the  English  turf,  carrying  off  the  Derby  from  a 
field  of  fifteen,  being  an  easy  winner  over  Peregrine, 
second,  and  Town  Moor,  third.  Afterward  he  won  the 
Prince  of  Wales  Stakes  at  Ascot,  thus  accomplishing  a 
feat  that  had  never  yet  been  put  down  to  the  credit  of 
an  English  Derby  winner.  Later  in  the  season  he  also 
won  the  St.  Leger,  at  Doncaster,  thus  entering  a  class  of 
winners  of  the  two  classic  events  of  the  English  turf,  the 
Derby  and  the  St.  Leger,  in  one  season.  In  this  class 
only  nine  horses  had  ever  been  able  to  stand,  Cham- 
pion, 1800;  Surplus,  1848;  Flying  Dutchman,  1849;  ^0^- 
tiguer,  1850;  West  Australian,  1853;  Blair  Athol,  1864; 
Gladiateur,  1865;  Lord  Lyon,  1866;  Silver,  1877,  and  Iro- 
quois, 1 88 1.  There  was  no  question  now,  even  in  the 
minds  of  conservative  Englishmen,  that  Iroquois  was 
one  of  the  greatest  horses,  not  only  of  his  generation, 
but  of  all  the  modern  time.  In  thus  adding  the  white 
ribbon  to  the  blue,  he  had  done  what  such  great  horses 
as  Mameluke,  Priam,  Hermit,  Doncaster  and  others  had 
attempted  and  failed.  As  a  two-year  old  he  started 
twelve  times  and  won  four  races.  As  a  three-year  old 
he  won  four  out  of  the  five  races  in  which  he  started. 

His  work  upon  the  English  turf  in  1881  practically  closed 
his  career  as  a  race  horse.  In  1882,  he  was  not  started, 
owing  to  his  having  fallen  off  in  condition.  The  following 


year  he  started  three  times,  running  third  in  one  race  and 
being  unplaced  in  the  remaining  two.  He  was  then  with- 
drawn from  the  turf  and  sent  back  to  the  United  States, 
where  he  increased  the  reputation  of  his  name  by  the 
great  sons  and  daughters  that  he  produced  in  the  ensu- 
ing years.  Among  his  progeny,  who  have  distinguished 
themselves,  special  note  may  be  made  of  such  good  ones 
as  Senator  Grady,  Huron,  Tammany,  Mohican,  Helen 
Nichols  and  Red  Banner.  In  several  years  these  and 
others  of  the  Iroquois  descendants  have  been  included  in 
the  list  of  those  who  have  been  the  greatest  winners  in 
this  country.  Few  American  thoroughbreds  have  thus 
united  to  a  greater  degree  than  he  the  glory  of  tran- 
scendent achievements  on  the  turf  with  the  fame  derived 
from  the  wonderful  performances  of  sons  and  daughters. 

Until  1865  no  foreigner  had  been  able  to  carry  off  the 
famous  Blue  Ribbon  of  the  turf  from  the  English  stables 
at  Epsom.  From  the  foundation  of  the  Derby,  in  1780, 
when  Sir  Charles  Bunbury's  Diomed  came  in  at  the 
head  of  a  field  of  nine  starters,  the  Englishmen  had 
every  year  succeeded  in  keeping  the  prize  at  home.  In 
the  long  list  of  winning  owners  were  representatives  of 
every  class  of  English  sporting  men,  from  royal  dukes  to 
those  in  the  humblest  walks  of  life.  It  fell  to  a  French 
horse  to  break  the  record  that  had  stood  for  eighty-five 
years,  when,  in  1865,  The  Comte  de  Le  Grange's  mag- 
nificent Gladiateur  won  the  great  prize  in  a  common 
canter.  Gladiateur  was  a  bay  with  black  legs,  16 
hands  high,  powerful  in  his  shoulders,  and  showing 
muscle  and  strength  in  every  motion.  He  not  only 
carried  off  the  Derby,  but  also  won  the  Two  Thousand 
Guineas,  the  Grand  Prix  of  Paris,  and  the  St.  Leger, 
being  the  only  horse  who  ever  had  those  four  victories 
to  his  credit.  As  a  four-year  old,  his  best  race  was  for 
the  Ascot  Cup,  when  he  defeated  Regalia  and  Breadalbane. 

After  Gladiateur  it  was  eleven  years  before  another, 
foreigner  succeeded  in  carrying  off  the  Derby.  On  this 
occasion  Kisber,  the  victor,  was  a  horse  from  Hungary. 
His  sire  was  Buccaneer,  and  his  dam  Mineral.  He  was 
bred  at  the  Great  Imperial  Royal  Stud  fiwm  at  Kisber, 
and  was  considered  the  greatest  horse  in  that  establish- 
ment. The  Kisber  farm  extended  over  15,648  acres, 
and  was  under  the  direct  management  of  Count  Zoest, 
all  the  work  upon  it  being  done  by  soldiers  of  the 
Austrian-Hungarian  Army.  Kisber  was  15  hands,  3 
inches  high,  a  hard  bay  with  a  ruddy  tinge  and  black 
points.  As  a  two-year  old,  previous  to  his  Derby  race, 
he  had  been  successful  in  only  one  of  the  four  occasions 
upon  which  he  was  started,  and,  in  the  betting  on  the 
Derby,  was  not  held  in  high  esteem  nor  regarded  as 
particularly  dangerous.  These  two  victories  of  Gladia- 
teur and  Kisber  were  all  that  stood  to  the  credit  of 
foreign  horses  until  1881,  when  Iroquois  carried  the 
American  colors  to  the  front,  making  himself  the  third 


127 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


foreign  horse,  and  the  first  American,  to  carry  off  the 
prize  so  dear  to  the  hearts  of  racing  men,  whether  they 
be  of  English,  American,  or  other  nationality. 

Scarcely  second  to  Iroquois  in  the  brilliancy  of  his 
career  was  Parole.  He  had  strains  of  three  of  the  great- 
est American  families,  Glencoe,  Lexington  and  Leaming- 
ton. He  was  foaled  in  1873  in  Mr.  Aristides  Welch's 
Erdenheim  Stud,  and,  as  as  a  yearling,  was  sold  to  Mr. 
Lorillard  for  $780.  Notwithstanding  his  lofty  lineage,  his 
appearance  did  not  commend  him  to  expert  turfmen, 
nor  did  he  show  himself  to  be  of  sufficient  promise  to 
warrant  his  entry  into  the  early  two  and  three-year  old 
stakes.  But  he  developed  rapidly  and  well,  and,  in 
187=^,  was  put  into  training  and  brought  out.  His  suc- 
cess was  immediate  and  was  wholly  unexpected,  save 
to  those  who  had  opportunity  to  become  most 
familiar  with  him.  Out  of  the  six  races  in  which  he 
took  part  he  won  four,  his  important  victories  being  the 
Saratoga  Stakes  in  i  minute,  44}i  seconds,  beating 
Adelaide,  Sultana,  Durango,  Brother  to  Bassett,  Blue- 
coat  and  others,  and  the  All  Aged  Stakes,  at  Jerome 
Park,  in  2  minutes,  38  seconds,  beating  St.  Martin, 
Warlock,  Virginius  and  Rhadamanthus. 

He  was  entered  for  the  Kentucky  Derby  in  1876,  but 
was  defeated  by  Vagrant,  being  completely  beaten  off. 
During  most  of  that  season  he  was  out  of  condition  and 
won  only  three  of  the  seven  races  in  which  he  was 
entered.     Greatly  improved  in  condition  in  the  spring  of 

1877,  he  made  the  best  campaign  of  his  life,  running 
twelve  races,  eight  of  which  he  won.  He  captured  the 
Saratoga  Cup  in  4  minutes,  4^  seconds,  beating  Tom 
Ochiltree  and  Vera  Cruz;  the  Grand  Sweepstakes  at 
Baltimore  in  4  minutes,  37^  seconds,  defeating  Ten 
Broeck  and  Tom  Ochiltree,  and  the  Woodburn  Stakes, 
the  Summer  Handicap  and  the  Maturity  Stakes.     During 

1878,  he  ran  eleven  races,  eight  of  which  he  won,  includ- 
ing the  Monmouth  Cup,  at  Long  Branch,  in  4  minutes, 
()}4  seconds,  beating  Virginius,  General  Philips  and  Joe, 
and  the  Saratoga  Cup,  in  4  minutes,  8}4  seconds,  again 
beating  the  same  horses. 

During  his  first  season  in  England  he  was  very  suc- 
cessful. The  official  handicappers  underestimated  him 
and  he  was  let  into  many  important  events  at  very  light 
weight.  He  carried  off  honors  in  five  of  the  eleven 
races' which  he  run,  among  them  being  the  Newmarket 
Handicap,  the  City  and  Suburban,  the  Great  Metropolitan 
and  the  Great  Cheshire  Stakes  and  the  Epsom  Gold  Cup. 
He  was  defeated  for  the  Ascot  Stakes  at  Ascot.  The 
following  season  the  handicappers  went  to  the  other 
extreme  and  loaded  him  so  heavily  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  him  to  accomplish  anything.  He  was  run 
in  ten  races  in  1880  without  making  a  single  winning 
and  was  then  returned  to  the  United  States.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  season  in  this  country  he  won  four 


races.     In  the  six  years  that  he  was  on  the  turf,  includ- 
ing 1880,  he  ran  61  races,  of  which  he  won  32. 

Foxhall,  the  third  horse  of  this  trio  of  American 
thoroughbreds  that  gained  celebrity  in  England,  was 
foaled  in  1878.  He  was  got  by  King  Alfonso  out  of 
Jamaica.  His  sire  was  by  imported  Phseton  out  of  Cap- 
itola  and  on  this  line  he  traced  to  King  Tom,  Vandal, 
Harkaway,  Pocahontas,  imported  Glencoe  and  back  to 
the  great  English  'families  of  thoroughbreds,  who  will 
be  readily  recognized.  Jamaica,  the  dam  of  Foxhall 
was  by  Lexington  out  of  Fanny  Ludlow,  the  latter  being 
by  imported  Eclipse  out  of  Mollie  Jackson,  daughter  of 
Vandal  and  Emma  Wright.  Foxhall  was  bred  by  Mr. 
A.  J.  Alexander  and  was  sold  to  Mr.  James  R.  Keene  as 
a  yearling.  In  1880,  with  Lord  Murphy,  Spendthrift  and 
other  promising  two-year  olds  he  was  sent  to  England. 
At  the  outset  he  attracted  comparatively  little  attention, 
and  the  English  authorities  decidedly  underrated  him. 
Illness  overtook  him  and  he  did  not  make  his  appearance 
on  the  turf  until  October,  when,  however,  at  New- 
market he  easily  won  the  Bedford  Stakes  and  opened 
the  eyes  of  the  English  horsemen.  At  the  same  meet- 
ing he  made  a  hard  fight  for  the  Ashley  Stakes  and  then 
won  the  Bretley  Nursery  Handicap. 

As  a  three-year  old  he  was  not  engaged  in  any  of  the 
great  classics  events  of  England,  but  ran  second  to  Bend 
Or  for  the  City  and  Suburban  Handicap,  leaving  twenty- 
three  others  behind  him  and  proving  himself  to  be  as 
good  as  any  of  the  best  thoroughbreds  then  on  the 
English  turf.  In  June  came  his  great  achievement,  the 
winning  of  the  Grand  Prix  of  Paris,  when  he  defeated 
Tristan,  Albion,  Fiddler,  Dublin,  Leon,  Royamont, 
Forum,  Cassimir  and  Scobell.  At  the  Ascot  Meeting  in 
the  same  month  of  June  he  lost  the  Gold  Cup  to  Robert 
the  Devil,  and  then  went  off  in  form.  But  he  was  soon 
brought  into  condition  again  and  in  the  autumn  races 
won  the  Cesarewitch  in  a  common  canter,  defeated  his 
old  French  rival  Tristan  in  the  Select  Stakes,  and  came 
in  at  the  head  of  the  field  in  the  Cambridgeshire,  defeat- 
ing Lucy  Glitters  by  a  head,  with  Tristan  third.  His 
double  victory  of  the  two  great  Newmarket  Handicaps 
had  only  one  parallel,  the  victory  of  Rosebery  in  1876, 
and  it  was  generally  recognized  that  Mr.  Keene  was 
quite  within  bounds  in  declaring  that  his  colt  was  "the 
greatest  horse  in  the  world." 

For  several  years  after  1882  the  Americans  were  some- 
what less  conspicuous  upon  the  English  turf,  although 
both  Mr.  Lorillard  and  Mr.  Keene  still  continued  in  the 
field.  In  1883,  Iroquois  won  the  Stockbridge  Cup  and 
other  victories  were  from  time  to  time  set  down  to 
the  credit  of  the  American  stables.  The  entries  for  the 
Grand  Prix  of  Paris  in  1884  showed  to  some  extent  upon 
what  horses  the  American  stables  were  then  placing 
their   dependence.      Mr.    Lorillard's   nominations   were 


128 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Pontine  by  Pero  Gomez  out  of  Agcnoria,  sister  to  I^izarro, 
Choctaw  by  Saxon;  Emperor  by  Enquirer  o.ut  of  Vesper 
Ligiit,  the  dam  of  Vandalite;  De  Soto  by  Wanderer  out 
of  Katie  Pease,  a  full  brother  to  Lizzie  S. ;  Manitoba  by 
Glenlyon  out  of  Marie  Michon  and  Huron  by  Saxon  out 
of  Vandalite.  Mr.  Keene  nominated  a  sister  to  Foxhall 
by  King  Alfonso  out  of  Jamaica;  a  colt  by  King  Alfonso 
out  of  Hester;  a  bay  colt  by  Virgil  out  of  Bonnie 
Form,  and  an  English  bred  colt  by  Blair  Athol  out 
of  Perewig.  From  English  stables,  several  of  the  get 
of  the  famous  old  American  stallion  Preakness  were 
nominated. 

Early  in  the  nineties  the  movement  of  American  turf- 
men toward  England  began  to  develop  again  to  a  marked 
degree  and  to  Messrs.  Lorillard  and  Keene,  the  former 
of  whom  had  begun  to  transfer  nearly  all  his  racing  inter- 
ests from  the  United  States  to  the  old  World,  the  names 
of  many  newcomers  were  added.  The  campaign  of  the 
Messrs.  Richard  Croker  and  M.  F.  Dwyer,  disastrous  as 
it  was  at  the  outset,  is  still  fresh  in  the  public  mind,  for 
it  is  an  affair  of  but  yesterday.  Messrs.  Croker  &  Dwyer 
went  abroad  in  1895,  taking  with  them  a  string  of 
twenty-one  horses.  Foremost  in  their  stable  were  Ban- 
quet by  Rayon  d'Or  out  of  Ella  T. ;  Stonenell  by 
Stonehenge  out  of  Nell;  Don  Alonzo  by  Long  Taw  out 
of  Round  Dance;  Dobbins  by  imported  Mr.  Pickwick 
out  of  Thora  and  Harry  Reed  by  Himyar  out  of  Violet. 
All  of  these  horses  had  good  records  on  the  American 
turf.  Don  Alonzo,  who  was  bred  by  Mr.  Charles  Reed, 
was  bought  as  a  yearling  by  Mr.  F.  A.  Ehret  and  sold  to 
Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer  for  $30,000  in  1892.  As  a  two-year-old 
he  did  fairly  well,  winning  four  races,  the  Tremont,  the 
Sapling,  the  Junior  Champion  and  the  Select  Stakes.  As  a 
three-year  old  he  won  thirteen  purses  and  sweepstakes, 
while  as  a  four-year  old  he  won  eleven  races,  his  best 
being  the  Sheepshead  Bay  Handicap,  i  mile,  in  i  min- 
ute, 41  seconds,  against  a  good  field.  The  careers 
of  Banquet,  Stonenell  and  Dobbins  have  been  elsewhere 
given. 

Other  horses  in  the  Croker-Dwyer  stable  were  Utica 
by  Iroquois  out  of  Duchess;  Montauk  by  Strathmore  out 
of  Spina  way;  Belle  Meade  by  Glenelgout  of  Trade  Wind; 
Natty  by  Tremont  out  of  Tassel;  a  two-year  old  filly  by 
Tremont  out  of  Pride;  a  bay  colt  by  Sir  Modred  out  of 
Faux  Pas,  and  two  chestnut  fillies  by  Enquirer,  one  out  of 
Tomrig  and  the  other  out  of  Tattoo.  A  peculiarly  inter- 
esting feature  of  this  string  was  that  it  included  eight  of 
the  get  of  Iroquois  who  were  returning  to  show  them- 
selves upon  the  fields  where  their  world-renowned  sire 
had  made  himself  famous.  These  were  Utica  out  of 
Duchess;  Hervert  out  of  Hildegard;  True  Blue  out  of 
Tullahoma ;  Sweet  Marie  out  of  Baby ;  Trilby  out  of  Theo- 
dora; Dinah  out  of  Orphan  Girl;  a  bay  filly  outof  Armiel 
and  a  chestnut  colt  out  of  Valette. 


The  results  of  this  disastrous  campaign  are  too  well- 
known  to  call  for  extended  consideration  here.  Several 
of  the  best  horses  of  the  stable,  entered  in  selling  races, 
were  claimed  and  lost  to  the  owners,  and  several  others 
had  to  be  bid  in  to  save  them.  The  first  race  won  was 
the  Crawford  Plate  at  the  Newmarket  Craven  Course, 
when  Eau  Gallia,  formerly  Utica,  beat  Estar,  Erin 
and  seven  others.  The  odds  were  8  to  i  against  Eau 
Gallie,  who  was  ridden  by  Sims,  this  being  the 
jockey's  first  mount  in  England.  Harry  Reed,  at  the 
Newmarket  meeting,  won  a  selling  race  by  three 
lengths.  It  was  generally  considered  that  the  stable  did 
not  appear  to  its  best  advantage  for  the  reason  that  it 
was  not  well  handled. 

Messrs.  Duke  &  Wishard  also  tried  their  fortunes  on  the 
English  turf  in  1895.  Their  venture  was  daring  rather 
than  promising.  Their  best  horse  was  Ramapo,  then  a 
five-year  old  chestnut  by  imported  Pontiac  out  of  Annie 
F.  His  fame  was  well  established  by  his  winning  of 
the  Suburban  in  1894,  and  he  has  been  considered  one 
of  the  best  American  race  horses  of  recent  years.  One 
authority  at  the  time  even  said  that  he  was  "no  doubt 
the  best  American  representative  that  has  been  sent  to 
England  since  the  time  of  Iroquois  and  Foxhall."  Other 
members  of  the  string,  which  numbered  ten,  were  Hugh 
Penny,  Helen  Nichols,  Wishard,  Damsel,  Mack  Briggs 
and  several  yearlings,  one  by  Himyar  out  of  Miss  Austin, 
another  by  Bersan  out  of  a  dam  by  Silvermine,  another 
by  Strathmore  out  of  Ortawin,  and  one  by  Pontiac  out  of 
Miss  Lunley.  The  venture  was  not  particularly  success- 
ful, and  Ramapo,  upon  whom  the  greatest  dependence 
was  placed,  and  who  was  regarded  as  having  a  good 
chance  for  the  Cesarewitch,  was  unable  to  start  on 
account  of  his  foot  going  wrong.     Mr.  Lorillard  also  had 


a  considerable  stable  in  the  field  for  1896,  but  no  emi- 
nent performers  were  in  it,  the  best,  judged  by  their 
success,  being  Belisama,  Dolabra,  Diakka,  Sandia  and 
Dacotah  II.  The  fifteen  horses  in  the  stable  won 
only  twenty  races  out  of  the  one  hundred  and  two 
in  which  they  started,  taking  in  purses  and  stakes 
$25,000. 

Eminent  success  on  the  courses  which  the  English 
Jockey  Club  directs  and  controls,  is  accompanied  by 
more  lucrative  returns  and  by  wider  celebrity  than  can 
be  gained  on  American  tracks.  It  is  these  considerations, 
probably,  not  less  than  that  of  patriotism,  that  have  led 
American  turfmen  in  recent  years  to  turn  their  attention 
more  and  more  to  the  foreign  field  as  worthy  of  their 
cultivation.  The  rewards  of  these  enterprises  have  not 
in  every  instance  been  commensurate  with  their  cost, 
but,  nevertheless,  the  chances  of  success  have  been 
such  as  to  make  the  venture  more  and  more  alluring. 
Where  once,  as  in  the  days  of  Messrs.  Ten  Broeck  and 
Sanford,   the   American   turfmen   were    represented  by 


129 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


single  stables,  there'  has  been,  particularly  during  the 
last  decade,  a  steady  and  large  increase  in  the  number 
and  in  the  strength  of  the  strings  in  England  representa- 
tive of  the  United  States.  The  careers  of  some  of  the 
principal  owners  who  have  thus  carried  their  colors  back 
to  the  early  home  of  the  thoroughbred,  have  been  briefly 
reviewed  here  and  brought  down  to  the  present  date. 
There  have  been  occasional  instances  besides  those  men- 
tioned, as,  for  example,  Mr.  Fred  Gebhard,  who  took 
over  Hole  and  St.  Saviour,  while  even  other  names  might 
well  be  added  to  the  list. 

That  the  English  turf  is  more  than  ever  attractive  to 
American  horsemen  is  plainly  evidenced  by  the  number 
of  American  horses  that  are  now  annually  run  in  the  Old 
World.  A  comparison  of  the  record  for  1897  with  that 
of  forty  years  earlier  is  instructive.  At  the  earlier  date 
Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck  was  the  solitary  representative 
of  the  American  turf  abroad,  and  the  few  horses  that  he 
had  with  him  were,  as  we  have  seen,  a  novelty  rather 
than  a  success.  In  1897,  no  less  than  seventy-six  Ameri- 
can bred  horses  ran  on  the  English  turf,  and  their  total 
winnings  amounted  to  a  little  more  than  $95,000.  The 
principal  American  turfmen  represented  were  Messrs. 
August  Belmont,  Pierre  Lorillard,  Richard  Croker  and 
James  R.  Keene.  In  Mr.  Belmont's  string  were  Actinism 
by  imported  Rayon  D'Or  out  of  Arnica;  Bridegroom  II., 
by  imported  Rayon  D'Or  out  of  imported  St.  Bridget;  In- 
vergold  by  imported  Rayon  D'Or  out  of  Invermay ;  Souver- 
aine  by  imported  Rayon  D'Or  out  of  Sultana,  and  Terp- 
sichore II.  by  imported  St.  Blaise  out  of  Reel  Dance.  The 
stable  was  not  at  all  successful.  Souveraine  won  a  single 
race  and  Bridegroom  II.  ran  third  for  the  Liverpool  Nur- 
sery Stake. 

Mr.  Lorillard  was  represented  by  Belisama  by  Sensa- 
tion out  of  Blush;  Chinook  by  Sensation  out  of  Breeze; 
Draco  by  imported  The  Sailor  Prince  out  of  Darya;  Elfin 
by  Sensation  out  of  Equality,  and  Sandia  by  imported  The 
Sailor  Prince  out  of  Saluda.  Sandia  brought  the  most  suc- 
cess to  his  owner's  colors,  winning  the  Fern  Hill  Stakes 
and  the  New  Biennial  Stakes  at  Ascot;  the  Lingfield 
Summer  Handicap  at  Lingfield;  the  Scarborough  Stakes 
at  Doncaster,  and  the  Old  Cambridgeshire  Handicap  at 
Newmarket.  He  also  ran  second  for  the  Brighton  Cup, 
and  was  third  to  Comfrey  for  the  Cambridgeshire  Handi- 
cap. Belisama  won  the  Bentinck  Plate  at  five  furlongs, 
and  the  same  plate  at  six  furlongs,  both  at  Nottingham. 
Draco  won  the  Visitor's  Plate  at  Newmarket  from  a  field 
of  twenty,  the  Quarndon  Plate  at  Derby  and  the  Drake- 
low  Stakes  at  Derby.  Elfin  won  the  Biennial  Stakes  at 
Ascot  and  was  second  for  the  Chesterfield  Stakes  at 
Newmarket.  Mr.  Croker  had  in  his  string  Americus  by 
Emperor  of  Norfolk  out  of  Clara  D. ;  Nashville  by  Iro- 
quois out  of  Boulotte;  Princeton  by  Hanover  out  of  Mar- 
garine; Rhoda  B.  by  Hanover  out   of  Margarine,  and 


Santa  Anita  by  imported  Cheviot  out  of  Alaho.  Americus 
won  the  Riddleworth  Plate  at  Epsom  and  the  South- 
down Plate  at  Brighton.  Rhoda  B.  won  the  Exning 
Plate  at  Newmarket.  Mr.  Keene  was  represented  by  St. 
Cloud  by  imported  Candlemas  out  of  Belle  of  May  wood; 
and  his  horse  ran  third  to  Galtee  More  for  the  Doncaster 
St.  Leger  and  second  to  Comfrey  for  the  Cambridgeshire 
Handicap. 

The  esteem  with  which  the  American  bred  blood 
horse  is  now  regarded  by  English  turfmen  was  shown 
by  the  number  of  animals  that  were  the  inmates  of  Eng- 
lish stables  in  1897.  Among  owners  who  thus  displayed 
their  belief  in  American  stock,  Lord  William  Beresford 
was  especially  conspicuous.  The  American  bred  horses 
that  he  ran  during  the  season  were  Berzak  by  Sensation 
out  of  Belphoebe;  Blondin  II.  by  The  Bard  out  of  Equi- 
poise; Bloozen  by  Sensation  out  of  Blush;  Day  Star  by 
Sensation  out  of  Dolinka;  Diakka  by  imported  The 
Sailor  Prince  out  of  Rizpah;  Jiffy  II.,  by  imported  The 
Sailor  Prince  out  of  Joy;  Keenan  by  Lisbon  out  of  Patri- 
mony; Lamerock  by  Sensation  out  of  Lizzie  Cox;  Libra 
by  Sensation  out  of  Lima;  Meta  II.  by  Sensation  out  of 
Magnetic,  and  Tuxedo  by  imported  Pontiac  out  of  Annie 
F.  At  the  head  of  the  list  of  all  the  winning  Americans 
of  the  season  stood  Diakka,  who  was  successful  in  the 
Subscription  Stakes  at  Newmarket,  the  Duke  of  York 
Stakes  at  Kempton,  the  Peveril  of  the  Peak  at  Derby  and 
the  Duchess  of  York  Stakes  at  Hurst  Park.  He  also  ran 
second  for  the  Stewards'  Cup  at  Goodwood.  His  win- 
nings were  $19,541.  Berzak  ran  second  for  the  New- 
market Stakes  and  fourth  for  the  Two  Thousand 
Guineas,  both  of  which  were  won  by  Galtee  More. 
Bloozen  ran  third  for  the  Rangemore  Stakes  at 
Warwick.  Jiffy  II.  won  the  Old  Nursery  Stakes  at 
Newmarket.  Keenan  ran  second  for  the  Manchester 
Cup  and  also  second  for  the  Manchester  November 
Handicap.  Meta  II.  won  the  Warren  Nursery  Stakes 
at  Leicester. 

Dolabra  by  Emperor  out  of  Dolinka,  and  owned  by 
Mr.  Dobell,  was  successful  in  five  out  of  twelve  starts. 
He  won  the  Stand  Plate  at  Doncaster,  and  the  Stanley 
Plate  at  Kempton  Park,  and  ran  a  dead  heat  with  Maid 
of  Valetta  for  the  Windemere  Plate  at  Liverpool,  divid- 
ing the  stakes.  Mr.  H.  Monkshall's  Brave  Himyar  by 
Himyar  out  of  Bravoura,  won  three  out  of  the  seven 
races  in  which  he  started,  his  successes  being  for  the 
Quarndon  Plate  at  Derby,  the  Sheen  Plate  at  the  Kemp- 
ton Park  Easter  Meeting,  and  the  same  plate  at  the 
Kempton  Park  August  Meeting.  Mr.  Gottschalk's 
Atossal  by  Sensation  out  of  Austraiana,  won  the  Nevill 
Plate  at  Lewes.  Mr.  J.  L.  Dugdale's  Beryl  by  Sensation 
out  of  Belphoebe,  won  the  Wigston  Plate  at  Leicester. 
Mr.  A.  Cockburn's  David  11.  by  Tenny  out  of  Quesal, 
won  the  Leicestershire  October  Handicap  at  Leicester. 


J  30 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Mr.  G.  M;iclachl;in's  Don  Alonzo  by  Long  Taw  out  of 
Round  Dance,  won  four  out  of  twelve  races  in  which  he 
started,  and  was  third  for  the  Manchester  November 
Handicap.  Mr.  J.  A.  Miller's  Glaring  by  imported  The 
Sailor  Prince  out  of  Flash,  won  the  Wood  Ditton  Stakes 
at  Newmarket.  Mr.  M.  D.  Rocker's  Lapwing  11.  by 
Sensation  out  of  Lizzie  Cox,  won  a  single  race, 
and  was  third  for  the  Great  Surrey  Breeders'  Foal 
Plate,  and  also  third  for  the  Seaton  Deleval  Plate  at 
Newcastle. 

Other  American  bred  horses  on  the  English  turf  this  sea- 
son were  Albany  by  Hanover  out  of  Burletta ;  Banquet  by 
imported  Rayon  D'Or  out  of  Ella  T. ;  Bowers  by 
imported  Great  Tom  out  of  Moselle;  Gallatin  by 
imported  St.  Blaise  out  of  Emma;  Eau  Gallie  by  Iroquois 
out  of  Duchess;  Capitola  by  imported  Islington  out  of 
Louise;  Damsel  II.  by  Kinglike  out  of  Stonecrop;  Har- 
vard by  Hanover  out  of  Extra;  Kidnapper  II.  by  Mag- 
netizer  out  of  Lady  Kidbrooke;  Lexington  by  Strath- 
more  out  of  Heleva;  Montauk  by  Strathmore  out  of 
Spinaway;  Moss  Rose  II.  by  Salvator  out  of  Bedotte; 
New  Jersey  by  Tristan  out  of  Silver  Blue;  Prince  George 
II.  by  Sensation  out  of  Louisette;  Roman  Chief  by  Han- 
over out  of  Golden  Reel;  Sir  Excess  by  imported  Sir 
Modred  out  of  Dixianna;  Tagus  by  imported  Rayon 
D'Or  out  of  Queen  T. ;  Tennessee  by  Iroquois  out  of 
TuUahoma;  Westchester  by  Hanover  out  of  Cyrilla,  and 
Yale  by  Strathmore  out  of  Bonnie  Lee.  The  owners  of 
these  horses,  other  than  those  already  mentioned,  were 
Messrs.  Riley,  Diggle,  E.  Crawford,  F.  Fitton,  J.  F.  Hal- 
leck,  G.  Parker,  R.  K.  Sampson,  H.  McCalmont,  G. 
Lambton,  A.  Cockburn,  T.  Leader,  W.  Sibary,  C.  A. 
Mills,  J.  T.  Wood,  R.  Thirwell,  B.  Seton,  C.  Hibbert,  A. 
B.  Saddler,  W.  Wiston,  L.  Rothschild,  F.  R.  Hunt,  J. 
Cannon,  B.  Waterer,  J.  Wood,  J.  Widger,  J.  G.  R. 
Homfray,  and  M.  R.  Lebaudy,  Sir  H.  de  Trafford  and 
Sir  J.  Duke.  In  all,  the  American  bred  horses  ran  in  379 
races,  of  which  they  won  59,  were  second  45  times, 
third  54  times,  and  unplaced  221  times.  Mr.  Keene's 
St.  Cloud  also  started  once  in  France,  where  he  ran 
unplaced  in  the  Grand  Prix. 

Although,  as  appears  from  this  record,  the  number  of 
American  stables  and  particularly  the  number  of  Amer- 
ican bred  horses  that  were  prominent  in  the  English 
events  for  this  season  was  considerably  in  excess  of  the 
number  of  those  that  had  appeared  in  any  previous  year, 
and  offered  an  agreeable  contrast  to  the  list  of  Mr.  Ten 
Broeck's  lonely  venture  in  1856,  their  success  was  not 
as  pronounced  as  patriotic  Americans  could  wish. 
Nevertheless,  on  the  whole,  the  situation  was  not  con- 
sidered discouraging  and  a  larger  number  of  American 
horses  was  entered  for  British  stakes  in  ensuing  seasons 
than  at  any  previous  time.  Mr.  Lorillard  did  well  enough 
in  1897  with  his   American   horses   and   an   American 


trainer,  to  encourage  him  to  enlarge  his  stable,  and  his 
victories  seemed  to  act  as  an  incentive  to  other  ambitious 
turfmen  to  enter  the  same  field.  But  he  is  now  associ- 
ated with  a  British  partner,  Lord  William  Beresford,  who 
is  even  more  active  than  he  in  the  management  of  the 
stable  of  which  Mr.  John  Huggins  is  the  trainer.  A  deep 
interest  still  attaches  to  Mr.  Lorillard,  as  having  been  the 
pioneer  in  the  present  generation  to  challenge  the  British 
upon  their  own  grounds. 

To  Messrs.  Lorillard,  Keene,  Belmont  and  Croker  may 
be  added  the  names  of  other  Americans,  who  will  still 
continue  to  try  their  fortunes  in  the  future  as  in  the  past, 
on  the  historic  grounds  so  dear  to  our  kin  beyond  the 
sea.  The  English  turf  is  in  every  way  abundantly  worthy 
of  the  enthusiastic  support  of  the  vast  multitudes  that 
delight  to  see  the  thoroughbred  champions  vie  with  each 
other  in  world-renowned  combats.  Many  who  have 
studied  the  subject  thoroughly  hold  that  the  turf  in  that 
country  is  better  managed  than  the  American.  There 
may  be  reasonable  doubt,  however,  on  this  point,  for,  as 
a  rule,  both  in  England  and  in  this  country,  while  mis- 
takes have  sometimes  been  made,  the  stewards,  starters 
and  other  officials  who  hold  important  turf  places,  enjoy 
and  deserve  to  the  fullest  extent  the  trust  and  esteem  of 
those  who  follow  the  races,  either  as  participants  or 
spectators.  It  is  commendable,  however,  in  our  leading 
American  sportsmen  that,  while  not  disdaining  honors  to 
be  won  in  their  native  land,  they  should  seek  the  trans- 
cendent fame  that  can  come  to  them  in  a  greater  degree 
by  success  in  the  historic  contests  of  the  mother  country. 
Their  triumphs  there  must  have  something  more  than  a 
mere  personal  character,  for  at  Epsom,  Newmarket, 
Ascot  and  wherever  else  they  may  appear,  they  repre- 
sent, not  alone  themselves,  but  also  America  and  the 
American  thoroughbred. 

One  result  that  has  been  hoped  for  as  an  outgrowth 
of  the  interest  displayed  by  American  turfmen  in  the 
turf  of  England,  has  not  yet  been  apparent.  That  the 
enterprise  exhibited  in  taking  American  thoroughbreds 
abroad  might  in  time  bring  about  a  return  movement  of 
English  horsemen  to  try  their  fortunes  in  this  country  in 
friendly  rivalry,  for  the  great  events  of  the  American  turf 
has  been  the  fond  dream  of  all  American  sportsmen  for 
more  than  a  generation.  There  has  been  almost  no 
reciprocation  of  this  character,  however.  In  1876,  a 
single  instance  that  was  an  exception  to  the  constitu- 
tional apathy  displayed  by  the  Englishmen  toward  the 
American  turf,  encouraged  hope  that,  thus  the  ice  once 
broken,  we  should  soon  see  a  manifest  change  in  this 
particular.  Years  have  passed,  however,  and  the  Eng- 
lish turfmen  still  remain  conspicuous  in  America  solely 
by  their  absence. 

It  is  quite  true  that  the  emoluments  of  the  English 
turf  are,  generally  speaking,  superior  to  those  of  this 


131 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 

country,  and  therefore  it  is  natural  that  English  owners  under  the  climatic  conditions  and  the  customs  governing 

should  adhere  to  their  own  tracks.    The  objection  of  the  the  American  turf  is  very  desirable,  does  not  admit  of 

risk  and  expense  of  transferring  an   English   string  to  doubt.     It  would  give  an   additional   line   toward  the 

the  United  States  has  been  advanced  as  another  reason  settlement  of  the  much-vexed  question  of  the  relative 

for  the  Englishmen  remaining  at  home,  but  it  does  not  superiority   of  the    two    equine    races,    American   and 

seem  that  in  this  respect  the  English  sportsman  should  English.      Such    an    experiment,    or    series   of  experi- 

be  any  less  enterprising  than  his  American  cousin.    That  ments,  would  afford  the  greatest  delight  to  American 

the  trying  of  English  thoroughbreds  in  the  United  States,  turfmen. 


132 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


PIERRE    LORILLARD 


132 


RACING   OFFICIALS 


The  Men  Who  Directed  the  Affairs  of  the  Turf  in  Days  Gone  By— Some  Celebrated 

Handicappers — The  Jockey  Club,  its  Work  and  its  Influential 

Members — Distinguished  Modern  Turfmen 


^  N  the  early  days  of  the  American  turf  that  class  of 
1  )  gentlemen  known  in  more  recent  times  under  the 
^       general  title  of  racing  officials  had,  comparatively 

•  .  speaking,  not  yet  appeared.  Racing  had  not  then 
assumed  a  magnitude,  nor  a  character  that  called  for  the 
wise  and  painstaking  oversight  that  it  is  now  necessary 
to  give  to  it.  The  courses  were  few  in  number,  while 
owners  who  made  a  business  of  their  attention  to  the 
sport  were  not  numerous.  Many  of  the  race  tracks 
were  private  business  enterprises  that  came  very  little,  if 
at  all,  under  the  supervision  of  any  turfmen,  save  their 
owners.  The  few  jockey  clubs  that  existed  were  widely 
separated,  and  their  interests  clashed  with  each  other 
to  a  very  limited  degree,  if  at  all.  There  was  a  free  and 
easy  manner  about  racing  events  in  those  days  that  can- 
not possibly  obtain  at  the  present  time  when  so  many 
hundreds  of  individuals  are  vitally  concerned  in  results. 
Judges  there  were,  of  course,  and  stewards,  but  their 
duties  were  of  a  simple  character  compared  with  those 
that  to-day  are  delegated  to  the  gentlemen  who  now 
hold  similar  positions. 

The  elaborate  and  intricate  rules  governing  racing  and 
all  the  manifold  details  of  management  are  features 
almost  entirely  of  the  modern  development  of  the  turf 
They  have  resulted  from  the  enormous  expansion  of 
turf  affairs  during  the  last  generation  or  so  and  the  mul- 
tiplication of  so  many  varied  interests  that  have  sprung 
up  into  vital  connection  with  it.  Especially  the  system 
of  handicapping  and  the  mode  of  betting  have 
originated  in  the  present  day  and  have  overshad- 
owed the  turf  in  a  manner  that  could  scarcely  have  been 
dreamed  of  fifty  years  ago.  Under  these  changed  con- 
ditions the  modern  racing  officials  have  been  developed 
and  their  duties  have  become  so  extensive  and  onerous 
that  it  is  quite  within  reason  to  say  that  the  welfare,  if 
not  the  entire  existence  of  the  turf,  depends  upon  their 
wisdom,  truthfulness  and  hard  work.  The  racing  offi- 
cials, including  the  presidents  of  the  jockey  clubs 
and  the  stewards,  with  handicappers,  starters  and 
judges,  now  constitute  a  body  of  sportsmen  who  have 
an  enormous  power  for  evil  or  for  good.  It  is  to  their 
credit  and  to  the  advantage  of  turf  interests  that  this 
power  has  been  almost  invariably  exercised,  energetic- 
ally and  honestly  and  for  the  best  interests  of  the  sport 
in  whose  prosperity  all  are  concerned. 


New  York  has  been  particularly  fortunate  in  the  num- 
ber and  the  character  of  the  high-minded  sportsmen, 
who,  in  various  official  capacity,  have  substantially  con- 
tributed to  the  advancement  of  racing  interests  in  and 
about  the  metropolis.  From  the  days  of  Mr.  Francis 
Morris,  Mr.  John  C.  Stevens  and  others  of  the  ante- 
bellum times  down  to  the  immediate  present,  they  have 
always  been  foremost  among  turfmen  of  the  country. 
By  their  attention  to  the  direction  of  racing  aff^iirs  and  to 
the  practical  solution  of  many  of  the  puzzling  problems 
that  have  from  time  to  time  arisen,  they  have  contributed 
very  markedly  to  the  development  and  the  prosperity  of 
the  turf  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  The  elaborate  rules 
of  government  made  necessary  by  the  phenomenal 
growth  of  the  turf  in  modern  times  practically  originated 
with  the  racing  officials  of  the  North  and  they  have  been 
a  most  powerful  factor  in  building  up  racing  into  the  full 
stature  of  a  national  institution. 

Some  names  of  the  immediate  past  stand  out  in 
special  prominence  in  this  connection.  No  one  who  has 
even  the  slightest  acquaintance  with  the  history  of  the 
American  turf  can  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  vast  in- 
fluence for  good  that  was  exercised  by  Mr.  D.  D.  Withers. 
No  more  conservative  or  more  thorough  sportsman  than 
he  has  ever  had  a  place  in  the  annals  of  the  turf,  whether 
it  be  of  this  country  or  of  England.  Like  the  Morrises, 
who  were  also  identified  with  the  turf  in  his  generation, 
he  came  of  one  of  the  oldest  New  York  families,  his 
father  being  Reuben  Withers,  well  known  as  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Bank  of  the  State  of  New  York  and  one  of  the 
fashionable  residents  of  the  old  Second  Avenue.  Mr.  D. 
D.  Withers  was  brought  up  to  a  business  career,  and  at 
an  early  age  became  a  clerk  in  the  shipping  house  of  the 
firm  of  Howland  &  Aspinwall.  While  he  was  a  mere 
boy  he  was  sent  to  New  Orleans  to  take  charge  there  of 
the  business  of  the  house  with  which  he  was  connected. 
In  the  Southern  city  he  soon  set  up  independently, 
becoming  a  large  dealer  in  cotton  and  farming  properties 
and  buying  and  selling  plantations  in  Louisiana  and  Mis- 
sissippi. When  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  he  gave  his 
allegiance  to  the  South,  although  his  father  was  for  the 
North,  his  long  residence  in  the  former  section,  begun  at 
a  youthful  and  impressionable  age,  having  made  him 
thoroughly  Southern  in  sympathies  and  opinions. 
During  the  progress  of  the  war  he  visited  England  and 


133 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


the  continent  of  Europe,  and  in  after  years  he  delighted 
to  tell  how  he  had  been  a  witness  of  the  great  Derby  of 
1865,  when  the  Blue  Ribbon  of  the  English  turf  went  for 
the  first  time  to  a  French  bred  horse,  the  great  Gladia- 
teur. 

Returning  to  this  country  in  1866,  he  settled  again  in 
New  York.  During  his  residence  in  New  Orleans  he  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Jockey  Club  there,  but  had  not 
been  identified  with  racing  interests  in  the  East  until  he 
was  invited  to  join  the  organization  of  the  American 
Jockey  Club.  At  the  first  club  meeting  he  was  chosen 
one  of  the  governors,  and  held  that  oifice  during  the  rest 
of  his  life.  Associated  with  Mr.  John  F.  Purdy,  he  bought 
a  string  of  race  horses,  and  at  once  became  prominent 
in  turf  circles.  He  was  called  the  "mentor  of  the 
American  turf,"  and  effectively  demonstrated  his  right  to 
that  title,  for  he  was  the  highest  ideal  of  a  true  sports- 
man that  this  country  or  perhaps  any  other  has  ever  pro- 
duced. As  the  owner  of  an  extensive  stable,  as  a  large 
breeder,  as  one  of  the  founders  of  the  finest  race  course  in 
America,  and  perhaps  in  the  world,  as  an  able  and  inde- 
fatigable administrator  of  turf  law,  he  conferred  countless 
obligations  on  the  racing  community.  At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Control,  and 
from  his  familiarity  with  the  rules  of  racing  he  was 
called  "the  American  Admiral  Rous."  Nearly  all  the 
rules  governing  the  running  of  horses  in  the  East  and 
the  United  -States  were  drafted  by  him,  and  he  was  the 
acknowledged  American  authority  in  all  such  matters. 

For  many  years  Brookdale,  which  Mr.  Withers  estab- 
lished and  made  fomous,  was  one  of  the  favorite  resorts 
of  the  leading  turfmen  of  the  period  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York.  To  quote  from  an  appreciative  article 
that  appeared  in  The  Spirit  of  the  Times  long  ago:  "It 
was  in  the  library  at  Brookdale  that  the  sage  (Mr. 
Withers)  would  buckle  down  at  the  desk  after  his 
guests  had  retired  to  sleep  and  frame  his  stake  conditions, 
enter  his  foals  on  'the  foal  list,' and  mate  his  mares  by 
aid  of  tables  showing  percentage  of  Touchstone,  Par- 
tisan and  Birdcatcher  blood.  Here  also  he  framed  the 
Rules  of  Racing,  codifying  the  latest  English  rules  into 
an  amended  digest  to  suit  American  conditions.  Mid- 
night oil  burned  low,  for  it  was  the  'wee  sma'  hours,' 
when  he  sought  his  couch,  but  if  there  was  a  trial  of 
Juvenile  or  Criterion  candidates  set  down  for  the  next 
morning  none  rose  earlier  than  he.  And  what  famous,, 
gay  and  brilliant  meetings  have  been  held  at  this  same 
library  in  the  piping  days  of  the  black  silk  jacket.  Editor 
Hurlburt  and  Mr.  Sam  Ward,  Wade  Hampton,  Beaure- 
gard, rather  grizzled,  but  as  erect  and  polite  as  in  the 
old  Fort  Sumter  days;  Duncan  F.  Kenner,  who  revived 
old  New  Orleans  recollections;  August  Belmont;  John 
F.  Purdy,  silver-voiced,  but  bright  as  gold  on  racing 
questions;    Judge    Monson,    austere   and   authoritative; 


J.  G.  K.  Lawrence,  with  whom  the  old  gentleman  quar- 
reled, but  respected  most  profoundly." 

At  the  time  of  his  death  Mr.  Withers  was  Chairman  of 
the  Board  of  Control  and  was  rendering  incalculable 
service  to  racing  interests  that  were  concentrated  in  and 
about  New  York.  His  active  racing  career  lasted  for 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  during  that  entire 
period  he  was  never  in  any  way  concerned  in  any  trans- 
actions that  could  in  the  slightest  degree  redound  to  his 
discredit  or  bring  suspicion  upon  the  turf  In  the  business 
world  he  was  the  executor  of  his  father's  estate,  although, 
at  his  own  request,  he  never  inherited  a  dollar,  being  better 
satisfied  to  have  achieved  his  fortune  solely  by  his  own 
unaided  efforts.  For  a  long  time  he  was  president  and 
manager  of  the  East  River  Ferry  franchise,  which  was 
afterward  sold  to  a  syndicate  in  which  Austin  Corbin 
and  the  Vanderbilts  were  mostly  interested. 

Any  consideration  of  those  individuals,  who  have  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  American  turf  in  the  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years  of  its  existence,  would  be 
obviously  and  inexcusably  incomplete,  if  it  did  not  give 
attention  to  the  very  great  services  of  Mr.  Leonard  W. 
Jerome.  His  name,  with  a  few  others,  stands  far  and 
away  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  those  to  whom  the  turf  in 
contemporaneous  times  has  owed  its  standing  and  pros- 
perity. Not  even  in  the  generations  long  gone  by,  when 
racing  was  conserved  by  those  gentlemen  of  influence 
whose  careers  are  elsewhere  dwelt  upon,  were  there 
any  who  surpassed  Mr.  Jerome  in  integrity  of  pur- 
pose, enterprise  and  unselfish  devotion  to  the  best  inter- 
ests of  racing.  .Mr.  Jerome's  racing  career  extended  over 
fully  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  during  part  of  that 
period  he  was  a  prime  factor  in  the  revival  of  general 
interest  in  the  sport  in  the  North,  a  revival  that  was  the 
precursor  and  the  basis  of  the  phenomenally  successful 
and  gratifying  condition  of  contemporaneous  racing. 

Belonging  to  one  of  the  oldest  New  York  families,  and 
being  one  of  the  most  successful  financiers  of  his  genera- 
tion, Mr.  Jerome  had  that  prestige  which  social  standing 
and  wealth  confer  upon  a  man.  His  natural  qualities  of 
character  were  such  that  he  endeared  himself  to  a  large 
circle  of  acquaintances,  and  in  his  energetic  efforts  to  re- 
habilitate racing  he  commanded  the  co-operation  of  a 
large  contingent  of  gentlemen  of  wealth.  At  the  time 
when  he  undertook  the  seemingly  discouraging  work  of 
reviving  the  dormant  interests  in  affairs  of  the  turf  just 
after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  racing  was  circumscribed 
by  very  narrow  limits,  and  the  outlook  for  its  future  was 
exceedingly  discouraging.  A  love  of  the  sport  still  ex- 
isted, however,  and  Mr.  Jerome,  with  those  who  associ- 
ated themselves  with  him,  fully  recognizing  this  fact, 
based  their  plans  accordingly  for  the  regeneration  of  the 
race  course.  He  was  a  prime  mover  in  the  organization 
of  the  American  Jockey  Club   and  in  the  opening  of  its 

34 


TIIF.     AMERICAN     TURF 


LEONARD    W.    JEROME 

134 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


JAMES    G.    K.    LAWRENCE 
134 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


course  at  Jerome  Park,  that  was  named  in  his  honor,  hi 
that  and  in  other  enterprises  that  afterward  sprang  into 
being  in  the  Eitst  he  was  untiringly  active.  His  colors, 
blue,  white  stripes,  were  long  familiar  to  frequenters  of 
race  courses  and  even  after  he  had  retired  his  stable,  he 
still  retained  his  official  connection  with  the  sport  to  which 
he  had  so  energetically  devoted  a  great  part  of  his  lifetime. 
As  president,  he  was  at  the  head  of  three  leading  East- 
ern tracks,  and  to  them,  particularly,  he  gave  time  and 
money  in  the  most  unstinted  manner.  He  was  a  gener- 
ous buyer  of  good  thoroughbreds  and  enriched  his  stable 
with  some  of  the  best  stock  of  the  period  in  which  he 
lived.  One  of  his  most  celebrated  coups  was  the  pur- 
chase of  Kentucky,  the  son  of  Lexington  and  Magnolia, 
for  the  sum  of  $40,000,  which  would  be  a  large  amount 
to  pay  for  a  thoroughbred,  even  in  these  days,  and  was 
much  more  so  at  the  time  when  he  was  buying. 

Not  alone  in  racing  circles  was  Mr.  Jerome  conspicu- 
ous. He  was  a  bold  and  dashing  financier  and  identi- 
fied with  many  of  the  big  operations  of  Wall  Street. 
During  the  Civil  War  he  was  one  of  the  most  patriotic 
supporters  of  the  Union  cause,  being  lavish  in  his  contri- 
butions to  the  Government,  and  in  many  quiet  ways  as- 
sisting the  cause  to  which  he  was  devoted.  In  other 
sporting  circles  besides  racing  he  was  active  and  influ- 
ential. As  an  expert  whip,  he  was  identified  with  the 
annals  of  coaching  in  this  country  and  did  much  to  pro- 
mote that  fashionable  divertisement.  He  was  one  of  the 
best  four-in-hand  drivers  in  the  country.  Interested  also 
in  yachting,  he  was  not  less  influential  in  promoting  the 
interests  of  that  sport  than  he  was  in  upbuilding  racing 
and  driving.  The  first  yacht  that  he  ever  owned  was 
the  Undine.  Afterward  he  was  part  owner  of  the  Rest- 
less with  Commodore  McVicker,  and  part  owner  of  the 
Dauntless  with  Mr.  James  Gordon  Bennett.  In  the  great 
ocean  race  of  1870  between  the  Dauntless  and  Cambria 
he  came  conspicuously  to  the  front  as  a  representative 
American  yachtsman.  He  also  owned  one  of  the  earliest 
steam  yachts  that  sailed  in  American  waters,  the  Clarita. 
As  a  patron  of  the  fine  arts,  a  leader  in  the  social  life  ot 
the  period  and  a  gentleman  of  high  intellectual  attain- 
ments and  of  brilliant  wit,  he  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  figures  in  New  York  life  in  the  last  quarter  of 
the  nineteenth  century.     His  death  occurred  in  1890. 

Closely  connected  with  Mr.  Jerome  in  business,  social 
and  sporting  life,  Mr.  William  R.  Travers,  who  died  four 
years  before  his  distinguished  associate  passed  away, 
also  left  a  very  distinct  and  valuable  impress  upon  turf 
aflfairs  of  the  period.  Mr.  Travers  came  naturally  by  his 
predeliction  for  racing  affairs.  He  was  a  native  of  Mary- 
land, where  his  family  had  been  identified  with  the  turf 
in  connection  with  the  Bowies,  Pucketts,  Johnsons  and 
other  noted  racing  families  of  that  section.  After  he 
settled  in  New  York  in  business,  he  become  associated 


with  John  Hunter,  of  Westchester  County,  and  formally 
entered  upon  racing  in  1863.  Prominent  in  the  stable  that 
he  owned,  in  conjunction  with  .Messrs.  Hunter  and  Osgood, 
were  Kentucky,  Areola,  Ulrica,  Flora  Mclvor  and  Oliata. 
When  racing  revived  after  the  close  of  the  Cival  War,  he 
was  one  of  the  syndicate  that  formed  the  Annieswood 
Stable  to  compete  with  the  strong  stables  from  the  South 
that  were  making  their  appearance  upon  the  Northern 
race  tracks.  In  this  venture  he  was  associated  with 
Messrs.  John  Hunter,  Leonard  W.  Jerome,  August  Bel- 
mont and  R.  W.  Cameron.  The  stable  bought  liberally, 
both  in  Kentucky  and  abroad,  and  raced  under  mauve 
colors. 

When  the  Annieswood  was  dissolved  in  1869,  Messrs. 
Hunter  and  Travers  resumed  racing  under  the  orange 
jacket.  They  established  a  stud  and  bred  many  horses, 
continuing  in  business  until  1874.  Among  the  most 
celebrated  horses  that  they  raised  were  Alarm,  Rhada- 
manthus,  Olitipa,  Cannie  Bairn  and  Intrigue,  while  they 
also  owned  Buckden,  King  Bolt,  King  Pin,  Sultana  and 
others.  One  of  their  sensational  ventures  was  matching 
their  stallion  Censor,  a  Gloamin  colt,  for  $10,000  against 
Mr.  R.  W.  Cameron's  Miss  Alice,  a  contest  in  which 
they  were  defeated.  They  were  also  the  principals  in 
several  other  notable  races  of  that  period.  Their  filly. 
Intrigue,  beat  Mr.  Littell's  Emma  Johnson  colt,  in  a 
match  for  $1,000  a  side.  The  same  year  they  paid  for- 
feit in  a  match  that  had  been  made  for  Intrigue  against 
Mr.  August  Belmont's  Finesse,  and,  also  in  the  same 
season,  1869,  they  lost  a  $5,000  match  with  Intrigue, 
who  was  beaten  by  Finesse.  In  1871,  they  won  a 
$10,000  match  with  Alarm,  beating  Mr.  R.  W.  Cameron's 
Inverary.  As  a  three-year  old.  Alarm  was  never  beaten, 
and,  in  1874,  Olitipa  was  considered  one  of  the  best 
horses  in  any  Northern  stable. 

In  the  death  of  Mr.  John  Minor,  who  was  the  trainer 
for  Messrs.  Hunter  and  Travers,  that  stable  met  with  a 
severe  loss,  and  decided  to  discontinue  business.  They 
sold  Rhadamanthus  and  their  other  leading  horses  in 
1874,  and  Mr.  Travers  never  appeared  again  as  a  racing 
owner  on  the  track.  Nevertheless,  he  still  retained  his  in- 
terest in  the  turf,  and  was  one  of  the  most  influential  turf- 
men of  the  seventies  and  eighties.  After  1877,  he  was 
the  owner  of  the  Valley  Brook  Farm,  at  Rutherford  Park, 
N.  J.,  and,  for  sometime  before  his  death,  was  one  of 
the  largest  owners  of  the  Jerome  Park  property,  being 
also  a  stockholder  of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club. 
For  many  years  he  was  President  of  the  Saratoga  Racing 
Association.  Beginning  with  the  early  seventies,  he 
instituted  the  Travers  Stake  at  Saratoga,  and  annually 
presented  to  the  winner  a  valuable  piece  of  silver  plate 
as  a  trophy.  From  the  foundation  of  the  American 
Jockey  Club  he  was  one  of  its  stewards,  and  was  also 
for  many  years  President  of  the  New  York  Athletic  Club 


135 


THE    AMERICAN     TtFRF 


and  of  the  Racquet  Club.  He  was  a  striking  example  of 
the  best  type  of  the  all-around  American  sportsman. 

Although  the  senior  Mr.  August  Belmont  attained  to 
distinction  as  an  owner  and  breeder,  second  to  no 
American  turiman,  either  of  the  past  or  the  present,  his 
services  to  the  cause  of  racing  as  an  official  were  not 
less  important.  When  some  future  historian  of  thor- 
oughbred racing  in  the  United  States  sets  forth  the 
causes  that  gave  popularity  and  character  to  the  sport  in 
the  latter  years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  example 
of  Mr.  Belmont  will  necessarily  be  the  theme  of  praise 
as  high  as  it  is  fully  deserved.  His  name  is  intimately 
associated  with  the  establishment  of  racing  in  this  coun- 
try upon  a  dignified  footing,  while  it  is  synonymous 
with  sportsmanship  of  the  loftiest  type.  Considering 
racing  officials  of  the  past,  he  is  entitled  to  as  full  con- 
sideration as  any  man  of  his  day.  It  is  not  saying  too 
much  of  him  to  assert  that  to  no  small  degree  the  pros- 
perity of  the  turf  of  the  present  day  was  due  to  his 
efforts. 

Mr.  Belmont  filled  so  large  a  place  in  the  view  of  the 
public  that  it  is  impossible  to  speak  of  his  connection 
with  sport  by  itself  alone.  This  was  only  one  phase 
of  his  many-sided  personality,  and  the  success  and  hon- 
ors which  he  gained  upon  the  turf  were  only  other  mani- 
festations of  his  strength  of  character  and  of  will  and  his 
indomitable  energy  that  made  him  eminent  in  many 
pursuits.  Born  at  Alzey,  in  the  Prussian  Rhineland,  in 
1816,  his  ancestors  had  been  people  of  wealth  for  several 
centuries,  as  well  as  of  great  influence  in  public  affairs. 
The  circumstances  of  his  family  were  such  that  he 
received  all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and  position 
could  secure,  including  a  Hberal  classical  education.  At 
an  early  age,  however,  he  determined  upon  a  commer- 
cial, rather  than  a  professional  career,  and  entered  the 
banking  house  of  the  famous  Rothschilds,  in  Frankfort- 
on-Main.  Subsequently  he  held  a  position  in  the  branch 
of  the  same  establishment,  at  Naples,  developing  a 
business  capacity  of  the  highest  order  and  a  remarkable 
talent  for  finance.  In  1837,  when  but  twenty-one  years 
old,  he  came  to  New  York  and  established  the  banking 
house  which  under  his  name  has  prospered  through  all 
the  vicissitudes  of  business  and  finance,  and  which, 
from .  the  date  of  its  foundation,  more  than  sixty  years 
ago,  to  the  present  day,  has  represented  the  interests  of 
the  Rothschilds  in  America. 

It  is  not  germane  to  the  purpose  of  this  article  to 
dwell  upon  the  conspicuous  part  which,  for  fifty  years, 
Mr.  Belmont  played  in  financial  affairs,  both  of  this 
country  and  of  Europe.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  succinctly 
that  he  was  one  of  the  world's  greatest  financiers  in  his 
day  and  generation.  Brief  mention  must,  at  least,  be 
made  to  his  political  career,  for  his  activity  in  public  life 
exhibited  one  of  the  strongest  and  most  important  sides 


of  his  nature.  As  soon  as  he  arrived  in  this  country  he 
became  an  American  citizen,  determined  to  identify  him- 
self completely  with  his  adopted  country.  Thoroughly 
a  man  of  the  people,  he  joined  the  Democratic  party  and 
became  at  once  prominent  in  its  councils.  Generally 
speaking,  public  office  had  no  allurements  for  him,  but 
he  rendered  great  service  to  the  Government  at  notable 
crises  in  its  history,  especially  in  such  matters  as  related 
to  its  financial  affairs.  Diplomacy  was  quite  in  keeping 
with  his  taste,  and  had  he  chosen  to  devote  himself  to 
that  career  he  would  undoubtedly  have  been  as  brilliantly 
successful  as  he  was  in  the  financial  world.  From  1844 
to  1850  he  held  the  post  of  Consul-General  of  the  Austrian 
Empire  in  New  York.  In  1852,  he  was  appointed  by 
President  Franklin  Pierce  to  be  Minister  of  the  United 
States  to  the  Court  of  the  Netherlands,  and  served  with 
distinction  to  himself  and  advantage  to  the  nation. 
Other  tenders  of  public  office  were  made  to  him,  but 
these  he  invariably  declined,  although  he  was  always 
ready  to  give  the  National  Government  the  benefit  of  his 
counsels.  Having  labored  earnestly  to  avert  the  rupture 
between  the  North  and  the  South  that  led  to  the  Civil 
War,  he  gave  his  most  patriotic  support  to  the  cause  of 
the  Union  when  the  perilous  days  came.  He  aided  in 
the  creation  of  some  of  the  earliest  German  regiments 
recruited  in  New  York,  and  twice  crossed  the  ocean  to 
carry  on  important  and  delicate  negotiations  on  behalf  of 
the  Government,  receiving  the  thanks  of  President  Lin- 
coln for  his  valuable  services.  He  was  Chairman  of  the 
Democratic  National  Committee  from  i860  until  1872, 
when  he  retired  from  active  political  life. 

Many  other  features  in  Mr.  Belmont's  versatile,  yet 
strong,  character  also  helped  to  make  him  one  of  the  fore- 
most men  of  his  time.  It  was  justly  said  of  him  that  he 
understood  and  did  more  things  well  than  any  man  of  his 
day.  A  leadership  in  the  social  world  came  to  him  as 
easily  as  his  prominence  in  business.  He  was  a  dis- 
criminating patron  of  music,  literature  and  art,  and  his 
magnificent  gallery  of  paintings  by  the  world's  foremost 
masters  was  one  of  the  earliest,  as  well  as  one  of  the 
most  famous,  that  America  ever  possessed.  To  all  these 
gifts  and  accomplishments  he  added  an  innate  love  of 
sport  which,  in  early  life,  made  him  an  adept  in  manly 
exercises  and  pursuits,  and  which  later  became  crystal- 
lized in  his  devotion  to  horses  and  the  turf.  His  partici- 
pation in  racing  and  affairs  pertaining  to  that  sport  dated 
from  the  very  inception  of  racing  under  its  present 
auspices.  He  was  one  of  that  group  of  famous  gentle- 
men sportsmen  who  combined  to  establish  the  American 
Jockey  Club,  and  his  selection  as  its  first  president,  in 
1866,  a  position  that  he  held  for  twenty  years,  was  a  for- 
tunate choice.  He  brought  to  the  position  not  only  the 
full  weight  of  his  social,  political  and  business  prestige, 
but  the  enire  racing  community  was  the  gainer  by  hav- 

136 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


JOHN     HUNTER 
136 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


ALONZO    C.    MONSON 


136 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


ing,  as  its  head,  a  gentleman  of  such  matured  judgment, 
high  sportsmanlike  instincts  and  thorough  acquaintance 
with  the  best  traditions  of  the  European  turf. 

Mr.  Belmont  was  foremost  among  the  men  who  gave 
to  thoroughbred  racing  stability,  settled  order  and  a 
place  among  the  pursuits  which  gentlemen  of  the  highest 
standing  could  follow  without  loss  of  dignity,  and  made 
it  one  of  the  pastimes  that  the  public  could  enjoy  with 
unalloyed  satisfaction  and  with  confidence  in  the  integ- 
rity with  which  it  was  managed.  This  involved  both 
labor  and  sacrifices.  The  racing  public  of  the  present 
day  can  scarcely  form  an  adequate  idea  of  the  circum- 
stances that  confronted  Mr.  Belmont  and  those  who 
were  associated  with  him.  The  general  community  had 
yet  to  learn  the  pleasure  of  racing.  Owners  were  few 
and  widely  scattered  throughout  the  country,  tracks  had 
to  be  created,  and  the  financial  burden  of  providing  ade- 
quate inducements  for  the  breeding  and  running  of  high 
class  horses  had  to  be  supplied  by  the  principal  lovers  of 
the  pursuit  themselves.  The  successful  results  are  the 
best  evidence  of  the  spirit  in  which  the  great  work  was 
undertaken,  and  on  the  roll  of  honor  of  those  prominent 
in  the  task  the  name  of  August  Belmont  will  ever  hold  a 
leading  place. 

One  of  the  oldest,  if  not  quite  the  oldest  of  American 
racing  officials,  is  Mr.  Charles  Wheatly,  who,  after  a  long 
and  active  turf  career,  still  lives  in  the  quiet  enjoyment  of 
his  recollections  of  the  glorious  days  of  the  past.  More 
than  a  generation  ago,  before  the  beginning  of  the  Civil 
War,  he  was  called  to  be  secretary  of  the  Kentucky  As- 
sociation. Even  previous  to  that  time  he  had  been 
vitally  interested  in  the  thoroughbred,  and  was  already 
considered  one  of  the  leading  authorities  in  the  United 
States  upon  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  blood  horse  and 
his  performances.  For  many  years  he  rendered  able 
service  to  the  Kentucky  Association,  and  there  attracted 
the  attention  of  turfmen  from  all  parts  of  the  country. 
When  racing  was  revived  in  the  North  in  the  later  six- 
ties, and  the  Saratoga  Association  and  afterward  the 
American  Jockey  Club  were  organized,  those  who  were 
interested  in  the  enterprises  agreed  that  Mr.  Wheatly  was 
the  one  man  in  the  country  whose  services  were  imper- 
atively needed. 

Upon  the  special  request  of  Mr.  John  Hunter,  he  came 
to  New  York  in  1865,  and  with  Dr.  John  B.  Irving  was 
instrumental  in  outlining  the  racing  policy  that  started 
the  turf  of  the  North  upon  the  phenomenally  brilliant 
career  that  distinguished  it  for  the  next  ten  years  or  more. 
His  first  activity  was  as  secretary  of  the  Saratoga  Associ- 
ation. One  of  the  first  members  of  the  American  Jockey 
Club,  his  services  to  that  organization  were  invaluable 
and  upon  the  retirement  of  Dr.  Irving  in  1869  he  became 
its  secretary.  For  many  years  he  continued  in  this 
double  official  capacity  for  Jerome  Park  and  Saratoga, 


and  when  the  Monmouth  Park  Association  was  reorgan- 
ized he  was  also  retained  as  secretary  of  the  new  associa- 
tion. In  1880  his  secretaryship  of  the  three  enterprises 
becoming  burdensome,  and  to  a  certain  extent  incom- 
patible one  with  the  other,  he  retired  from  official  con- 
nection with  Jerome  Park  and  Monmouth  Park,  and 
devoted  himself  exclusively  to  the  direction  of  the  affairs 
of  the  Saratoga  Association. 

In  1884,  Mr.  Wheatly  was  invited  to  become  secretary 
of  the  Maryland  Jockey  Club,  of  which  he  was  a  member, 
but  did  not  accept,  preferring  to  retain  his  place  with 
the  Saratoga  Association.  Throughout  his  active  con- 
nection with  the  turf  he  was  known  as  one  of  the  most 
indefatigable  workers,  and  for  many  years  carried  the 
entire  burden  of  Saratoga  upon  his  shoulders.  He  was 
not  only  secretary  and  clerk,  performing  all  the  duties 
incident  to  those  positions,  but  was  superintendent  of 
the  course  and  official  handicapper,  and  even  kept  the  ac- 
counts between  owners  and  the  association.  His  racing 
experience  was  of  the  most  extensive  character,  and  he 
had  a  knowledge  of  American  pedigrees  that  was  sur- 
passed by  none  and  probably  equaled  by  but  few  of  his 
contemporaries.  He  was  a  veritable  walking  encyclo- 
pedia upon  all  matters  relating  to  the  turf  and  to  the 
thoroughbred,  not  only  of  his  own  time,  but  also  of  the 
past. 

Most  of  the  old-timers  who  were  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  turf  a  generation  and  more  ago  have 
passed  away  before  the  closing  years  of  this  century 
have  gone  into  history.  Only  occasionally,  here  and 
there,  one  still  remains  a  connecting  link  between  the 
past  and  the  present.  Judge  A.  C.  Munson,  once  the 
close  friend  of  Mr.  D.  D.  Withers  and  the  intimate  asso- 
ciate of  those  who  made  the  turf  great  in  the  sixties,  still 
survives  a  vigorous  old  man,  rich  in  reminiscences  of  days 
gone  by.  He  has  had  a  long,  and  notable  career.  Gradu- 
ated from  Columbia  College,  he  afterward  took  a  course 
of  instruction  in  the  Yale  Law  School,  studied  in  the 
offices  of  Mr.  Ambrose  Jordan  and  Mr.  Benjamin  W.  Bon- 
ney  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  when  he  was  only 
twenty  years  of  age.  Associated  with  his  brother-in- 
law,  Mr.  Robert  H.  Morris,  he  practiced  for  several. years 
at  the  New  York  bar,  and  was  soon  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  promising  young  men  of  that  day. 

When  the  excitement  over  the  discovery  of  gold  upon 
the  Pacific  Coast  broke  out,  he  caught  the  prevalent 
fever  and  went  to  California.  It  was  not  with  pick  and 
shovel  that  he  entered  upon  life  there.  Taking  his  law 
books  with  him  and  hanging  out  a  shingle  in  Sacra- 
mento, he  entered  upon  the  practice  of  law.  In  the 
Golden  State  he  made  rapid  progress  and  became  a 
leading  member  of  the  bar.  In  1852,  Governor  John  Bigler 
appointed  him  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  District  Court,  and 
before  his  term  of  service  expired,  the  next  Governor 


137 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


tendered  him  an  appointment  to  tlie  bench  of  the  Su- 
preme Court.  This  offer  he  declined  and  returned  to 
his  former  home  in  New  York.  A  year  later,  in  1858, 
he  made  a  visit  to  Europe.  Upon  his  return  from 
abroad  he  again  went  to  California  and  re-entered  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  remaining  there  until 
1863.  After  the  latter  date  he  was  settled  permanently 
in  New  York. 

It  was  soon  after  his  return  to  the  metropolis  that  he 
met  Mr.  Withers,  and  the  acquaintance  that  thus  sprang 
up  ripened  into  a  friendship  that  has  been  likened  to 
that  of  Schmucke  and  Pons,  which  Balzac  has  immortal- 
ized. For  years,  thereafter,  these  two  companions  fol- 
fowed  the  turf,  a  pair  of  walking  encyclopedias  upon  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  race  track.  They  had  the 
utmost  admiration  for  each  other  and  their  fast  friend- 
ship terminated  only  with  the  death  of  Mr.  Withers. 
As  a  member  of  the  American  Jockey  Club,  Judge 
Munson  was  always  regarded  as  a  supreme  authority  on 
all  law  matters  relating  to  the  turf,  both  general  and 
special.  He  was  Vice-President,  Treasurer  and  member 
of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  club  for  more  than 
twenty  years.  As  a  steward  and  a  judge  at  many 
meetings,  he  occupied  a  high  position  in  the  esteem  of 
his  fellow  turfmen  and  performed  an  important  part  in 
racing  affairs  in  the  sixties  and  seventies  and  even 
later.  Although  he  never  owned  a  race  horse,  few  men 
have  been  better  judges  of  horseflesh  or  more  familiar 
with  the  history  of  the  American  thoroughbred. 

An  active  member  of  the  McDaniel  Confederacy  with 
Colonel  McDaniel  and  Al  Gage,  Mr.  John  E.  Brewster 
had  a  prominent  part  in  turf  affairs,  in  the  West  espe- 
cially, for  more  than  twenty  years.  He  was  born  in 
Massachusetts  in  1833,  and  died  in  1894.  After  some 
years  of  business  life  in  New  York,  he  became  identified 
with  racing  affairs  in  the  early  seventies.  -  Among  the 
horses  of  which  he  was  part  owner  were  Harry  Bassett, 
Springbok,  Joe  Daniels,  and  Kjtie  Pease,  the  two  latter 
being  famous  four-milers.  Katie  Pease  was  a  strong  can- 
didate for  the  $30,000  purse  that  was  hung  up  for  a  four- 
mile  race  in  San  Francisco  in  1875,  but  was  defeated  by 
Foster.  Another  good  horse  owned  by  Mr.  Brewster  and 
his  partners,  was  Virginius,  the  sire  of  Verge  d'Or.  Mr. 
Brewster  was  an  excellent  judge  of  horseflesh,  and  it 
was  upon  his  advice  that  Mr.  E.  J.  Baldwin  purchased 
Rutherford  and  Grinstead,  who  won  such  success  as 
sires  at  the  Santa  Anita  Ranch.  When  the  Washington 
Park  Jockey  Club  was  organized  in  1884,  Mr.  Brewster 
became  its  secretary,  a  position  that  he  retained  until 
the  time  of  his  death.  He  gave  active  personal  atten- 
tion to  the  details  of  management  of  that  club,  and  the 
racing  conducted  under  its  management,  and  had  a 
reputation  as  a  handicapper  second  to  none  of  his  con- 
temporaries. 


Few  men  have  been  better  or  more  favorably  known 
in  modern  racing  circles  than  Dr.  Gideon  L.  Knapp, 
who  died  in  1895.  One  of  the  most  active  members  of 
the  Jockey  Club  of  New  York,  his  reputation  as  a  turf- 
man extended  wherever  thoroughbreds  were  run.  He 
had  been  prominently  identified  with  the  turf  for  only  a 
few  years,  his  first  racing  being  under  the  name  of  the 
Oneck  Stable.  But  his  enthusiasm,  and  his  general 
devotion  to  the  sport,  carried  him  to  the  front  with  a 
rush,  and  gained  for  him  a  reputation  that  might  well 
have  been  the  result  of  a  lifetime  of  work  as  a  sportsman. 
When  the  Jockey  Club  was  formed  in  1894,  he  became 
one  of  its  stewards,  and  was  also  the  steward  of  various 
race  meetings.  In  that  capacity,  he  showed  unexpected 
facility  in  dealing  with  racing  affairs  and  was  an  exceed- 
ingly valuable  adviser,  so  much  so,  that  a  great  deal  of 
the  practical  work  pertaining  to  racing  meetings  con- 
stantly fell  to  him.  As  the  owner  of  Sir  Walter,  one  of  the 
victorious  two-year  olds  of  1892,  he  won  special  dis- 
tinction. Previous  to  that  time,  in  conjunction  with 
Mr.  Fred  Hoey  and  Mr.  Chauncey  Floyd-Jones,  he 
owned  Kyrle  Daly  out  of  Faux  Pas.  For  Sir 
Walter  he  paid,  as  a  yearling,  $900.  Subsequently,  as  a 
member  of  the  Oneck  Stable,  he  participated  in  the 
ownership  of  Fusilleer,  Micmac,  Queen  lola.  The  Coon, 
Doggett  and  California.  Aside  from  his  career  as  a  turf- 
man. Dr.  Knapp  was  a  successful  practicing  physician. 
He  was  the  son  of  Mr.  Gideon  Knapp,  who  belonged 
to  the  older  generation  of  New  York  sportsmen,  and 
was  a  lover  of  fine  horses,  being  an  intimate  associate  of 
Commodore  Vanderbilt,  Robert  Bonner  and  others. 

Among  the  scores,  yea  hundreds,  of  notable  turfmen 
of  the  West,  it  may  seem  almost  invidious  to  select  any 
particular  ones  for  special  attention.  As  a  type  of  his 
class,  however.  Major  Elias  Lawrence,  who  was  the  first 
secretary  of  the  Latonia  Jockey  Club,  was  conspicuous  in 
the  early  eighties.  He  was  Kentuckian  born,  and  that 
statement  in  itself  is  quite  sufficient  to  fully  account  for 
his  interest  in  the  turf  He  was  born  in  Louisville,  and 
his  family  was  one  of  the  oldest  in  that  section  of  the 
country.  From  early  youth  he  began  to  follow  the  race 
course  and  maintained  that  connection  until  the  time  of 
his  death  in  1885.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  engaged 
in  the  Confederate  service,  being  a  member  of  Morgan's 
famous  command.  As  a  soldier  he  won  distinction  for 
his  bravery  and  as  being  a  dashing,  forceful  officer,  and 
before  the  end  of  the  conflict  had  attained  the  rank  of 
Major.  When  racing  was  revived  in  the  South  after  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War,  he  again  turned  his  attention  to 
that  sport,  and  was  well  known  upon  all  the  great  race 
courses  of  the  country.  North  and  South.  With  the  ad- 
vent of  the  Dwyer  brothers  upon  the  turf,  he  became  one 
of  their  most  intimate  friends  and  their  valued  counselor. 
Upon  the  formation  of  the  Latonia  Jockey  Club  he  was 


138 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


elected  to  be  its  secretary,  and  for  many  years  was  the 
leading  spirit  of  the  race  meetings  conducted  under  the 
auspices  of  that  organization.  He  had  the  honor  of  hav- 
ing a  horse,  the  brother  to  Volturno,  named  after  him,  a 
distinction  that  he  probably  enjoyed  quite  as  much  as 
anything  that  ever  came  to  him  in  his  long  and  memor- 
able career. 

Another  well-known  horseman  of  the  West  was  Mr. 
George  W.  Darden,  of  Tennessee,  who,  although  he  was 
connected  with  the  turf  only  a  dozen  years  or  so, 
achieved  an  excellent  reputation  as  a  devoted  sportsman 
and  capable  ofTicial.  He  was  secretary  of  the  Nashville 
Blood  Horse  Association,  to  the  success  of  which  organ- 
ization he  very  materially  contributed.  Lord  Murphy, 
who  won  the  Kentucky  Derby,  was  owned  by  him  until 
sold  to  Mr.  James  R.  Keene.  He  also  owned  Aranza, 
who  was  a  great  race  mare,  and  whom  he  sold  to  Mr. 
Pierre  Lorillard.  Among  other  horses  that  he  owned 
were  Meditator  and  Harry  Gilmore.  He  was  particu- 
larly noted  in  turf  circles  for  being  always  ready  to  sell  a 
horse,  no  matter  how  good  the  animal  might  be,  pro- 
vided the  price  suited  him. 

Modern  racing  methods  have  made  the  handicapper 
an  otficial  whose  importance  is  not  surpassed  by  that  of 
any  of  his  associates.  While  the  handicap  has,  from 
time  immemorial,  been  a  feature  of  the  English  turf,  it 
has  only  come  into  favor  in  the  United  States  in  com- 
paratively recent  times.  Our  forefathers  would  have 
stood  aghast  at  the  idea,  and  when  it  was  first  tried  upon 
the  old  Fashion  Course  on  Long  Island  it  was  received 
with  marked  disfavor.  Even  to  this  day  there  is  a 
difference  of  opinion  regarding  the  virtue  of  handicap- 
ping, many  old  turfmen  still  holding  to  the  old-fashioned 
idea  that  a  horse  should  be  allowed  to  run  upon  his 
merit  without  being  placed  upon  an  artificial  equality 
with  his  competitors.  Nevertheless,  racing  has  grown 
to  such  enormous  proportions  that  there  is  no  longer  any 
way  of  ignoring  the  handicap,  for  without  it  the  sport 
could  not  be  sustained  upon  an  extensive  scale  for  any 
length  of  time. 

The  theory  of  the  handicap  is  that  it  brings  all  horses  to 
the  post  upon  an  equal  footing.  Whether  this  result  is 
attained  in  actual  practice  may  indeed  be  seriously  ques- 
tioned. Handicappers,  like  the  rest  of  humanity,  are 
fallible,  and  even  the  great  Admiral  Rous  did  not  always 
succeed  in  escaping  just  censure.  The  fact  is,  generally 
speaking,  that,  after  all,  the  great  handicaps  of  the  United 
States,  like  the  Suburban,  the  Brooklyn  and  others  have,  as 
a  rule,  been  won  by  the  crack  horses.  It  is  rare,  indeed, 
that  the  second  and  third  rate  racers  have  been  able  to 
carry  off  those  prizes.  In  other  words,  although  the 
handicap  system  probably  results  in  calling  to  the  post 
greater  fields  than  would  otherwise  be  seen,  it  is  still  the 
horse  of  superior  class  that  comes  in  first  by  the  post 


even  though  he  may  be  laden  down  with  weight  with 
the  idea  of  giving  the  inferior  horse  something  of  a 
show. 

A  perfect  handicap  is,  of  course,  an  impossibility.  If 
it  v/ere  otherwise  we  might  be  treated  to  the  marvelous 
spectacle  of  fifteen  or  twenty  horses  finishing  a  race  head 
and  head.  Such  a  dead  heat  might  be  sufficiently  in- 
teresting and  would  raise  the  enthusiasm  of  the  spec- 
tators to  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement.  But  the 
knowledge  that  such  was  to  be  the  certain  result  of  the 
race  would  certainly  put  an  end  to  all  betting,  and  in 
the  course  of  time  would  weaken  public  concern  in 
racing,  for  the  greatest  interest  in  a  racing  event  arises 
from  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  some  one  horse  comine 
in  at  the  head  of  the  field.  Undoubtedly  it  is  the  bus- 
iness of  the  handicapper  so  to  distribute  his  weights 
that  the  selling  plater  shall  have  an  equal  chance  with 
the  speedy  sprinter,  but  that  he  is  not  quite  able  to  do 
this  is  really  the  salvation  of  the  turf,  and  is  a  source  of 
gratification  to  the  turf  world,  which  would  never  be 
satisfied  if  the  favorite  fast  ones  did  not  have  an  advan- 
tage over  the  others  as  they  pass  the  judges'  stand. 

Handicapping  came  into  vogue  in  England  some  three 
quarters  of  a  century  ago.  It  was  not  until  a  full  half 
century  ago,  however,  that  it  was  extensively  applied 
to  racers  of  high  class.  One  of  the  first  great  races  of 
this  character  that  was  instituted  was  the  Lincolnshire, 
which  was  established  in  the  early  fifties  and  has  even 
down  to  the  present  day  held  its  place  in  the  front 
rank.  Others  rapidly  followed,  until  it  was  not  long 
before  the  handicap  became  so  thoroughly  identified 
with  the  English  turf  that  it  might  reasonably  be  con- 
sidered a  sort  of  second  English  racing  institution.  In 
the  judgment  of  English  turfmen  there  has  never  been 
but  one  handicapper  in  that  country,  and  that  was  Ad- 
miral Henry  John  Rous.  Born  in  1795,  Admiral  Rous 
had  a  long  and  brilliant  career  in  public  life.  In  the  navy 
he  passed  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  grade,  serving 
his  country  with  distinction  in  active  service  at  sea  and 
in  the  more  peaceful  work  of  the  Navy  Department 
ashore.  He  was  conspicuous  in  many  engagements. 
From  early  youth  his  passion  for  outdoor  sports  was 
insatiable,  and  it  was  the  source  of  his  greatest  satis- 
faction in  life  that  his  retirement  from  active  service  in 
the  navy  gave  him  the  opportunity  to  devote  himself  to 
the  turf. 

From  1836,  until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1877,  no 
great  race  meeting  ever  took  place  in  England  at  which 
he  was  not  present.  In  1821,  he  became  a  member  of 
The  Jockey  Club  and  from  that  time  on  exercised  a  very 
positive  influence  in  the  deliberations  of  that  historic 
body.  In  1838,  he  became  a  steward  of  the  club,  a  posi- 
tion for  which  no  man  was  ever  better  fitted,  or  in  which 
any  one  ever  rendered  more  valuable  service  to  the  turf. 


139 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


He  at  once  took  a  place  as  an  official  far  in  advance 
of  any  of  his  associates  by  reason  of  his  activity  and  his 
close  application  to  the  pursuit  to  which  he  was  devot- 
ing himself  His  single  aim  from  first  to  last  was  to 
keep  the  turf  pure  and  to  elevate  its  standard,  and  he 
was  the  awe  of  all  offenders.  During  the  last  twenty 
years  of  his  life  his  influence  became  so  paramount  that 
he  was  universally  looked  up  to  as  the  dictator.  A  turf 
writer  has  said  of  him:  "  The  Admiral's  bold  and  manly 
form  erect  and  stately,  dressed  in  pea  jacket,  wearing 
long,  black  boots  or  leggings,  with  dog  whip  in  hand, 
ready  to  mount  his  old  bay  horse  for  the  course,  no 
matter  what  the  weather  might  be,  was  an  imposing 
sight  at  Newmarket." 

.  About  1855,  he  took  the  position  of  public  handicapper, 
and  his  assumption  of  that  office  was  greeted  with  accla- 
mation. Previous  to  that,  however,  he  had  become  well 
known  as  a  handicapper.  The  first  notable  instance  of 
his  being  called  in  to  exercise  this  function  was  on  the 
occasion  of  a  match  between  Lord  Eglinton's  Flying 
Dutchman,  five  years  old,  and  Lord  Zetland's  Voltigeur, 
four  years  old,  at  the  York  Spring  Meeting  in  1851. 
Upon  that  occasion  he  made  the  older  horse  give  the 
younger  one  8}i  pounds.  During  the  larger  part  of  his 
racing  career  he  managed  and  made  all  matches  for  the 
Duke  of  Bedford's  stable  at  Newmarket,  his  success  in 
that  capacity  being  only  second  to  that  which  he 
achieved  as  a  handicapper.  He  wrote  much  on  racing 
subjects,  his  contributions  to_The  London  Times  es- 
pecially being  voluminous  and  valuable,  drawn  as  they 
were  from  a  wide  and  extended  experience. 

The  long  and  brilliant  career  of  Admiral  Rous  consti- 
tuted one  of  the  most  notable  features  that  has  dis- 
tinguished the  English  turf  As  a  handicapper,  no  man 
who  ever  lived  attained  to  such  distinction  or  won  such 
enviable  and  well  deserved  renown.  He  was  the 
Napoleon  of  the  profession,  and  no  one  has  ever  pre- 
sumed to  question  his  right  of  superiority.  He  belonged 
in  a  class  by  himself  Making  a  life  study  of  the  turf 
and  the  capacity  of  England's  thoroughbreds,  he  became 
an  authority  such  as  never  existed  before  and  has  not 
been  seen  since.  During  his  lifetime,  the  English  horse- 
men united  almost  unanimously  in  lauding  him  to  the 
skies,  but  at  the  same  time  no  one  caused  more  swear- 
ing than  he  did  by  many  of  his  handicaps.  That  he 
was  subject  to  error  and  sometimes  made  serious 
slips  is  quite  true,  but  he  saved  himself  by  maintaining 
the  firmest  and  most  persistent  belief  in  his  own  infalli- 
bility, and  brought  the  world  to  believe  in  him,  which 
was  certainly  a  tremendous  triumph  for  any  man  placed 
in  his  position. 

Admiral  Rous  never  lost  confidence  in  himself  down 
to  the  day  of  his  death.  In  his  opinion  there  never  ex- 
isted any  other  handicapper  worthy  of  a  moment's  con- 


sideration. Near  the  close  of  his  life,  when  enfeebled  by 
age  and  disease  he  was  scarcely  able  to  creep  about,  he 
said  to  a  friend  with  whom  he  was  one  day  conversing, 
"  It's  all  very  odd.  1  lose  my  way,  even  in  going  from 
the  Turf  Club  to  my  house  near  by  in  Berkeley  Square; 
but,"  and  his  eyes  flashed  with  the  spirit  of  his  best 
days  as  he  added,  "I  can  still  handicap."  There  were 
a  few  who  sometimes  ventured  to  'take  him  to  task  to 
his  face  for  his  decisions,  but  generally  they  were 
worsted  who  tried  such  an  experiment.  Whether  true 
or  not,  it  is  related  that  Lord  Calthorpe,  whose  favorite 
horse  had  been  handicapped  beyond  the  possibility  of 
any  success,  ventured  to  raise  the  question  of  the  justice 
of  the  weight  imposed  and,  addressing  the  Admiral  for 
the  sake  of  drawing  him  out  and  getting  him  into  a 
corner,  said: 

"Now,  Admiral,  do  you  believe  that  my  horse  has  any 
chance  of  winning  ?  " 

"  None  whatever,"  was  the  complacent  answer. 

"  Do  you  call  that  handicapping,  then.?  1  thoughtthat 
every  horse  was  supposed  to  be  given  an  equal 
chance." 

It  was  not  until  many  years  after  handicapping  had 
been  instituted  in  England  that  it  became  firmly  estab- 
lished in  this  country.  There  were  various  reasons  for 
this,  but  the  principal  one  was,  probably,  that  the  rich 
planters  south  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line,  prior  to  the 
Civil  War  period,  were  thoroughly  imbued  with  a  liking 
for  the  sweepstakes  for  large  amounts  between  owners 
of  horses  at  weight-for-age  and  at  long  distances.  Al- 
though it  became  more  and  more  evident  as  the  scope 
of  racing  enlarged  that  under  such  conditions  the  best 
horse  had  too  much  advantage  over  those  who  were 
inferior  to  him  in  speed  or  staying  qualities,  it  was  not 
easy  to  persuade  the  old-time  turfmen  to  the  innovation 
of  the  handicap.  About  the  earliest  example  of  the 
handicap  in  the  South  was  in  1856  or  1857,  when  the 
old  South  Carolina  jockey  Club  put  upon  its  programme 
two  or  three  races  of  this  description  with  but  little 
added  money  to  be  run  for  over  the  Charleston  Course. 
A  more  important  handicap  was  the  Allen  for  a  distance 
of  two  miles,  with  $2,500  added,  that  was  run  at  New- 
market, Va.,  in  1858,  when  Mr.  John  Hunter's  Nicholas 
1.  carried  off  the  stakes. 

When  racing  was  revived  in  New  York  and  New  jer- 
sey after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  the  handicap  was 
for  the  first  time  in  this  country  fully  adopted  as  a 
means  of  attracting  large  fields  to  the  new  courses.  The 
first  experiments  were  tried  at  the  old  Secaucus  track, 
situated  on  the  salt  meadows  in  the  rear  of  Hoboken, 
in  1865.  Handicap  hurdle  races,  steeple  chases  and  one 
or  two  flat  races  were  given.  The  first  handicap  on  the 
flat  was  2^  miles  and  was  won  by  Colonel  David 
McDaniel's  Oakland,  five  years  old,  a  son  of  Revenue 


140 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


and  Margrave.  These  early  handicaps  were  far  from 
successful  and  did  not  give  much  promise  for  the  future. 
A  few  years  later,  however,  the  experiment  was  tried 
on  a  larger  scale  and  under  more  favorable  conditions, 
when,  at  Jerome  Park,  the  Grand  National,  the  Fordham 
and  the  Jockey  Club  Handicaps  were  instituted  by  the 
American  Jockey  Club.  These  may  be  considered  as 
really  marking  the  definite  beginning  of  handicapping 
in  the  United  States.  The  isolated  examples  that  pre- 
ceded them  were  in  nowise  important  or  successful, 
and  had  been  really  put  forward  as  novelties  without 
any  idea  of  making  them  permanent.  Beginning  with 
these  Jerome  Park  handicaps,  which  at  once  took  rank 
among  the  most  popular  events,  both  in  the  estimation 
of  racing  men  and  the  general  public,  year  after  year 
handicapping  grew  steadily  in  favor,  until  now  the  great 
handicaps  overshadow  all  other  contests  of  the  racing 
season. 

There  are  almost  as  many  systems  of  handicapping  as 
there  are  handicappers.  Some  men  keep  regular  book 
accounts — that  is,  they  write  down  every  day  names  of 
the  first  three  horses  that  have  contended  in  every  race 
of  which  a  description  is  published,  with  the  weights  at 
which  they  ran  and  the  distances  between  them  at  the 
finish.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  page  the  horses  are 
rehandicapped  with  such  variations  'as  it  is  presumed 
would  be  like\y  to  bring  them  to  a  dead  heat.  Other 
handicappers  have  been  specially  known  for  their  "lad- 
ders," that  is,  long  lists  of  horses  handicapped  over 
various  courses  from  five  furlongs  upward,  while  the 
weights  are  constantly  recast.  It  was  the  custom  of 
Weatherby,  who  was  for  many  years  handicapper  for 
the  English  Jockey  Club,  to  go  through  his  book  anew 
for  each  fresh  compilation,  aided  constantly  by  notes 
made  from  personal  observation.  Some  handicappers 
since  his  time  have  also  adhered  to  that  practice. 

Comparatively  few  men  are  successful  handicappers. 
England  has  had,  perhaps,  half  a  dozen,  of  whom  Ad- 
miral Rous  was  the  most  eminent.  The  best  known 
in  this  country  have  been  Mr.  J.  G.  K.  Lawrence,  Cap- 
tain J.  H.  Coster,  Mr.  H.  D.  Mclntyre,  Mr.  Charles 
Wheatly  and  Mr.  Walter  S.  Vosburgh.  There  is  no 
position  connected  with  the  race  track  where  the  work 
is  more  arduous  and  the  returns  so  inadequate,  either  in 
the  approval  of  the  public  or  the  satisfaction  of  horse- 
men. While  it  is,  no  doubt,  a  difficult  thing  to  make  a 
good  handicap,  it  becomes  an  impossibility  to  make  one 
that  will  suit  everybody.  One  would  think  that  trainers 
would  be  people  most  likely  to  give  valuable  opinions 
on  a  handicap,  but,  nevertheless,  they  are  quite  as  often 
in  error  as  others.  This  arises  from  the  fact  that,  while 
they  may  know  individual  horses  thoroughly,  whether 
in  their  own  or  other  stables,  they  are  apt  to  underrate 
their  own  and  overrate  others  when  it  comes  to  this  im- 


portant question  of  placing  weights.  After  all,  perhaps, 
the  final  judgment  of  the  public  is  about  as  good  as  any 
that  can  be  possibly  had,  since  the  followers  of  the  turf 
are  practically  unbiased,  and  have  as  clear  a  knowl- 
edge of  form  as  many  who  pass  their  entire  lives 
in  the  stable. 

Every  handicapper  is  liable  to  be  imposed  upon.  It 
is  at  all  times  difficult  to  escape  the  devices  of  the 
trainer  who  is  on  the  alert  to  get  every  advantage  that 
he  possibly  can  and,  therefore,  we  frequently  see  horses 
running  with  from  ten  to  twenty  pounds  in  hand.  In 
Parole's  first  season  in  England  the  handicappers  there 
carelessly  deceived  themselves  and  let  him  into  some 
good  events  at  very  light  weight,  a  mistake,  how- 
ever, that  was  not  afterward  repeated.  Handicapping 
by  committees  has  been  sometimes  tried  upon  the 
theory  that  the  judgment  of  several  men  is  better  than 
one,  but  the  result  has  almost  invariably  disposed  of  the 
theory,  it  is  impossible  to  get  a  number  of  men  to 
agree  on  any  subject,  and  it  is  especially  impracticable 
upon  a  matter  like  the  handicap,  concerning  which 
there  is  opportunity  for  such  wide  divergence  of  opin- 
ion and  such  a  multitude  of  contributing  causes. 

It  has  become  proverbial  that  no  owner  can  ever  be 
satisfied  with  a  handicap  in  which  he  has  a  horse  unless 
it  happens  that  he  is  able  to  win.  Devices  that  are 
resorted  to  to  have  weight  taken  off  are  numerous  and 
sometimes  successful.  One  of  the  most  common  is  to 
run  a  horse  until  the  handicapper  is  finally  persuaded 
that  he  is  fully  entitled  to  come  in  at  a  feather  weight. 
Then  some  day  the  owner  sees  his  chance  and  pulls  off 
some  great  prize.  It  occasionally  happens,  however, 
that  this  practice  works  out  just  contrary  to  what  was 
planned  by  the  owner  and  trainer.  The  story  is  told 
of  a  defeated  owner  at  Guttenberg,  who  once  gave 
vent  to  his  disappointment  in  bewailings  loud  and  long 
over  the  failure  of  such  a  coup  that  he  had  planned; 
"pulled  him  five  times,"  he  exclaimed,  "and  now 
when  we  cut  him  loose,  he's  beaten;  it's  too  bad,  too 
bad." 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  Mr.  James  G.  K. 
Lawrence  as  one  of  the  best  handicappers  known  to  the 
American  turf  He  was  among  those  New  Yorkers 
who  became  interested  in  racing  soon  after  the  Civil 
War,  and  was  President  of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club.  Up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1895,  he  main- 
tained a  prominent  position  in  connection  with  the  turf, 
particularly  of  the  East.  He  belonged  to  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  aristocratic  families  identified  with  the 
history  of  New  York  from  the  earliest  colonial  days. 
His  father  was  Governor  William  B.  Lawrence,  of  Rhode 
Island,  and  Mr.  Isaac  Lawrence,  the  well  known  public 
man,  was  his  brother.  In  early  life  he  was  distinguished 
as  a  gentleman  rider,  and  achieved  fame  by  beating  the 


141 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


famous  English  cross  country  rider,  Lord  Mandeville. 
Finally,  becoming  deeply  interested  in  the  turf,  he  was 
the  junior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Coffin  &  Lawrence,  and 
then  was  the  confederate  of  Mr.  George  L.  Lorillard.  After 
severing  his  connection  with  Mr.  Lorillard,  when  that 
gentleman  decided  to  carry  on  his  turf  ventures  inde- 
pendently, Mr.  Lawrence  was  identified  with  the 
Shrewsbury  Stable.  He  owned  Shylock  by  Lexington 
out  of  Edith,  and  with  him  won  a  number  of  good  races, 
among  the  best  victories  of  that  horse  being  the  defeat 
of  Asteroid  at  i>^  miles,  and  the  winning  of  the  West- 
chester Cup,  2%  miles,  at  Jerome  Park,  in  1874,  when 
he  beat  Wanderer,  Lizzie  Lucas  and  others. 

In  1879,  Mr.  Lawrence  became  secretary  of  the  Coney 
Island  jockey  Club,  and  it  has  been  well  said  of  him  that 
"there  is  no  doubt  that  much  of  the  success  which  fol- 
lowed the  establishment  of  racing  at  Sheepshead  Bay 
was  due  to  him."  Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Leonard  W. 
Jerome  in  1890,  he  became  President  of  the  Coney  Island 
Jockey  Club.  During  his,  official  career  he  introduced 
many  new  features  in  the  annual  racing  meetings  that 
conduced  much  to  the  popularity  of  the  Sheepshead  Bay 
Course.  He  was  the  first  to  put  on  the  card  the  two- 
year  old  handicap,  and  also  originated  the  famous 
Suburban  in  1884.  His  purpose  was  to  arrange  a  race 
similar  to  the  English  City  and  Suburban  that  should 
attract  the  best  handicap  horses  and  be  a  stimulus  to 
winter  betting.  From  the  start  the  Suburban  fulfilled 
all  his  expectations,  becoming  one  of  the  great  ante-post 
betting  events  known  to  the  American  turf,  and  has 
now  attained  to  a  position  unrivaled  by  any  other  racing 
event  of  the  season.  To  him  is  also  due  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Futurity,  similar  to  the  Futurity  events  in 
England,  and  he  was  also  the  author  of  the  Realization, 
which  he  started  in  1889.  As  a  racing  official,  he  was 
one  ot  the  best  in  the  country,  combining,  with  a 
complete  knowledge  of  the  thoroughbred  and  the  details 
of  track  management,  an  enthusiasm,  independence 
and  honesty  that  accomplished  the  best  results. 

Another  handicapper,  who  was  particularly  distin- 
guished in  the  generation  that  has  just  passed  away,  was 
Captain  J.  H.  Coster.  Associated  with  Messrs.  John  C. 
Stevens,  Robert  Cambridge  .Livingston,  John  King  and 
other  well  known  New  Yorkers  in  an  unselfish  devotion 
to  the  turf  back  in  the  fifties.  Captain  Coster  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  in  1895,  was  one  of  the  last  connecting 
links  between  this  generation  of  racing  men  and  that 
which  had  gone  before.  When  Messrs.  Stevens,  Liv- 
ingston and  others  abandoned  the  turf  on  account  of  the 
evil  condition  into  which  it  had  fallen  in  the  decade  pre- 
ceding the  war.  Captain  Coster  still  maintained  his  inter- 
est in  it  and  kept  in  touch  with  the  institution  until  its 
brighter  days  came  in  the  seventies  and  eighties.  When 
a  young  man  he  was  a  well  known  amateur  rider  and 


was  secretary  of  the  American  Jockey  Club  and  the 
Monmouth  Park  Association  during  the  last  years  of  the 
existence  of  those  bodies.  During  the  Civil  War,  he 
served  in  the  Union  Army.  It  was  a  singular  coincidence 
that  upon  the  day  of  his  funeral  also  occurred  the  funerals 
of  two  other  well-known  and  popular  gentlemen  who 
had  long  been  connected  with  the  turf  These  were  Dr. 
Gideon  L.  Knapp,  whose  death  occurred  upon  the  same 
day  as  that  of  Captain  Coster,  and  Mr.  Robert  Cam- 
bridge Livingston,  who  although,  in  his  latter  years,  he 
had  entirely  retired  from  participation  in  turf  affairs,  was 
a  useful  and  working  member  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  when  that 
organization  first  started  and  contributed  much  to  placing 
the  club  in  a  firm  position  with  the  racing  fraternity  of 
the  country. 

Captain  Coster  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  "ladder" 
system  of  handicapping.  When  he  was  handicapper  tor 
Monmouth  Park  the  results  that  he  brought  forth  through 
his  original  method  were  sometimes  astounding.  One 
of  his  practices  was  to  add  five  pounds  to  a  horse  for 
winning  a  race  and  take  off  five  pounds  for  losing.  The 
story  is  told  that  a  facetious  owner  once  erected  a  monu- 
ment over  the  grave  of  one  of  his  thoroughbreds  and 
inscribed  upon  the  front  of  the  pedestal,  "He  carried 
top  weight  in  Coster's  handicap  and  won." 

You  can  trust  the  trainers  to  quickly  discover  the  fail- 
ings of  a  handicapper,  starter  or  judge,  and  Captain 
Coster  was  often  the  victim  of  their  cunningness.  In  his 
latter  days  the  good  old  Captain  lost  something  of  his 
shrewdness  and  became  rather  prejudiced.  Taking 
advantage  of  this  peculiarity  the  trainers  adopted  a  very 
simple  method  of  engineering  a  heavy  weight  on  a  horse 
which  they  feared.  Accidentally  coming  together  with- 
in hearing  of  the  handicapper,  they  would  talk  in 
a  mysterious  way  about  the  great  work  of  this  horse, 
what  he  had  done  upon  his  trials  and  how  sure 
he  was  to  beat  anything  on  the  track  if  only  it  was 
possible  to  keep  information  from  the  handicapper  about 
his  splendid  form.  A  sudden  surprise  at  discovering 
Captain  Coster  within  hearing  distance  of  their  whis- 
pered conversation  would  break  up  the  meeting,  while 
the  unsuspicious  old  Captain  would  promptly  add  ten 
or  fifteen  pounds  to  the  weight  that  he  had  already  fixed 
for  this  particular  horse. 

Down  to  1894,  the  general  management  of  racing 
affairs  upon  the  important  courses  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  had  been  for  many  years  delegated  by  the  several 
associations  to  a  Board  of  Control.  This  arrangement 
offered  in  many  respects  an  agreeable  solution  of  some 
of  the  difficult  problems  that  attended  the  harmonizing 
of  the  conflicting  interests  of  the  different  facts,  and  at 
the  same  time  reformed,  or  at  least  restricted  some  ot 
the  evils  which  inevitably  thrust  themselves  upon  the 


142 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


race  course.  It  was  not,  however,  an  ideal  arrange- 
ment, being  found  to  be  detective  at  some  important 
points.  The  several  associations  who  had  organized  this 
Board  of  Control  and  subjected  themselves  to  its  author- 
ity, were  not  always  satisfied  with  its  decisions,  and 
ultimately  there  came  about  a  great  deal  of  clashing  and 
some  ill  feeling.  Moreover,  the  ever  returning  abuses 
showed  themselves  constantly  and  grew  so  steadily  in 
strength  that  ultimately  the  Board  of  Control  found  itself 
powerless  to  destroy  them. 

In  the  summer  of  1893  particularly,  racing  in  the 
vicinity  of  New  York  was  decidedly  overrun.  The  rich 
returns  that  the  turf  offered  to  owners  had  proved  very 
alluring  to  many  individuals  of  a  speculative  turn  of 
mind,  and,  in  New  Jersey  in  particular,  race  courses  had 
multiplied  until  they  practically  exceeded  the  demand  of 
the  race  loving  public.  Many  of  them  inevitably  became 
of  questionable  character,  and  the  free  and  easy  manner 
in  which  they  were  conducted  reflected  indirectly  even 
upon  honest  racing.  It  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  the 
public  which  heretofore  had  followed  racing  with  more 
or  less  enthusiasm  was  losing  its  interest  in  the  sport. 
Even  at  Sheepshead  Bay  the  attendance  in  the  summer 
of  1893  was  largely  reduced,  a  condition  of  things  that 
was  the  direct  result  of  the  disrepute  into  which  racing 
had  fallen  on  account  of  the  evil  practices  that  had 
attached  to  it  elsewhere.  That  year  the  Coney  Island 
Jockey  Club  was  $60,000  out  of  pocket. 

Incidents  connected  with  the  Monmouth  Park  Associ- 
ation management  that  season  aggravated  the  situation, 
and  these  have  not  yet  passed  out  of  the  remembrance 
of  turfmen.  The  prolongation  of  the  racing  season  at 
Monmouth,  by  giving  a  twenty-six  days'  meeting  in 
August,  interfered  seriously  with  the  other  associations 
that  were  members  of  the  Board  of  Control  and  caused 
a  great  deal  of  ill  feeling.  Practices  in  relation  to  handi- 
caps and  betting  were  tolerated  there  that  brought 
discredit  to  the  cause  of  racing.  In  the  free  criticism 
which  was  made  upon  the  transactions  of  the  Monmouth 
Course,  the  stewards  of  the  Association  became  resentful 
and  ruled  off  two  prominent  turf  writers  from  the 
grounds.  The  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  was  asked  to 
support  this  action  of  Monmouth  Park,  but  declined  to 
do  so  and  took  sharp  issue  with  the  managers  of  the 
New  Jersey  Course.  Mr.  J.  G.  K.  Lawrence,  who  was 
then  president  of  the  club  and  its  representative  upon 
the  Board  of  Control,  resigned  from  the  latter  body. 
As  a  result,  whatever  power  had  heretofore  rested  in 
this  board,  was  seriously  weakened;  it  lost  prestige 
and  influence  and  racing  was  in  a  fair  way  to  fall  back 
into  a  state  of  indiscriminate  irresponsibility. 

Recognizing  that  the  condition  of  affairs  then  existing 
carried  the  seeds  of  the  destruction  of  the  turf,  some  of 
the  leading  horsemen  of  New  York  and  vicinity  held  re- 


peated conferences  during  the  late  winter  of  1893  and 
discussed  various  measures  for  relief.  As  a  first  propo- 
sition it  was  admitted  that  many  impurities  had  become 
attached  to  the  turf,  and  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of 
bad  racing,  and  it  was  also  felt  that  the  difficulties  that 
lay  in  the  way  of  reform  were  largely  owing  to  the  rac- 
ing associations  themselves.  As  one  of  the  most  out- 
spoken supporters  of  the  New  York  turf,  at  that  time, 
said  in  speaking  of  the  subject:  "One  of  the  primary 
troubles  is  an  outgrowth  of  the  methods  by  which  racing 
associations  obtain  their  revenues.  They  demand  from 
bookmakers  $100  a  day  each.  Upon  those  days  when 
large  stakes  are  to  be  decided,  there  are  probably  an 
average  of  120  bookmakers  in  the  ring,  who,  altogether, 
are  compelled  to  pay  for  the  privilege  $12,000.  Their 
other  expenses,  hire  of  clerks,  etc.,  generally  swell  that 
amount  by  half  as  much  more.  Now,  in  order  to  get 
back  their  money  and  make  their  business  a  paying  ven- 
ture, many  of  them  are  almost  obliged  to  resort  to  dis- 
honest practices.  Thus  the  associations  have  placed 
them  in  a  position  which  puts  a  premium  upon  crook- 
edness. Not  all  of  them  are  thus  inclined,  but  the 
weakest  of  them  will  naturally  take  every  possible 
chance  to  reap  gains.  As  a  logical  result  trainers  and 
jockeys  are  debauched  and  racing  is  not  racing  at  all." 

While  the  point  touched  upon  in  this  opinion  did  not, 
by  any  manner  of  means,  cover  the  whole  case,  yet  it 
was  regarded  as  fairly  describing  one  of  the  greatest 
evils  of  the  day  that  was  really  the  root  of  a  good  part 
of  the  trouble  in  which  the  associations  found  them- 
selves, and  of  the  criticism  to  which  they  were  sub- 
jected by  the  public. 

Messrs.  James  R.  Keene,  J.  H.  Bradford  and  John 
Hunter  were  among  the  earliest  to  institute  active 
measures  looking  toward  the  ultimate  achievement  of 
the  reform  which  all  agreed  was  an  imperative  neces- 
sity of  the  situation.  It  was  decided  by  these  gentle- 
men and  others  with  whom  they  conferred  that  the  new 
movement  should  emanate  from  people  who  were  most 
vitally  interested  in  racing,  that  is,  the  owners  of  horses. 
At  a  meeting  called  by  Mr.  Keene  the  plan  was  fully  ex- 
plained and  was  received  with  hearty  approval.  Pro- 
longed discussion  of  details  followed  and  lasted  well 
through  the  winter.  Finally,  several  committees  were 
appointed  from  the  different  organizations  whose  co- 
operation was  sought  for.  Messrs.  John  Hunter,  August 
Belmont  and  James  Galway  represented  the  Board  of 
Control.  Dr.  Gideon  L.  Knapp  and  Messrs.  James  R. 
Keene,  W.  P.  Thompson  and  Perry  Belmont  repre- 
sented the  horse  owners.  Messrs.  J.  G.  K.  Lawrence, 
John  G.  Heckscher  and  F.  Gray  Griswold  represented 
the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  and  Mr.  P.  J.  Dwyer 
represented  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club. 

During  the  winter  the  committees  held  frequent  ses- 

143 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


sions  and  gave  much  time  and  labor  to  the  consideration 
of  the  subject.  At  last  agreement  was  reached  upon  the 
point  of  organizing  a  Jockey  Club  as  the  most  practical 
means  of  accomplishing  the  much-desired  reform.  To 
add  strength  to  the  proposed  organization,  careful 
thought  was  given  to  plans  to  secure  alike  the  confi- 
dence and  the  support  of  the  owners  of  grounds  on 
which  races  were  run  and  the  owners  of  horses  which 
participated  in  the  races.  It  was  recognized  that  the 
existing  state  of  things  could  not  last  forever  and  it  was 
believed  that  such  an  organization  as  was  contemplated 
in  The  Jockey  Club  might  make  a  very  distinct  impres- 
sion upon  associations  and  compel  them  to  modify  in 
some  way  the  method  of  obtaining  revenue  for  the  track 
and  also  be  influential  in  many  other  matters  that  were 
necessary  for  the  complete  purification  of  the  turf.  As 
Mr.  James  R.  Keene  said,  at  the  time,  in  discussing  the 
situation  and  the  causes  that  led  to  establishing  The 
Jockey  Club,  "  the  thing  to  do  is  to  clean  up  the  turf, 
make  it  decent  and  re-establish  public  confidence  in  it." 

The  rules  governing  the  English  turf  were  practically 
adopted  and  the  new  Jockey  Club  received  its  charter 
early  in  1894,  entering  upon  its  work  in  the  spring  of 
that  year.  Its  incorporators  were  Messrs.  Perry  Bel- 
mont, W.  P.  Thompson,  James  R.  Keene,  Oliver  H. 
Payne,  William  C.  Whitney,  Frank  K.  Sturgis,  J.  B. 
Haggin,  John  Hunter,  Andrew  J.  Cassatt,  Gideon  L. 
Knapp  and  James  Galway.  The  first  president  was  Mr. 
John  Hunter  and  the  other  officers  were  Mr.  James  R. 
Keene,  vice-president;  Mr.  F.  K.  Sturgis,  secretary  and 
treasurer,  and  Mr.  E.  O.  Hanlan,  assistant  secretary. 
Stewards  were  elected,  those  for  two  years  being 
Messrs.  August  Belmont,  John  Hunter,  James  R.  Keene, 
snd  Frank  K.  Sturgis,  and  those  for  one  year  Messrs. 
J.  O.  Donner,  Gideon  L.  Knapp  and  William  P.  Thomp- 
aon.  The  membership  of  the  club  was  limited  to  fifty, 
and  among  the  original  members  were  Messrs.  A.  J. 
Cassatt,  Gideon  L.  Knapp,  William  H.  Forbes,  James  R. 
Keene,  Augustus  Clason,  P.  J.  Dwyer,  J.  O.  Donner, 
Edward  Kelly,  John  Hunter,  O.  H.  Payne,  A.  F.  Wal- 
cott,  E.  S.  Knapp,  W.  Seward  Webb,  J.  B.  Haggin, 
Rudolph  Ellis,  Perry  Belmont,  James  Galway,  F.  K. 
Sturgis,  W.  C.  Whitney,  S.  S.  Brown,  August  Belmont, 
A.  H.  Morris,  W.  K.  Vanderbilt,  J.  G.  K.  Lawrence,  J. 
G.  Heckscher,  George  Peabody  Wetmore  and  W.  P. 
Thompson.  To  these  were  subsequently  added  Messrs. 
Foxhall  P.  Keene,  Oliver  H.  P.  Belmont,  Benjamin  F. 
Tracy,  John  M.  Bowers,  Samuel  S.  Howland,  James  O. 
Green,  Jacob  Ruppert,  Jr.,  W.  S.  Johnson,  J.  Pierpont 
Morgan  and  others. 

Opposition  to  the  plans  of  The  Jockey  Club  were  not 
altogether  absent,  and  some  very  reputable  and  influen- 
tial turfmen  were  inclined  to  regard  with  doubt  the  pro- 
priety  of  this   assumption   of  authority  over  the   race 


track.  The  point  was  made  that  it  might  be  a  very  un- 
wise thing  to  allow  any  outside  organization  to  thus 
dictate  to  the  different  associations  how  they  should 
conduct  their  affairs.  Ultimately,  however,  all  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  plan  probably  offered  the  most 
likely  means  of  destroying  evils  which  were  now  every- 
where recognized.  The  Jockey  Club  finally  entered  upon 
its  work  with  the  cordial  support  of  all  the  leading  turf- 
men and  approved  by  whoever  had  the  best  interests  of 
racing  at  heart.  It  proceeded  in  a  practical  way  to 
draw  up  revised  rules  for  the  government  of  racing  upon 
the  courses  that  recognized  its  authority,  to  institute 
many  reforms,  especially  as  pertained  to  racing  and  bet- 
ting and  to  fix  upon  measures  for  the  enforcement  of 
discipline  more  vigorously  than  had  been  for  some  time 
before  known.  The  rules  related  particularly  to  the 
recognition  of  meetings,  the  forfeit  list,  fraudulent  prac- 
tices, jockeys,  duties  of  stewards  and  other  officials  and 
the  registration  of  horses  and  entries  of  starters. 

An  arrangement  was  consummated  with  the  American 
Turf  Congress  by  which  reciprocal  relations  between  the 
two  associations  was  assured,  so  that  punishments 
inflicted  by  The  Jockey  Club  in  the  East  should  be  recog- 
nized and  made  to  apply  upon  the  courses  of  the  West 
that  came  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Turf  Congress. 
New  rules  were  also  drawn  up,  so  as  to  do  away  with 
the  winter  racing  that  had  been  such  a  source  of  annoy- 
ance and  discredit  to  the  turf  of  the  North  and  a 
hindrance  to  the  prosperity  of  the  South.  By  this 
arrangement  winter  racing  was  calculated  to  be  confined 
to  their  natural  localities,  the  South  and  California.  Par- 
ticular strength  lay  in  the  powers  of  the  stewards,  to 
whom  were  delegated  the  right  of  appointing  racing 
officials  and  of  enforcing  and  collecting  forfeits,  and  who 
also  were  constituted  a  Board  of  Appeal.  The  officials 
appointed  by  the  club  for  its  first  year  were:  Mr.  James 
G.  Rowe,  starter;  Mr.  R.W.Simmons,  presiding  judge; 
Messrs.  Victor  C.  Smith  and  C.  McDowell,  judges;  Mr. 
C.  J.  Fitzgerald,  clerk  of  scales;  Mr.  W.  S.  Vosburgh, 
handicapper;  Mr.  John  Hoey,  patrol  judge,  and  Mr.  F. 
M.  Hall,  starting  judge. 

From  the  very  outset  The  Jockey  Club  fully  justified 
the  highest  expectations  that  had  been  formed  concern- 
ing it.  The  powers  that  were  delegated  to  it  by  the 
Eastern  horsemen  were  exercised  in  a  conservative 
manner  that  ultimately  redounded  to  the  benefit  of  both 
horsemen  and  racing  associations,  and  that  spoke  vol- 
umes for  the  wisdom  and  disinterested  spirit  of  the  gen- 
tlemen who  had  thus  come  forward  and  given  their 
time  to  the  rescue  of  the  sport.  During  the  first  season 
of  its  existence  the  club  did  so  much  to  elevate  racing, 
and  its  aims  and  purposes  were  so  palpably  in  the  right 
direction,  that  criticism  was  almost  entirely  disarmed. 
What  little  objection  had  existed  at  the  outset  in  certain 


144 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


qiuirters  completely  disappeared.  It  was  generally  felt 
that  at  last  affairs  in  New  York  were  in  the  hands  of 
gentlemen  of  standing  and  responsibility,  who  could 
safely  be  trusted  to  jealously  guard  the  good  name  and 
the  reputation  of  the  turf.  A  year  later,  when  new  legis- 
lation particularly  pertaining  to  betting  upon  races  was 
placed  upon  the  statute  book,  the  powers  of  The  Jockey 
Club  were  enlarged  and  its  capacity  for  usefulness 
further  augmented. 

During  the  five  years  that  it  has  been  in  existence,  the 
club  has  practically  revolutionized  the  conduct  of  racing 
upon  the  courses  of  the  East,  and  has  succeeded  in 
placing  the  turf  upon  a  substantial  foundation  and  identi- 
fying it  in  the  public  eye  solely  with  honorable  practices 
and  business-like  methods.  By  its  supervision  of  jockeys 
and  trainers  it  has  done  a  great  work,  not  alone  in  the 
East  but  also  in  the  West,  where  its  influence,  if  not  its 
authority,  is  fully  recognized.  Many  important  cases  have 
come  before  it  for  adjudication,  and  its  decisions  have  in- 
variably been  characterized  by  wisdom  and  a  devotion 
to  the  best  interests  of  the  turf  without  regard  to  personal 
considerations  of  any  character  whatsoever. 

That  supervision  of  the  nature  undertaken  by  The 
Jockey  Club  was  absolutely  needed  scarcely  required 
demonstration,  it  was  so  plainly  obvious.  An  additional 
proof  of  the  necessity  of  the  work  and  of  the  wis- 
dom that  placed  it  in  the  hands  of  those  who  have 
carried  it  out,  was  apparent  in  the  successful  operation 
of  the  reforms  that  were  instituted.  Historians  of  the 
future  will  undoubtedly  recognize  The  Jockey  Club  as 
the  most  potent  influence  in  advancing  the  cause  of  racing 
that  has  ever  existed  in  the  United  States  down  to  the 
present  time.  It  is  not  beyond  the  range  of  possibility 
that  the  club  may  ultimately  become  to  the  American 
turf  what  The  Jockey  Club  of  England  is  to  the  turf  of 
that  country.  That  an  organization  formed  upon  these 
lines  and  engaging  the  services  of  the  leading  turfmen 
of  the  country  must  be  useful  beyond  measure  and 
instrumental  in  lifting  the  turf  to  a  position  of  standing, 
influence  and  permanency,  such  as  it  has  never  enjoyed 
before,  will  scarcely  be  questioned  by  anyone  familiar 
with  the  situation  and  with  the  success  that  has  crowned 
the  administration  of  this  Jockey  Club.  Beginning  the 
fifth  year  of  its  existence  in  1898,  the  officers  of  The 
Jockey  Club  were  Mr.  August  Belmont,  chairman;  Mr. 
James  R.  Keene,  vice-chairman;  Mr.  P.  K.  Sturgis,  sec- 
retary and  treasurer;  Mr.  F.  O.  Hanlon,  assistant  secre- 
tary; Messrs.  August  Belmont,  J.  H.  Bradford,  F.  R. 
Hitchcock,  James  R.  Keene,  Andrew  Miller,  F.  K.  Stur- 
gis and  James  Galway,  stewards,  and  Mr.  Walter  S. 
Vosburgh,  racing  secretary. 

Every  true  friend  of  the  turf  recognizes  the  incalculable 
benefit  that  the  institution  derives  from  a  favorable  public 
estimation  that  is  stimulated  by  the  presence  in  its  inmost 


counsels  of  what  may  be  termed  a  disinterested  element 
composed  of  gentlemen  to  whom  the  sport  is  absolutely 
a  matter  of  pleasure  and  not  a  money-making  business. 
The  great  racing  associations  of  this  country  and  the 
bodies  which  virtually  legislate  for  the  American  turf 
have  ever  been  fortunate  in  this  respect.  They  enjoy  the 
active  participation  of  a  small,  but  very  influential  array 
of  sportsmen  prominent  in  the  business  and  social  world, 
whose  interest  in  racing  is  altogether  of  the  nature  just 
referred  to,  and  whose  presence  is  a  guarantee  to  the 
public  at  large  of  the  fairness  and  unbiased  character  of 
the  decisions  in  regard  to  general  policy  or  matters  of 
detail  that  are  necessary  from  time  to  time  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  sport.  The  English  turf,  which  serves  as 
the  example  to  the  whole  racing  world,  owes  much  of 
its  popularity  to  the  well-known  fact  that  such  an  element 
has  always  been  conspicuous  in  connection  with  its 
affiiirs. 

Following  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Old  World  in  this 
respect,  the  leaders  of  our  own  racing  community  have 
done  wisely  in  seeking  the  co-operation  of  men  of  the 
same  calibre  here,  who,  while  not  directly  interested  as 
owners  of  horses,  are,  nevertheless,  distinguished  by  a 
devotion  to  the  sport  and  whose  self-sacrificing  spirit 
impels  them  to  contribute  no  small  measure  of  time  and 
labor  to  duties  in  this  connection  which  could  not  well 
be  committed  to  other  hands.  The  Jockey  Club  has 
been  especially  happy  in  having  been  able  to  enlist  from 
the  outset  the  services  of  gentlemen  of  this  character.  A 
good  beginning  was  made  by  placing  in  official  position 
those  in  whom  the  general  public  had  the  fullest  con- 
fidence, and  upon  whom  all  racing  interests  were  satis- 
fied to  depend  with  the  fullest  assurance  that  nothing, 
which,  through  knowledge  of  the  turf  conscientious 
devotion  to  its  affairs  and  careful  foresight  could  formu- 
late to  the  advantage  of  all  concerned,  would  be  left 
undone.  That  the  results  have  fully  Justified  all  expecta- 
tions, doesnotanylongeradmit  of  even  the  slightest  doubt. 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Mr.  John  Hunter,  as  the  first 
Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Stewards,  and  from  his  active 
participation  in  the  affairs  of  the  organization,  he  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  August  Belmont,  under  whose  admin- 
istration the  club  has  attained  to  a  success  and  an  influ- 
ence far  beyond  even  that  which  was  hoped  for  by  most 
enthusiastic  friends  at  its  inception.  Mr.  Belmont  be- 
longs to  a  family  whose  name  will  stand  as  high  as  any 
in  the  racing  annals  of  the  United  States.  His  father,  as 
we  have  had  occasion  to  demonstrate  elsewhere,  did  as 
much  as  any  other  single  individual  to  place  the  Ameri- 
can turf  of  contemporaneous  times  upon  a  firm  founda- 
tion. The  second  Mr.  August  Belmont  has  succeeded 
his  father  as  a  prominent  figure  in  the  commercial, 
social  and  turf  life  of  the  present  day.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  dwell  at  length  upon  his  career. 


145 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


He  was  born  in  New  York,  in  1854,  and  was  pre- 
pared for  college  at  the  Rectory  School,  at  Hamden, 
Conn.,  and  at  Philips  Exeter  Academy.  Being  gradu- 
ated from  Harvard  College,  in  the  class  of  1874,  he 
entered  the  banking  house  of  his  father  in  the  same  year 
and  was  made  a  partner  in  1885.  Upon  the  death  of 
his  father,  in  1890,  he  became  the  head  of  the  establish- 
ment with  which  the  Belmont  name  has  been  so  long 
identified.  The  part  he  has  played  in  the  financial 
world  and  the  eminent 
services  he  has  ren- 
dered to  the  Govern- 
ment and  the  com- 
mercial community  are 
part  of  the  contempo- 
rary history  of  our 
country.  As  a  financier 
he  has  long  held  pre- 
eminent position  and 
has  a  reputation  that 
is  not  limited  by  the 
confines  of  his  native 
land.  He  has  been 
engaged  in  large 
monetary  operations, 
and  on  occasions  has 
been  of  material  assist- 
ance to  the  United 
States  Government  in 
carrying  out  financial 
transactions  of  the 
greatest  importance  to 
the  welfare  of  the 
national  treasury. 

Inheriting  his  father's 
love  of  racing  and 
breeding,  Mr.  Belmont 
had  the  confidence  of 
his  parent  during  the 
latter's  career  on  the 
turf,  and  was  fully 
acquainted  with  his 
theories  and  plans.  As 
the  proprietor  of  the 
Blemton  stable,  and 
later  under  his  own 
name,  he  has  become  as  conspicuous  upon  the  turt  as  was 
his  father  before  him.  His  fame  as  a  successful  owner  and 
a  sportsman  of  the  foremost  class  does  not  obscure  the 
fact  that  he  has  also  inherited  his  fiither's  eminent  po- 
sition in  affairs  relating  to  the  administration  and  legis- 
lation of  the  turf.  In  fact,  the  commanding  influence 
attached  to  the  distinguished  name  that  he  bears  in  con- 
nection with  the  sport  has  increased  each  year  that  he 


AUGUST    BELMONT 

CHAIRMAN,    THE   JOCKEY    CLUB 


has  given  attention  to  racing  matters.  Not  alone  as 
Chairman  of  The  Jockey  Club  has  he  been  prominent,  but 
his  position  in  connection  with  racing  was  officially  rec- 
ognized in  his  appointment  by  Governor  Levi  P. 
Morton  as  chairman  of  the  State  Racing  Commission  of 
New  York,  an  organization  for  the  promotion  of  turf 
interests,  to  which  more  power  and  influence  for  good 
attaches  than  to  any  other  ever  known  in  this  country. 
Mr.  Belmont's  record  as  Chairman  of  The  Jockey  Club 

has  excited  the  admira- 
"     ^  tion    of  his   associates 

and  received  the  com- 
mendation of  the  turf 
world  generally.  He 
has  developed  excep- 
tional talent  in  the 
management  of  turf 
affairs  and  it  has  been 
well  said  of  him  by 
one  who  is  most  famil- 
iar with  what  he  has 
done,  that  "He  is  more 
than  his  father's  son, 
and  the  club  could  not 
have  had  a  better  or 
safer  leader.  He  im- 
presses one  as  not 
looking  for  a  personal 
a  d  va  n  tage,  but  as 
working  for  the  gen- 
eral good.  He  is  a 
born  diplomat  and  has 
the  f;iculty  of  con- 
ciliating conflicting  in- 
terests, talking  with 
people  and  winning 
them  overbyargument 
and  suggestion  and  a 
frank  exhibition  of  true 
sincerity." 

An  interview  with 
one  of  the  officials  of 
The  Jockey  Club,  pub- 
lished in  1896,  related 
in  detail  some  inci- 
dents in  his  career  that 
illustrated  his  remarkable  faculty  of  meeting  threat- 
ening issues.  It  appears  that  during  the  previous 
summer  the  atmosphere  was  full  of  evil  and  scanda- 
lous reports  concerning  turf  matters.  The  stewards 
of  The  Jockey  Club  had  worked  hard  to  get  some 
tangible  evidence  of  fraud,  but  had  accumulated  only  a 
mass  of  report  based  upon  tattle  and  hearsay.  Returning 
from  Europe  while  the  matter  was  still  at  fever  heat,  Mr. 


146 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Belmont  sent  ;it  once  for  the  newspaper  representatives 
.ind  pointed  out  to  tiiem  tlie  iiann  that  they  were  doing 
by  accepting  idle  rumor  for  facts.  He  also  conferred 
with  certain  owners  and  trainers  and  convinced  them  of 
their  suicidal  policy  in  circulating  reports  not  based  upon 
facts,  and  in  doing  things  that  might  give  rise  to  suspi- 
cion. The  interview,  the  substance  of  which  has  just 
been  given,  went  on  to  say  that  from  that  moment  the 
atmosphere  changed,  the  press  began  to  help  the 
stewards  in  their  efforts  to  stamp  out  rascality,  and 
trainers,  jockeys  and  owners  bent  their  best  energies  in 
setting  their  horses  to  the  front.  Confidence  was  thus 
re-established,  and  since  that  time  nothing  has  occurred 
again  to  undermine  it  or  give  the  public  any  apprehen- 
sion concerning  the  hon- 
esty of  the  race  course. 
The  work  which  Mr.  Bel- 
mont did  at  this  juncture 
was  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary importance,  but  it  is 
only  a  single  example  out 
of  many  that  might  be 
cited  to  show  the  perfect 
hold  which  he  has  upon 
all  turf  affairs  and  the  gen- 
uine diplomatic  ability 
with  which  he  handles 
the  work  which  falls  to 
his  share  to  do. 

No  name  has  been  more 
conspicuously  identified 
with  the  American  turf 
of  modern  times  than 
that  of  Mr.  James  R. 
Keene,  Vice-Chairman  of 
the  Jockey  Club.  A  na- 
tive of  England,  he  has, 
nevertheless,  been  so  long 
connected  with  business 
interests  in  America,  and 
has  shown  himself  so 
thoroughly  in  sympathy  with  all  American  institu- 
tions that  the  fact  of  his  having  been  born  in  Eng- 
land is  probably  unknown  to  most  people.  In  fact, 
he  came  to  this  country  at  such  an  early  age — when 
he  was  only  fourteen  years  old— that  his  education 
and  subsequent  business  training  were  thoroughly 
American.  He  was  born  in  England,  in  1838,  the  son 
of  a  London  merchant,  and  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  Lincolnshire  and  in  Dublin,  Ireland.  His  parents 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1852,  bringing  him  with 
them,  and  settled  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State  of 
California.  There,  at  an  early  age,  he  entered  upon 
business  life  with  energy  and  ambition  and  proceeded 


JAMES    R.    KEENE 
VICE-CHAIRMAN,    THE   JOCKEY   CLUB 


to  carve  his  own  way  in  the  world.  For  several  years 
he  was  engaged  in  mining  and  other  allied  business 
pursuits,  and  also  edited  a  newspaper.  Afterward  he 
became  interested  in  mining  properties  in  Nevada,  and 
then,  going  to  San  Francisco,  entered  the  stock  market, 
where  he  soon  acquired  a  moderate  fortune. 

Having  a  natural  talent  for  speculation,  he  thenceforth 
devoted  himself  to  that  pursuit,  and  was  rapidly  success- 
ful in  spite  of  occasional  reverses.  Becoming  a  member 
of  the  Stock  Exchange  of  San  Francisco,  he  was  subse- 
quently elected  its  president,  and  when  the  Bank  of 
California  failed  he  was  able  to  be  one  of  the  four  con- 
tributors of  a  million  dollars  to  the  guarantee  fund  neces- 
sary to  save  that  institution  from  ruin.  Leaving  Cali- 
fornia in  1 877,  he  engaged, 
for  a  short  time,  in  stock 
speculation  in  New  York 
and  then  visited  Europe. 
Upon  his  return  from  the 
Old  World  he  settled  in 
New  York  City,  where  he 
has  since  been  a  resident 
and  has  been  frequently 
engaged  in  large  financial 
operations.  He  has  been 
one  of  the  most  conspicu- 
ous figures  in  the  financial 
world  of  the  metropolis 
for  nearly  twenty  years, 
and  has  also  occupied 
a  considerable  place  in 
social  affairs.  He  is  a 
man  of  large  fortune  and 
has  done  as  much  as  any 
other  single  individual  to 
stimulate  Wall  Street  in 
these  later  days. 

Like  so  many  other 
gentlemen  of  wealth  who 
have  added  distinction  to 
the  Northern  turf  in  this 
latter  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  Mr.  Keene  has  had  a 
notable  turf  career.  There  are  few,  if  any,  American  horse- 
men who  have  ever  surpassed  him  in  devotion  to  racing 
interests,  in  liberality  of  expenditures  and  in  brilliancy  of 
achievements.  His  name  is  known  in  this  connection 
throughout  two  continents,  and  the  horses  that  he  has 
owned  have  often  carried  his  colors  to  renown.  Had  he 
never  owned  any  other  thoroughbreds  than  Foxhall  and 
Domino,  his  name  would  be  emblazoned  upon  the  pages 
of  American  turf  history  in  letters  that  can  never  fade. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  horsemen  to  recognize,  in  the 
early  nineties,  the  imperative  demand  for  a  reform  in  turf 
matters.     As  early  as  1893,  he  began  to  agitate  the  sub- 


147 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


ject  and  tried  to  impress  liis  fellow-turfmen  with  what 
he  regarded  as  the  urgency  of  the  situation.  He  insisted 
that  what  was  first  necessary  was  to  establish  a  central 
authority  for  the  government  of  racing  on  broader  lines 
than  those  on  which  the  Board  of  Control,  which  was 
then  in  existence,  was  built. 

He  made  a  study  of  the  English  system  of  turf  govern- 
ment, and  he  was  satisfied  that  it  was  the  best  that  could 
be  devised,  because  it  embodied  the  experience  and 
views  of  the  ablest  men  in  that  country,  where  racing  is 
an  old  institution  and  the  rules  the  outgrowth  of  long 
experience.  In  the  subsequent  discussions  of  this  subject 
between  representatives  of  the  Board  of  Control,  the 
horse  owners  and  the  several  jockey  clubs,  Mr.  Keene 
was  particularly  active  and  influential,  and  it  is  in  no 
small  measure  due  to  him  that  the  different  elements 
were  ultimately  brought  to  the  point  of  realizing  the 
necessity  of  carrying  out  some  such  plans  as  he  had 
formulated.  Finally  came  the  incorporation  of  The 
Jockey  Club,  of  which  he  was  elected  vice-chairman,  a 
position  that  he  has  ever  since  retained.  He  has  been 
one  of  the  working  members  of  the  Board  of  Stewards, 
and  by  his  thorough  knowledge  of  turf  rules  and  the 
practices  of  racing  in  this  country  and  in  Europe,  and  his 
keen  sympathy  both  for  horse  owners  on  the  one  side 
and  the  gentlemen  who  are  the  substantial  supporters  of 
racing,  he  has  excercised  a  strong  and  healthful  influence. 

In  many  years  Mr.  Keene  had  associated  with  him  his 
son,  Mr.  Foxhall  P.  Keene,  who  is  scarcely  less  well 
known  than  his  father  in  the  racing  world.  The  Keene 
Stable  has  been  as  distinguished  as  any  other  in  the 
United  States,  and  its  victories  have  often  been  of  the 
most  notable  character.  In  1893,  for  example,  the  year 
of  the  wonderful  performances  of  the  invincible  Domino, 
the  stable  stood  at  the  head  of  the  list  of  winners  for  the 
season.  Its  winnings  in  stakes  and  purses  ran  up  to 
$279,458,  an  amount  that  was  unprecedented  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  American  turf  as  the  result  of  the  work  of  a 
single  stable  in  one  year.  Besides  Domino,  El  Telegrafo 
by  Tremont  out  of  Marguerite,  Hornpipe  by  Mr.  Pick- 
wick out  of  Round  Dance,  and  St.  Leonards  by  St.  Blaise 
out  of  Bella  Donna,  were  the  principal  members  of  the 
stable,  which  also  included  Hyderabad  by  Hyder  Ali 
out  of  Glorianne,  Chorister  by  Falsetto  out  of  Addie  C, 
Lidgerwood  by  Luke  Blackburn  out  of  Tuscarora, 
Soprano  by  Falsetto  out  of  Lady  Athol,  and  ten  others. 
The  total  number  of  races  run  by  the  stable  was  135,  of 
which  35  were  won.  Domino  won  all  the  races  in 
which  he  was  entered,  nine  in  number,  and  carried  off 
$191,780. 

The  record  of  this  particular  year  has  been  given,  not 
alone  on  account  of  its  extraordinary  character,  but  also 
as  illustrating  the  magnitude  of  Mr.  Keene's  turf  interests 
and  the  exceptional  high  position  that  he  holds  among 


turfmen  of  this  generation  by  virtue  of  his  enterprise 
and  the  well  deserved  success  that  has  so  generally 
crowned  his  efforts.  Mr.  Keene's  career  on  the  turf  has 
been  practically  divided  into  two  periods,  the  one  dis- 
tinguished by  the  achievements  of  Foxhall  and  the  other 
by  the  performances  of  Domino.  For  several  years  after 
Foxhall's  great  campaign  in  England,  his  owner  still  con- 
tinued to  show  his  colors  at  many  race  meetings;  but, 
after  a  time,  he  dropped  out  of  the  field.  His  retirement 
was  only  temporary,  however,  for  early  in  the  nineties 
he  began  the  organization  of  another  stable  and  took  up 
his  old  interest  in  the  turf. 

This  was  just  at  that  critical  time,  when,  as  we  have 
seen,  racing  affairs  were  in  an  unfortunate  condition  and 
were  imperatively  in  need  of  the  good  will  and  the  wise 
judgment  of  as  many  honorable  sportsmen  like  Mr. 
Keene,  as  could  be  drawn  to  its  support  As  has  been 
clearly  demonstrated,  his  return  to  the  turf  was  greatly 
to  the  advantage  of  racing  matters  from  every  point  of 
view.  He  has  been  among  the  most  generous  purchas- 
ers of  thoroughbred  stock  that  this  country  has  ever 
known,  and  the  success  of  his  horses  has  often  been  of 
such  a  brilliant  character  as  to  excite  the  liveliest  enthu- 
siasin,  not  alone  of  the  general  public,  but  also  of  racing 
men.  That  added  to  the  great  value  of  his  services  in 
the  purification  of  the  turf  in  this  period,  has  made  him 
undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  stim- 
ulating honorable  racing  and  in  encouraging  breeding 
that  the  present  generation  has  known. 

Not  to  content  himself  with  activity  in  this  countiy 
alone,  he  has,  since  his  last  return  to  the  turf,  carried  his 
colors  again  to  England,  the  scene  of  his  earlier  triumphs. 
There  in  recent  years  he  has  been  represented  by  many  high 
class  blood  horses.  His  victories  in  the  Foxhall  year,  how- 
ever, have  not  since  been  approached,  and  his  later  career 
in  England  has  been  somewhat  less  sensationally  notable 
than  that  of  some  of  the  more  recent  Americans.  It 
has,  however,  been  marked  by  an  unswerving  devotion 
to  sporting  of  the  highest  character  and  to  American 
standards.  He  has  always  had  a  truly  representative 
American  stable  in  England,  and  there  have  been  few 
years  when  the  entries  for  the  important  events  of  the 
English  turf  have  not  included  his  name. 

For  example,  in  1895,  he  had  entered  for  the  Cesare- 
witch,  Hornpipe  and  Round  Dance,  and  for  the  Cam- 
bridgeshire, Hornpipe  and  that  beloved  and  regretted 
wonder.  Domino.  Afthough  only  a  few  runners  carried 
his  colors  in  1897,  the  form  which  they  exhibited  was 
fine  enough  to  encourage  such  an  energetic  and  far-seeing 
turfman  to  strengthen  his  forces  abroad  by  the  shipment 
of  several  fleet  racers  for  ensuing  years.  In  many 
instances  of  late,  fortune  has  been  more  harshly  unkind 
to  him  than  those  who  have  followed  his  career  with 
interest  could  wish.     In  1897,  he  was  specially  unfortu- 


148 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


nate  in  losing  the  Cambridgeshire  by  a  head,  through 
the  carelessness  of  the  jockey,  who  rode  his  big  colt, 
St.  Cloud,  a  misfortune  that  was  a  source  of  great  regret, 
not  only  among  Americans,  but  even  among  English 
turfmen  who  have  cordiaily  recognized  his  sportsman- 
ship and  enterprise. 

In  a  social  and  business  sense,  Mr.  Frank  K.  Sturgis, 


associates  to  be  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Stewards  and 
Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  in  that  position  he  has 
been  both  active  and  influential  to  an  exceptional  degree, 
bringing  to  his  work,  as  a  racing  official,  the  same  com- 
bination of  executive  ability  and  of  capacity  to  command 
respect  and  co-operation  that  have  marked  his  career  in 
other  respects.     His  conspicious  services  to  The  Jockey 


Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  The  Jockey  Club,  is  one  of  Club  have  fully  demonstrated  the  soundness  of  judgment 

the  best  known  and  most  highly  respected  citizens  of  of  his  associates  who  selected  him  for  that   position. 

New  York,  and  also  holds  an  enviable  position  in  the  The  office  is  one  of  exceptional  responsibility  and  labor, 

estimation  of  the  racing  public.     A  native  of  New  York  and  Mr.  Sturgis  assumed  it  much  against  his  inclination. 


City,  he  is  an  example  of 
the  best  type  of  energetic, 
patriotic  citizens  of  the 
metropolis.  Now  a  little 
more  than  fifty  years  of 
age,  he  has  been  identi- 
fied with  financial  affairs 
throughout  his  entire  life, 
and  has  a  reputation  as  a 
financier  second  to  none 
of  his  time.  As  a  mem- 
ber of  the  banking  house 
of  Strong,  Sturgis  &  Co., 
he  has  long  been  an 
important  factor  in  Wall 
Street,  and  the  highest 
honors  in  financial  circles 
in  New  York  have  from 
time  to  time  been  be- 
stowed upon  him.  In 
1892,  and  again  in  1893, 
he  was  elected  President 
of  the  New  York  Stock 
Exchange,  and  in  that 
position  achieved  much 
more  than  local  reputa- 
tion in  the  financial  world. 
Mr.  Sturgis  is  pre-errii- 
nently  one  of  those  gentle- 
men who  dignify  wealth 
and  social  position.  He 
has  displayed  an  active 
interest  in  the  social  and 
benevolent  institutions  01 
the   metropolis,  and    has 

been  conspicious  in  many  of  the  leading  activities  of  the 
city  outside  of  the  purely  business  world. 

As  an  incident  in  his  busy  and  successful  life,  his 
devotion  to  horses  and  racing  has  been  of  a  genuine 
character,  and  none  of  his  associates  have  surpassed  him 
in  the  energetic  and  disinterested  service  he  has  given  to 
the  promotion  of  the  turf  Upon  the  organization  of 
The  Jockey   Club   in     1894,    he    was    selected    by    his 


FRANK   K.   STURGIS 

SECRETARY  AND  TREASURER,  THE  JOCKEY  CLUB 


and  only  upon  the  stren- 
uous insistance  of  his 
friends  that  he  was  pecu- 
liarly fitted  for  it  and  that 
the  best  interests  of  the 
turf  demanded  that  he 
should  make  this  sacrifice 
of  his  personal  wishes. 
He  found  the  work  inci- 
dental to  the  position  not 
without  its  agreeable  fea- 
tures, and  has  executed  its 
duties  with  marked  suc- 
cess, while  the  opportu- 
nity thus  afforded  him  to 
labor  for  the  real  welfare 
of  the  turf  is  one  that  has 
been  a  source  of  consider- 
able satisfaction  to  him. 

While  Mr.  Sturgis'  in- 
terest in  racing  has  been 
mainly  centred  in  the  re- 
sponsible and  dignified 
position  that  he  occupies 
as  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer of  The  Jockey  Club, 
he  has  long  been  promi- 
nent in  other  bodies  which 
are  closely  allied  to  the 
turf  and  which  have  done 
much  to  elevate  the 
standard  of  horseflesh  in 
America  and  to  popu- 
larize the  pursuit  in  con- 
nection with  the  horse. 
Prominent  and  active  in  the  organization  of  the 
Madison  Square  Garden  Company,  he  became  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Directors  and  its  first  President.  The 
National  Horse  Show  Association,  of  which  he  has  been 
an  officer,  owes  much  of  its  success  to  his  active  efforts 
in  its  behalf  and  to  his  prominence  in  its  counsels.  He 
is  also  a  governor  of  the  Turf  and  Field  Club  and  of 
the  Westchester  Racing  Association.     On  the  Board  of 


149 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Directors  of  the  Westchester  Association  he  holds  a 
prominent  place  as  the  particular  representative  of  those 
social  elements  that  gave  to  the  old  Jerome  Park  that 
popularity  and  standing  that  was  its  peculiar  distinc- 
tion and  that  has  been  inherited  by  its  successor. 

In   Mr.    F.    O.    Hanlon,    the     Assistant    Secretary    of 
The  Jockey  Club,  the  organization  has  a  thoroughly  ca- 
pable and  energetic  official.   Much  of  the  executive  work 
falls  to  his  share  and    his   extensive  acquaintance   with 
racing  men  and  famili- 
arity with  turf  affairs      P 
generally  has  enabled      ' 
h  i  m     to     contribute      I 
much   to   the  general 
efficiency  of  the  work 
done  by  the  club. 

Mr.  John  H.  Brad- 
ford, one  of  the  Stew- 
ards of  The  Jockey 
Club  and  Treasurer 
of  the  Coney  Island 
Jockey  Club,  comes  of 
an  old  Massachusetts 
family  that  has  been 
established  in  that  sec- 
tion since  the  earliest 
colonial  days.  He  was 
born  in  England  while 
his  parents  were  trav- 
eling abroad,  but  that 
trifling  circumstance 
has  not  been  sufficient 
to  make  him  other- 
wise than  a  sound  pa- 
triotic American.  His 
early  years  were  pass- 
ed in  Boston,  where 
he  was  brought  up 
and  educated  under 
the  most  wholesome 
New  England  influ- 
ences. His  entire  busi- 
ness life  has  been  spent 
in  New  York,  with 
whose  business  and 
social  institutions  he 
has  long  been  completely  identified.  Interested  in  horses 
from  his  youth,  he  has  been  an  owner  almost  from  the  time 
of  his  earliest  remembrance.  At  one  period  of  his  life  he 
paid  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  the  trotter  and  maintained 
a  private  breeding  establishment  for  horses  of  that  fam- 
ily and  for  roadsters.  For  more  than  twenty-five  years 
however,  the  running  horse  has  commanded  his  atten- 
tion and  enlisted  his  active  labors  in  promotion  of  its 


JOHN    H.    BRADFORD 
STEWARD,    THE   JOCKEY    CLUB 


interests.  His  business  called  him  several  times  a  year 
to  Cincinnati  in  the  seventies,  and  while  there  it  was  the 
most  natural  thing  in  the  world  that  he  should  take  ad- 
vantage of  his  opportunities  to  pay  many  visits  to  Ken- 
tucky, the  Mecca  of  all  good  American  horsemen.  Thus, 
he  became  intimately  acquainted  with  General  Brecken- 
ridge  and  other  noted  turfmen  of  that  section,  and  had 
his  attention  particularly  called  to  the  thoroughbred  to 
which  Kentucky  has  always  been  devoted.    Thus  began 

_       his  first  interest  in  the 

running  horse  that  he 
has  maintained  ever 
since,  finding  it  year 
after  year  a  constantly 
increasing  source  of 
pleasure. 

Soon  his  interest  in 
the  blood  horse  over- 
shadowed that  which 
he  had  hitherto  felt  in 
the  trotter  and  devel- 
oped to  such  an  extent 
that  he  became  an 
important  factor  in 
racing  affairs  in  the 
East.  In  the  early 
years  at  Jerome  Park 
he  was  associated  with 
Mr.  Leonard  Jerome 
and  other  leading  turf- 
men of  that  period  and 
became  identified  with 
the  running  turf  in  an 
active  and  practical 
manner.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  fore 
most  in  the  direction 
of  Eastern  turf  affairs 
and  has  an  enviable 
reputation  forthe  com- 
pleteness and  sound- 
ness of  his  knowledge 
of  the  thoroughbred 
and  of  the  practical  de- 
tails of  racing.  For  a 
period  of  ten  years  he 
was  presiding  judge  of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club. 
That  was  at  a  time  when  the  judges  gave  their  services 
as  a  labor  of  love,  being  actuated  wholly  by  their  unsel- 
fish interest  in  the  sport.  Salaried  judges  were  not  then 
thought  of  as  necessary  or  even  a  desirable  adjunct  to 
race  meetings. 

In  1884,  Mr.  Bradford  became  Treasurer  01  the  Coney 
Island  Jockey  Club  and  has  held  that  position  continuously 


150 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


ever  since.  As  a  Steward  of  The  jockey  Club  he  has  been 
one  of  the  hardest  working  members  of  that  board,  and 
one  upon  whose  judgment  and  practical  knowledge 
great  dependence  is  placed.  He  is  a  profound  believer  in 
the  great  future  of  the  American  turf,  and  is  confident  that 
the  reforms  that  have  been  instituted  in  its  management 
in  recent  years  have  laid  the  foundation  for  a  success 
that  is  likely  to  surpass  anything  that  has  ever  been  seen 
in  this  country  at  any  time  in  the  past.  He  believes  that 
we  may  look  more  and  more  for  favorable  legislation 
throughout  the  country  that  will  advance  the  cause  of  rac- 
ing and  stimulate  breeding  interests,  and  is  confident  that 
ultimately  the  central  racing  authority  that  has  been 
established  under  charter  from  the  State  of  New  York 
will  make  its  power  felt  in  the  West,  even  as  it  is  now 
paramount  in  the  East.  Other  reforms  are  warmly  ad- 
vocated by  him  as  means  toward  the  general  promotion 
of  the  general  welfare  of  the  turf.  He  believes  that  the 
raising  of  weights  which  will  permit 
competent  jockeys  to  remain  longer  in  /-'^^ 

the  saddle,  will  improve  the  quality  of 
racing,  and  hopes  ultimately  to  see  all 
barriers  done  away  with  at  the  starting 
post,  so  that  flying,  not  standing,  starts 
will  prevail. 

Mr.  Francis  R.  Hitchcock,  Steward  ot 
the  Jockey  Club,  belongs  to  one  of  the 
leading  families  of  New  York  and  is  de- 
scended from  Matthias  Hitchcock,  who 
came  from  London  to  the  Massachu- 
setts Colony  in  1635.  The  family  is 
among  the  oldest  in  England,  going 
back  in  its  history  to  the  time  of  William 
the  Conqueror.  In  New  England,  de- 
scendants of  the  pioneer,  Matthias  Hitch- 
cock, have,  for  more  than  two  cen- 
turies and  a  half,  been  numbered 
among  the  leading  and  most  influential 
people  in  the  public,  professional  and 
social  life  of  that  section  of  the  coun- 
try. Mr.  Thomas  Hitchcock,  the  father  ot  Mr. 
F.  R.  Hitchcock,  has  been  well  known  in  New  York  as 
a  lawyer  and,  later  in  life,  as  a  journalist  and  writer  upon 
financial  topics.  Mr.  F.  R.  Hitchcock,  who  is  a  native 
of  New  York  City,  has  been  thoroughly  identified  with 
the  best  social  life  of  the  metropolis  in  this  generation. 
He  is  a  graduate  from  Columbia  University.  For  many 
years  he  has  taken  a  very  active  and  influential  part  in 
those  sports  that  most  attract  the  gentlemen  of  the 
period.  Particularly  interested  in  horsemanship,  he  is 
known  as  one  of  the  best  gentlemen  riders  in  and  about 
New  York.  His  special  distinction  in  this  direction  has 
been  gained  as  Master  of  the  Meadow  Brook  Hunt.  His 
racing  colors  are  all  green,  gold  tassel.     As  a  member  of 


ANDREW    MILLER 
STEWARD,    THE  JOCKEY    CLUB 


the  Board  of  Stewards  of  The  Jockey  Club  his  services 
have  been  of  unquestioned  value,  alike  by  reason  of  his 
intimate  knowledge  of  horses  and  racing  methods  and 
his  abiding  concern  for  the  healthful  future  of  racing. 

One  of  the  most  constant  attendants  at  the  great  race 
meetings  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  Mr.  Andrew 
Miller  has  a  large  personal  popularity  with  all  the  various 
elements  that  make  up  the  turf  world.  His  position  in 
this  respect  is  the  more  notable  and  worthy  of  more  than 
ordinary  attention  from  the  fact  that  he  is  universally 
recognized  as  a  representative  of  the  small,  but  influ- 
ential body  of  sportsmen  who  follow  the  races  from  pure 
love  of  the  horse,  and  for  the  delight  that  the  sport 
affords  them.  In  these  days,  when  the  business  side  of 
the  turf  has  come  into  such  remarkable  prominence,  and 
has  at  times  threatened  even  to  entirely  dominate  all 
racing  affairs,  the  existence  of  disinterested  sportsmen 
like  Mr.  Miller,  who  are  true  to  the  best  traditions  of  the 
old-time  turf,  is  a  saving  force  for  which 
all  true  turfmen  should  be  duly  grateful. 
Without  this  element,  whose  interest 
in  racing  is  unalloyed  by  pecuniary  in- 
terests of  any  description  whatsoever, 
the  turf  at  the  present  day  would  be  in 
an  unenviable  condition,  and  its  pros- 
perous and  honorable  future  a  matter  of 
reasonable  doubt. 

Such  gentlemen  as  Mr.  Miller,  who 
hold  assured  positions  in  the  social, 
literary  and  business  world,  are  now 
rendering  the  turf  an  incalculable  ser- 
vice. Their  presence  in  the  counsels  of 
turf  organizations,  as  well  as  their 
patronage  of  the  sport  at  the  track, 
gives  dignity  to  racing  and  contributes 
to  its  elevation  in  the  estimation  of  the 
general  public,  and  does  much  toward 
offsetting  the  unwarranted  prejudice 
that  still  exists,  even  though  now  in 
a  modified  degree,  in  some  quarters, 
concerning  racing  affairs. 

Mr.  Miller's  career  has  been  more  than  ordinarily  suc- 
cessful in  all  respects.  Although  a  native  of  Canada, 
having  been  born  in  Hamilton,  Ont,  in  February,  1857, 
he  is  as  loyal  an  American  and  as  thorough  a  believer  in 
American  institutions  as  he  could  be  had  he  been  born 
on  this  side  of  the  line.  His  education  was  secured  in 
Harvard  University,  from  which  institution  he  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1880.  Early  in  life  he  mani- 
fested a  decided  inclination  for  literary  pursuits  and 
naturally  determined  to  devote  himself  to  letters.  With 
this  object  in  mind  he  engaged  in  newspaper  pursuits 
after  completing  his  college  education,  and,  coming  to 
New  York,  was  for  a  number  of  years  editorially  con- 


151 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


nected  with  lending  New  York  papers.  After  a  time  he 
established  the  weekly,  known  as  Life,  which  under  his 
direction  has  been  wholly  successful,  both  in  an  artistic 
and  pecuniary  sense  and  which,  at  the  present  time,  ranks 
as  one  of  the  most  influential  periodicals  devoted  to 
social  topics  that  is  published  in  the  English  language. 

Ownership  of  horses  has  never  engaged  the  attention 
of  Mr.  Miller,  nor  has  he  been  otherwise  identified  with 
the  business  side  of  the  turf  While  an  admirer  of  the 
thoroughbred  and  an  enthusiast  over  that  animal's  per- 
formances, his  interest  in  the  subject  from  the  purely 
practical  point  of  view  has  never  led  him  to  be  anything 
more  than  an  observer  of  breeding,  owning,  training 
and  racing.  Nevertheless,  he  has  had  a  long  and  honor- 
able connection  with  racing  affairs  and  enjoys  the  per- 
sonal friendship  and  confidence  of  all  the  prominent  men 
engaged  in  the  sport.  His  standing  and  influence  is 
more  recognized  and  his  influence  is  more  powerful  from 
the  very  fact  of  the  wholly  disinterested  attitude  that  he 
is  able  to  maintain  toward  all  racing  affairs. 

For  these  reasons  he  is  held  in  specially  high  esteem 
by  his  associates,  and  has  been  frequently  called  upon  to 
occupy  positions  of  responsibility  and  prominence  in 
connection  with  racing  associations  and  in  the  manage- 
ment of  tracks.  For  four  years  he  served  on  the  com- 
mittee in  charge  of  the  Fleetwood  Course  and  presided 
over  that  organization  in  1895.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
members  of  The  Jockey  Club,  joining  that  organization 
in  the  first  year  of  its  existence.  During  the  last  two 
years  he  has  been  one  of  its  stewards.  As  a  keen  judge 
of  horses,  Mr.  Miller  has  few  superiors,  for  he  has  made 
a  close  study  of  the  thoroughbred  from  the  time  of  his 
first  interest  in  the  animal.  He  is  a  recognized  authority 
upon  the  history  and  ethics  of  the  turf. 

Mr.  James  Galway  represents  on  the  Board  of  Stewards 
of  The  Jockey  Club,  in  the  fullest  sense,  the  breeding  and 
racing  element  that  is  at  the  foundation  of  all  turf  pros- 
perity. He  has  long  been  well  known  upon  all  the 
leading  race  courses  of  the  country,  while  his  stable  has 
been  particularly  conspicuous  at  the  metropolitan  meet- 
ings. He  has  given  a  lifetime  to  the  study  of  the 
thoroughbred,  and  to  the  advancement  of  racing  inter- 
ests, and  his  black,  yellow  sleeves,  cherry  cap,  has  often 
been  first  by  the  post  in  many  important  events.  In 
recent  years  he  has  been  particularly  identified  with  the 
turf  as  the  Master  of  the  Preakness  Stud.  This  institu- 
tion was  first  made  famous  by  the  late  Mr.  M.  H.  San- 
ford.  When  that  gentleman  abandoned  racing  in  1881 
he  sold  the  establishment  to  Mr.  Galway,  who,  in  the 
years  that  have  since  gone  by,  has  not  only  maintained 
it  in  the  high  reputation  that  it  had  in  the  years  of  its 
earlier  history,  but  has  developed  and  improved  it  to  a 
remarkable  degree.  Some  of  the  great  horses  of  the 
present  generation  have  carried  Mr.  Galway's  colors.     A 


complete  list  of  them  would  be  long  and  interesting  and 
would  include  many  notable  names.  We  should  recall 
Euclid  by  imported  Glenelg  out  of  The  Nun;  Buccaneer 
by  imported  Buckden  out  of  Jenny  McKinney;  Macbeth 
by  Macaroon  out  of  Jersey  Belle;  Fon  du  Lac  by  Glen- 
garry out  of  Hop;  Trombone  by  Great  Tom  out  of  Duet; 
Himalaya  by  Virgil  out  of  Kentucky  Belle;  Hidalgo  by 
King  Alfonso  out  of  Ultima,  and  a  score  or  more  of 
others  famed  in  racing  annals.  Mr.  Galway  has  brought 
to  his  position  as  a  steward  of  The  Jockey  Club  a  wide 
and  practical  experience  in  everything  that  pertains  to 
breeding  and  racing,  and  from  that  point  of  view, 
particularly,  has  rendered  important  service  to  the  club 
in  carrying  out  its  ideas  and  to  racing  interests  generally, 

The  Racing  Secretary  of  The  Jockey  Club,  Mr.  Walter 
S.  Vosburgh,  has  had  a  notable  career  as  a  racing  official. 
Having  served  a  long  apprenticeship  in  journalism,  he 
became  well  and  favorably  known  in  the  newspaper 
world.  As  a  writer  upon  turf  subjects,  he  has  not  only 
been  prolific,  but  his  literary  work  has  been  of  wholly 
admirable  character.  Few  Americans  of  this  generation 
have  made  a  closer  study  of  the  thoroughbred,  and  his 
original  investigations,  particularly  in  the  direction  of 
pedigrees,  and  touching  the  potency  of  different  equine 
families,  have  been  of  the  most  painstaking  and  valuable 
character.  Some  of  the  papers  that  he  has  written  upon 
this  particular  subject  have  a  value  not  surpassed  by 
anything  of  like  character  that  has  ever  been  produced 
in  this  country  or  in  England.  As  a  handicapper,  Mr. 
Vosburgh  has  long  been  credited  with  a  skill  second  to 
no  man  connected  with  the  American  turf.  He  has 
always  been  one  of  the  hardest  working  officials  con- 
nected with  the  metropolitan  race  courses.  When  the 
Board  of  Control,  that  preceded  The  Jockey  Club  in  the 
direction  of  metropolitan  racing  affairs,  was  in  existence, 
he  was  its  secretary.  At  the  same  time  he  did  handi- 
capping for  the  New  York  Jockey  Club  and  the  Mon- 
mouth Park  Association.  In  all  matters  relating  to 
handicapping  and  to  turf  law,  he  is  an  admitted 
authority. 

No  gentleman  identified  with  racing  in  the  North  is 
more  truly  representative  of  all  that  is  best  in  the  life 
and  history  of  the  metropolis  than  Colonel  Lawrence 
Kip.  He  is  the  prominent  representative  in  his  genera- 
tion of  a  fiunily  whose  record  dates  back  to  the  earliest 
days  of  the  settlement  of  New  Amsterdam.  Descended 
from  a  French  knight  of  distinguished  origin,  his  ances- 
tor, Hendrick  Hendrickzen  Kip,  came  to  the  New  World 
before  1643,  and  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  the 
New  Amsterdam  colony.  The  descendants  of  this 
pioneer  have  in  every  generation  since  the  arrival  of 
their  progenitor  been  pre-eminently  distinguished  in  the 
social,  business  and  civic  life  of  the  metropolis.  They 
have  been  connected  in  marriage  with  many  of  the  great 


152 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


colonuil  fiimilies  of  New  York,  and  among  them  have 
been  men  of  distinction  in  every  walk  of  public  life. 
Without  the  Kips  many  pages  of  New  York's  history 
for  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  would  be  far  less  bril- 
liant and  important  than  they  now  are. 

Colonel  Kip  has  had  a  career  eminently  worthy  of  his 
ancestry.  Son  of  the  Right  Reverend  William  Ingraham 
Kip,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  California,  he  was  educated  for 
military  life,  being  graduated  from  West  Point  in  1857, 
receiving  his  commis- 
sion as  Second  Lieu- 
tenant  of  Artillery. 
During  the  Civil  War 
he  served  as  a  member 
of  the  staff  of  General 
Philip  Sheridan,  and  for 
gallantry  at  Five  Forks 
in  1865  received  the 
Brevet  rank  of  Major 
and  Lieutenant-Colonel. 
Resigning  from  the  mil- 
itary service  in  1867,  he 
has  since  devoted  him- 
self to  civic  pursuits  and 
-to  some  extent  has  en- 
gaged in  literary  work, 
having  published  an  ac- 
count of  his  military 
experiences  under  the 
title  of  Army  Life  on 
the  Pacific.  He  has 
been  foremost  in  many 
of  the  great  movements 
that  have  enlisted  the 
attention  of  prominent 
New  Yorkers  for  the 
advancement  of  the  ma- 
terial, social  and  other 
interest  of  the  munici- 
pality in  the  present 
generation,  is  particu- 
larly a  leader  in  social 
circles  and  an  influen- 
tial adviser  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  affairs  of 
many  of  the  institutions 
that  are  peculiar  to  New 
York  City.  Always  interested  in  horses,  Colonel  Kip  has 
long  been  recognized  as  a  high  authority  upon  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  running  horse,  the  trotter  and  the  road- 
ster. He  has  been  prominent  among  the  most  active  sup- 
porters of  the  National  Horse  Show  Association  of 
which,  for  several  years,  he  has  been  Vice-President. 
His  exhibits  at  the  horse  show,  year  after  year,  have  been 


notable  features  of  those  occasions,  and  his  horses  have 
carried  off  many  of  the  choicest  prizes.  For  more  than 
two  decades  he  has  maintained  a  deep  and  active  inter- 
est in  the  running  turf.  His  first  definite  association 
with  racing  affairs  was  in  connection  with  Jerome  Park  in 
the  lifetime  of  that  grand  old  sportsman,  Mr.  Leonard  W. 
Jerome.  The  active  part  that  he  then  took  in  the  man- 
agement of  racing  served  to  increase  his  enthusiasm  for 
the  thoroughbred,  and  to  lead  him  into  more  important 

relations  with  the  turf. 
In  1884,  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Coney 
Island  Jockey  Club,  and 
the  high  reputation  that 
he  already  enjoyed  as  a 
turfman  was  fully  recog- 
nized by  his  associates 
by  his  election,  shortly 
afterward,  as  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors. Within  one  short 
year  thereafter  his  ser- 
vices were  still  further 
called  for  as  a  member 
of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee, while  two  years 
later  he  was  elected  to 
be  Vice-President  of  the 
club.  This  latter  posi- 
tion he  continued  to 
hold  until  the  death  of 
the  president  of  the 
club,  Mr.  James  G.  K. 
Lawrence,  in  1895.  He 
was  then  elected  Presi- 
dent, and  since  that 
time  has  continued  to 
be  the  directing  mind 
of  the  organization. 

Much  of  the  success 
of  the  Coney  Island 
Jockey  Club  in  these 
later  years  has  been 
unquestionably  due  to 
Colonel  Kip,  who  has 
proved  himself  to  be 
a  worthy  successor  of 
those  notable  turfmen,  Mr.  Lawrence  and  Mr.  Leon- 
ard W.  Jerome,  who  preceded  him  in  its  presidency. 
He  has  given  unceasing  attention  to  every  phase 
of  its  affairs,  and  in  this  work  has  had  the  cordial 
co-operation  of  the  other  officers  of  the  club,  each  of 
whom  devotes  many  hours  a  day  to  the  promotion  of  its 
interests.     All  the  officers  of  the  club  are  intimate  per- 


LAWRENCE   KIP 

PRESIDENT,    CONEY    ISLAND   JOCKEY   CLUB 


153 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


sonal  friends  of  long  standing,  a  "state  of  affairs  that,  if 
not  altogether  unique  in  the  history  of  racing,  is  at  least 
not  frequently  met  with.  To  this  important  fact  is  also 
to  some  extent  undoubtedly  due  the  success  that  has 
come  to  the  club  and  the  course.  The  officers  all  work 
in  the  greatest  harmony  in  their  various  positions,  and 
are  unselfishly  devoted  to  the  proper  management  of  the 
turf.  Among  them  Colonel  Kip  is  naturally  recognized 
as  leader,  not  only  by  virtue  of  his  official  position, 
but  also  by  reason  of  his  thorough  mastery  of  all  turf 
affiurs  and  his  ability 
in  management  and 
control,  and  in  the 
solution  of  the  many 
puzzling  problems  that 
daily  arise  in  the  admin- 
istration of  such  an  im- 
portant institution.  His 
success  is  especially 
seen  in  the  high  esteem 
in  which  the  Coney  Isl- 
and Jockey  Club  is  held 
by  the  public,  and  in 
the  cordial  relations 
which  all  the  great  turf- 
men of  the  country  are 
glad  to  maintain  tow- 
ard it. 

Mr.  Cornelius  Fel- 
lowes  is  a  type  of  the 
gentlemen  of  Southern 
birth  who,  in  these  later 
years  of  the  century, 
have  become  prime  fac- 
tors in  the  social  and 
business  life  of  New 
York.  He  is  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  having 
been  born  in  Louisville 
in  1840.  He  came  of 
one  of  the  old  Southern 
families,  his  father 
beingWilliam  Fellowes, 
who  was  a  native  of 
New  Pitt,  North  Caro- 
lina, where  he  was  born  in  1802.  The  parents  ot 
William  Fellowes  were  Jonathan  and  Elizabeth  Fel- 
lowes, both  of  whom  were  members  of  old  North 
Carolina  families.  William  Fellowes  made  his  reputa- 
tion as  a  merchant  in  the  dry  goods  business  in  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  having  also  a  branch  establishment  in  New 
Orleans.  About  1846,  he  removed  to  New  York  City 
and  engaged  in  business.  Later  in  life  he  owned  plan- 
tations and  other  property  in  various  parts  of  the  South 


CORNELIUS   FELLOWES 

SECRETARY,    CONEY    ISLAND   JOCKEY   CLUB 


and  was  interested  in   mining  enterprises   and    also    in 
the  Panama  Railroad. 

Brought  to  New  York  by  his  parents  when  he  was  a 
mere  child,  Mr.  Cornelius  Fellowes  has  been  completely 
identified  with  the  metropolis  throughout  his  entire  life. 
His  alliance  with  turf  affairs  began  with  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club,  of  which  he  was 
one  of  the  original  members,  and  with  which  he  has 
maintained  an  active  connection  ever  since.  He  was  the 
first  Vice-President  of  the  Club  and  held  that  position 

continuously  until  1890, 
when  he  succeeded  to 
the  Secretaryship,  fol- 
lowing Mr.  J.  G.  K. 
Lawrence,  who  had 
been  elected  President. 
That  position  he  has 
held  down  to  the  pres- 
ent time.  His  general 
interest  in  the  horse 
also  led  him  to  active 
work  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  National 
Horse  Show  Associa- 
tion, of  which  he  is  Pres- 
ident. His  connection 
with  The  Jockey  Club 
and  the  Horse  Show 
Association  was  due  to 
his  unswerving  belief 
in  the  great  future  of 
the  blood  horse  and  of 
other  equine  families. 

Believing  that  for  the 
purpose  of  advancing 
the  interests  of  breeding 
and  improving  and  de- 
veloping the  character 
of  the  horse,  organi- 
zations of  the  character 
of  those  just  referred  to, 
were  capable  of  exercis- 
ing a  powerful  in- 
fluence, he  has  devoted 
much  time  and  effort  to 
them.  He  regards  both  organizations  as  among  the 
most  important  factors  that  we  have  ever  had  in  this 
country  in  bringing  about  the  much  desired  results  at 
which  they  aimed.  Especially  the  National  Horse  Show 
Association  has  had  an  influence  of  the  most  notable 
character,  as  is  seen,  not  alone  in  the  attention 
that  is  given  to  its  annual  exhibitions,  both  by  the 
public  and  by  newspapers,  but  also  in  the  decided 
change   in   the   character   of  horseflesh   and   in   equip- 


154 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


ments  and  traps.  Within  the  last  few  years  the 
advance  in  these  directions  in  all  parts  of  the  country 
has  been  especially  notable,  so  much  so,  that  our  fash- 
ionable thoroughfares,  especially  in  New  York,  can  now 
show  turnouts  that  in  respect  to  horses  and  eciuipnients 
are  quite  comparable  with  any  that  can  be  seen  else- 
where in  the  world. 

One  of  the  notable  army  of  American  turfmen  that 
performed  such  a  great  work  for  the  cause  of  racing  in 
the  United  States  in  the  years  immediately  following  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War,  was  Colonel  M.  Lewis  Clark,  of 
Kentucky.  For  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  he  has 
been  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  figures  in 
American  turf  history. 
His  career  is  worthy  of 
particular  attention  for 
the  reason  that  he  en- 
tered upon  the  work  of 
developing  the  turf  at 
a  time  when  and  in  a 
section  of  the  country 
where  the  situation 
was  very  discouraging. 
While  in  the  North  rac- 
ing had  already  revived 
and  had  entered  upon 
a  new  life  that  was  bril- 
liant and  full  of  prom- 
ise, in  the  South,  as  we 
have  had  frequent  occa- 
sions on  other  pages  of 
this  volume  to  point 
out,  it  still  remained  at  a 
very  low  ebb.  The  three 
New  York  courses,  Jer- 
ome Park,  Saratoga 
and  Monmouth,  almost 
monopolized  the  racing 
of  the  country.  With  all 
due  credit  to  the  men  of 
the  North,  who  were 
the  pioneers  in  this  re- 
vival, it   must  be   said 

that  they  worked  under  conditions  that  were  fairly 
favorable  to  carrying  out  the  enterprise  which  they 
undertook.  The  wealthy  men  of  the  North  had 
plenty  of  money  with  which  to  purchase  thor- 
oughbreds and  to  found  such  race  courses  as  Jerome 
Park,  Saratoga  and  Monmouth.  They  had,  too,  all  the 
advantage  that  comes  from  co-operation  of  many  men  of 
similar  minds  and  financial  and  social  standing.  It  was 
the  fashion  to  be  interested  in  racing  at  that  time  in  the 
North,  and  there  was  plenty  of  means  to  be  secured  for 


the  support  of  the  institution,  alike  from  patriotic  turf- 
men and  the  outside  public  desirous  of  witnessing  good 
sport. 

In  the  South  the  situation  was  entirely  reversed.  There 
were  only  three  important  courses  in  that  section,  those 
at  Lexington,  Nashville  and  New  Orleans.  Such  racing 
as  was  there  conducted  was  very  limited,  while  the 
added  money  to  stakes  and  purses  was  small.  The  love 
of  the  thoroughbred  had  never  died  out  in  the  South,  yet 
it  was  now  impossible  for  the  people  to  give  that  atten- 
tion to  racing  that  had  been  characteristic  of  the  section 
before  the  war.     They  had,  for  the  moment,  little  means 

and  little  disposition  to 
indulge    in    the    sport, 
and    the    few    devoted 
turfmen  who  took  upon 
themselves  the  work  of 
reviving    turf    interests 
labored  under  most  un- 
promising     conditions. 
They   were   obliged   to 
stand  almost  alone  and 
with  comparatively  lit- 
tle  of   that   social    and 
financial  encouragement 
that  is  essential  to  the 
prosperity   of   such    an 
institution.    It  is,  there- 
fore,    greatly     to     the 
credit  of  such   men  as 
Colonel  Clark,  and  a  few 
others  who  were  asso- 
ciated   with    him,    that 
they  were  able  and  will- 
ing  to    undertake    this 
herculean  task  at  a  time 
when  the  future  looked 
so  dark,  and  that  they 
succeeded  so  admirably 
in  their  purposes  and  in 
ultimately  bringing  for- 
ward  the    turf    at    the 
South  to  a  position  of 
such   standing    as   that 
which   it    now    occupies.     One    of   the    most    serious 
phases   of    the    situation    was   the    decreased    demand 
for  thoroughbreds   and   the    consequent    depression   of 
the    business   upon    which   the    breeders   of   Kentucky 
and   Tennessee    had    for    generations    depended.     Not 
only   were  sales    comparatively   few,    but   prices   were 
correspondingly  low,  and  some  of  the  Southern  breed- 
ers were    even    considering    the    advisability  of    going 
out    of    business     entirely.      The    problem     that    con- 
fronted the  breeding  interests  of  the  South  was  how  to 


M.    LEWIS    CLARK 


155 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


create  a  new  demand  for  the  blood  horse.  This  was  no 
slight  undertaking,  and  to  bring  about  the  desired  change 
demanded  a  careful  study  of  conditions  of  breeding  and 
racing,  not  only  in  this  country,  but  also  abroad.  Col- 
onel Clark  undertook  this  particular  work.  In  the  North 
he  thoroughly  familiarized  himself  with  the  situation  and 
with  the  outlook  for  the  future  and  then  went  to  Europe. 
Remaining  abroad  for  several  years  he  made  a  careful 
study  of  the  turf  systems  of  England  and  France  and  of 
the  causes  that  had  led  to  their  greatness.  He  enjoyed 
the  intimate  acquaintance  of  the  leaders  of  the  turf  in 
England  and  France,  receiving  from  them  much  valuable 
information  and  being  materially  assisted  in  his  investi- 
gations. For  some  time  he  was  the  guest  of  the  great 
Admiral  Rous,  "  the  father  of  English  racing,"  and  from 
him  learned  many  things  that  were  of  subsequent  value 
in  carrying  out  plans  for  the  rejuvenation  of  the  turf  in 
this  country. 

Returning  home,  Colonel  Clark  proceeded  to  interest 
the  breeders  of  Kentucky,  and  with  their  co-operation 
organized  a  jockey  club  in  Louisville,  and  brought  about 
the  establishment  of  stakes  modeled  after  the  classic 
events  of  the  English  turf.  The  Kentucky  Derby  was 
the  first  fruit  of  his  plans,  and  in  addition  he  originated 
and  established  the  Kentucky  Oaks,  the  Kentucky  St. 
Leger,  the  Louisville  Cup  and  many  other  stakes  which 
have  since  become  historic.  One  of  these  in  particular 
was  the  Great  American  Stallion  Stakes,  where  breeders 
were  compelled  to  nominate  the  sires  before  their  colts 
and  fillies  were  eligible  for  entry.  The  Futurity  of  the 
Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  is  similar  to  this  stake,  the 
nomination  of  the  dam  being  required  instead  of  the 
sire.  The  first  president  of  the  Louisville  Jockey  Club, 
Colonel  Clark,  more  than  any  other  one  man  established 
that  organization  firmly  in  the  hearts  of  Western  turf- 
men, and  he  has  ever  since  been  unceasing  in  his  labors 
in  the  interest  of  the  Western  race  courses. 

For  over  twenty  years  Colonel  Clark  has  acted  as  pre- 
siding judge  in  that  part  of  the  country.  His  first  ap- 
pearance in  the  grand  stand  at  Louisville  was  upon  the 
occasion  of  the  first  Kentucky  Derby,  in  1875,  and  he 
has  kept  his  place  there  ever  since.  He  has  also  presided 
over  the  racing  meetings  at  Memphis,  Nashville,  Oakley, 
Dallas  and  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  has  been  the  presid- 
ing judge  at  the  meetings  of  the  Chicago  Harlem  Course. 
He  is  the  author  of  many  of  the  turf  rules  of  the  present 
day  and  founder  of  the  first  American  Turf  Congress  that 
was  organized  to  control  the  racing  of  the  West.  He  is 
also  to  be  credited  with  several  important  innovations  in 
turf  practice,  being  the  maker  of  the  first  uniform  scale 
of  weights  and  the  author  of  many  notable  reforms  that 
have  tended  to  the  purification  of  the  turf.  As  a  judge, 
he  has  always  had  the  reputation  of  being  fearless  and 
honest  and  actuated  by  an  abiding  sense  of  responsibility 


to  the  public.  Dishonest  owners  and  turf  speculators 
have  never  been  able  to  cajole  or  deceive  hirn,  and  his 
sound  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  the  turf  and  his  shrewd- 
ness in  detecting  trickery  have  been  proverbial.  Cour- 
ageous, unprejudiced  and  absolutely  impartial,  he  has 
made  an  enduring  name  for  himself. 

Probably  no  racing  official  now  before  the  public  is 
more  widely  known  in  his  special  functions  than  Mr. 
Joseph  John  Burke.  As  steward  or  presiding  judge  he 
has  officiated  at  every  centre  of  horse  racing  in  the 
United  States  and  Canada.  Born  at  Portsmouth,  Va., 
in  i8i3.  Judge  Burke  is  now  in  the  prime  of  life,  after 
twenty-five  years  of  practical  experience  among  all 
classes  of  racing  men.  His  turf  education  was  begun  in 
the  office  of  The  Spirit  of  the  Times,  in  1870.  Then  Mr. 
Charles  J.  Foster  was  the  turf  editor  of  that  journal,  and 
there,  and  afterward  on  The  New  York  Sportsman,  it  was 
Mr.  Burke's  good  fortune  to  be  intimately  associated 
with  Mr.  Foster  for  many  years.  Largely  through  his 
connection  with  these  turf  publications  Judge  Burke 
became  closely  connected  wiih  the  racing  world,  and  has 
met  and  known  nearly  every  prominent  breeder  and  turf- 
man who  has  bred  and  raised  horses  in  this  country. 

As  a  racing  official,  Judge  Burke  has  had  a  long,  active 
and  honorable  career.  He  has  served  as  presiding  judge 
at  the  following  race  courses :  At  Washington  Park,  Chi- 
cago, five  consecutive  seasons,  beginning  with  1890;  at 
St.  Louis,  four  consecufive  seasons;  at  Saratoga,  three 
seasons;  at  Cincinnati,  one  season;  at  Buffalo  (Fort 
Erie),  one  season;  in  California,  two  seasons;  at  Tor- 
onto, one  season;  at  Hamilton,  one  season;  at  Niagara 
Falls,  one  season;  at  Washington,  D.  C,  one  season;  at 
the  North  Hudson  Driving  Park,  New  Jersey,  five  sea- 
sons; at  Providence,  R.  I.,  one  season;  at  Boston,  one 
season,  and  at  Brighton  Beach,  five  seasons.  In  1891, 
Messrs.  August  Belmont,  J.  H.  Bradford  and  P.  J.  Dwyer 
named  him  to  be  steward  at  the  meetings  of  the  Coney 
Island  Jockey  Club,  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club,  the 
Brighton  Beach  Course  and  the  Aqueduct  Course. 

In  the  discharge  of  his  duties  Judge  Burke  has  been 
called  upon  to  note  and  analyze  the  performances  of 
most  of  the  great  horses  of  the  present  era.  Jockeys  of 
all  degrees  of  merit  have  come  before  him  for  judicial 
examination,  and  owners  of  erratic  performers  have  been 
called  upon  to  explain  the  peculiarities  of  their  horses. 
That  he  has  been  able  to  maintain  his  popularity  with  all 
classes  of  turfmen  and  at  the  same  time  give  satisfaction 
to  the  public,  is  a  complete  demonstration  of  his  remark- 
able fitness  for  the  position  that  he  has  so  long  and  so 
successfully  held.  As  a  judge  of  outward  physical  con- 
dition he  probably  has  no  superior;  but  it  is  only  natural 
to  expect  this,  perhaps,  in  a  man  who  has  had  the 
superior  advantage  of  looking  on  from  a  judicial  throne 
at  so  many  of  the   great    equine    struggles   that   have 


i.s6 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


WILLIAM    K.    VANDERBILT 

VICE-PRESIDENT,     CONEY    ISLAND    JOCKEY    CLUB 


IS6 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


JOHN    G.    HECKSCHER 

VICE-PRESIDENT,     CONEY     ISLAND     JOCKEY    CLUB 


156 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


glorified  the  American  turf  in  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Mr.  H.  G.  Crickmore  lias  brougiit  to  his  position  as  a 
racing  official  the  experience  of  a  lifetime  spent  in  the 
study  of  horses.  Although  he  has  never  been  engaged 
in  racing  or  breeding,  there  are  few  owners  or  breeders 
who  have  a  more  complete  knowledge  of  the  thorough- 
bred and  his  capabilities.  For  many  years  Mr.  Crick- 
more  was  the  turf  editor  of  The  New  York  World,  and 
there  gained  a  reputation  as  one  of  the  best  informed 
and  most  brilliant  turf  writers  in  the  United  States.  He 
also  started  and  for  many  years  published  Krik's  Guide, 
which  during  its  existence  was  the  recognized  authority 
relating  to  turf  records,  and  is  now  regarded  as  an  inval- 
uable compendium  of  turf  history  for  the  period  which 
it  covered.  In  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  turf  history 
of  the  present  quarter  of  a  century  Mr.  Crickmore  has 
long  been  considered  a  superior  authority,  and  few  men 
are  more  familiar  with  the  earlier  history  of  the  turf  in 
this  country  and  England.  He  is  now  secretary  of  the 
Westchester  Racing  Association,  and  in  that  position 
finds  congenial  occupation  in  arranging  and  watching 
over  the  race  meetings  at  Morris  Park.  In  addition,  he 
is  the  racing  secretary  of  the  National  Steeplechase  and 
Hunt  Association.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
capable  and  most  useful  racing  officials  known  to  the 
Metropolitan  turf. 

Any  consideration  of  the  racing  officials  past  and  pres- 
ent, whose  services  have  availed  to  advance  and  conserve 
the  cause  of  racing,  would  be  manifestly  incomplete 
without  some  reference  to  the  many  gentlemen  who 
have  ably  officiated  .at  the  important  race  meetings  all 
over  the  country  in  the  present  time.  A  mere  citation  of 
the  names  of  some  of  these  leading  officials  in  the  year 
1897,  for  example,  will  suffice  to  indicate  the  charac- 
ter of  those  in  whose  hands  the  welfare  of  the  con- 
temporaneous turf  has  been  placed.  The  officials  at  the 
great  courses  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  have  become 
familiar  to  all  metropolitan  racing  patrons.  The  West- 
chester Racing  Association,  with  headquarters  at  Morris 
Park,  in  the  year  referred  to  was  presided  over  by  Messrs. 
August  Belmont,  James  Galway  and  Andrew  Miller,  as 
stewards  of  the  meeting.  The  clerk  of  the  course  was 
Mr.  H.  G.  Crickmore,  and  the  judges,  Messrs.  C. 
McDowell  and  R.  W.  Simmons.  At  the  meetings  of 
the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club,  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club 
and  the  Brighton  Beach  Association,  Messrs.  Simmons 
and  McDowell  also  officiated  as  judges. 

The  president  of  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club  was  Mr. 
P.  J.  Dwyer,  the  secretary,  Mr.  H.  D.  Mclntyre,  and  the 
stewards,  Messrs.  P.  J.  Dwyer,  Andrew  Miller  and  F.  R. 
Hitchcock.  The  affairs  of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club 
were  ably  directed  by  its  president.  Colonel  Lawrence 
Kip,  and  its  secretary,  Mr.  Cornelius  Fellowes,  while  the 
stewards  of  the  meeting  were  Messrs.  J.  H.  Bradford,  F. 


R.  Hitchcock  and  H.  K.  Knapp.  The  Brighton  Beach 
Course  was  controlled  by  the  Brighton  Beach  Racing  Asso- 
ciation, of  which  Mr.  William  A.  Engeman  is  president  and 
Mr.  Charles  V.  Sass,  secretary.  The  stewards  of  the  meet- 
ing were  Messrs.  C.  McDowell,  W.  A.  Engeman  and 
Sheridan  Clark,  and  the  judges  Messrs.  R.  W.  Simmons 
and  W.  C.  Cozier.  Racing  at  the  Aqueduct  Course  was 
controlled  by  the  Queens  County  Jockey  Club,  with  Mr. 
Thomas  D.  Reilly,  president,  and  Fred  Rehberger,  secre- 
tary. The  stewards  of  the  meeting  were  Clarence 
McDowell  and  Thomas  D.  Reilly,  and  the  judge  William 
C.  Cozier.  Mr.  Edward  Kearney,  president,  and  Mr.  B. 
A.  Chilton,  secretary,  of  the  Saratoga  Association,  are 
well  known  to  all  members  of  the  racing  fraternity  in 
every  part  of  the  United  States.  The  stewards  of  the 
Saratoga  Meeting  were  Messrs.  W.  S.  Vosburgh  and  M. 
N.  Nolan,  and  the  judge  Mr.  W.  L.  Powers.  Racing  at 
the  Bennings  Course,  Washington,  D.  C,  which  is  con- 
ducted under  the  rules  of  The  Jockey  Club,  has  long  been 
managed  by  the  Washington  Jockey  Club,  of  which  Mr. 
S.  S.  Howland  is  the  president  and  Mr.  H.  G.  Crickmore 
the  clerk  of  course  and  scales. 

The  year's  racing  begins  in  San  Francisco,  where,  in 
January,  the  meeting  of  the  Pacific  Coast  Jockey  Club 
opens.  The  president  of  the  Jockey  Club  in  1897  was 
Mr.  F.  N.  Androus,  and  the  secretary,  Mr.  F.  H.  Green, 
the  stewards  of  the  meeting  Messrs.  J.  H.  Rees,  J.  W. 
Wilson  and  Henry  J.  Crocker,  and  the  judges,  Messrs.  J. 
H.  Rees  and  J.  W.  Wilson.  The  clerk  of  the  scales  was 
Mr.  Harry  Kuhl.  Not  second  in  importance  to  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Pacific  Coast  Jockey  Club  is  that  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Jockey  Club,  which  holds  its  meetings  at  Oakland. 
The  president  of  the  club  was  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Williams, 
Jr. ;  its  secretary,  Mr.  R.  B.  Milroy;  the  stewards,  Messrs. 
Thomas  H.  Williams,  Jr.,  D.  M.  Burns,  J.  A.  Murphy,  J. 
W.  Brooks  and  J.  J.  Burke,  and  the  judges,  Messrs.  J.  J. 
Burke  and  J.  A.  Murphy. 

Racing  is  conducted  in  New  Orleans,  that  historic 
racing  centre,  by  the  Crescent  City  Jockey  Club,  of 
which  the  manager  was  Mr.  C.  S.  Bush  and  the  secre- 
tary, Mr.  Sheridan  Clark.  At  Memphis,  Tenn.,  another 
old-time  racing  resort,  the  New  Memphis  Jockey  Club 
directs  racing  affairs  with  Colonel  M.  Lewis  Clark  as 
judge.  The  president  of  the  club  was  Mr.  S.  R.  Mont- 
gomery and  the  secretary,  Mr.  M.  N.  MacFarlan.  The 
principal  officers  of  the  Kentucky  Association  which 
manages  racing  at  Lexington  were  Mr.  Milton  Young, 
president,  and  Mr.  F.  Bissicks,  Jr.,  secretary.  The  New 
Louisville  Jockey  Club,  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  had  for  its 
president  Mr.  William  F.  Schulte,  and  for  its  secretary, 
Mr.  C.  F.  Price.  At  Nashville,  Tenn.,  we  find  the  Ten- 
nessee Breeders'  Association,  with  Mr.  V.  L.  Kirkman, 
president,  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Russworm,  secretary. 

At  St.  Louis  races  are  run  under  the  management  of 


157 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


the  St.  Louis  Fair  Association,  of  wliich  Mr.  L.  M. 
Rumsey  was  president,  Mr.  Josepli  A.  Murphy,  secre- 
tary; the  stewards  of  the  meeting,  Messrs.  C.  C.  Maffitt, 
Rolla  Wells,  J.  C.  Ghio  and  Robert  Aull;  the  judges, 
Messrs.  Joseph  A.  Murphy  and  J.  W.  Price,  and  the  clerk 
of  scales,  Mr.  John  Hackmeister.  The  officers  of  the  La- 
tonia  Jockey  Club  were  Mr.  J.  C.  Sherlock,  president,  and 
Mr.  E.  C.  Hopper,  secretary.  The  Cincinnati  Jockey  Club, 
whose  meetings  are  held  at  Oakley  Park,  had  for  its  presi- 
dent Mr.  A.  S.  Labold;  for  its  secretary,  Mr.  W.  R. 
Letcher;  for  its  stewards,  Messrs.  S.  Simonton,  G.  R. 
Griffiths  and  A.  S.  Labold,  and  for  its  judges,  Messrs. 
James  H.  Rees,  Charles  F.  Price  and  Charles  F.  McLean. 
The  Queen  City  Jockey  Club  of  Cincinnati,  which  holds 
its  meetings  at  Newport,  Ky.,  had  Mr.  R.  W.  Nelson 
for  president  and  Mr.  J.  G.  Hanley  for  secretary.  Mr. 
J.  J.  Burke  officiated  as  judge. 

In  many  smaller  places,  in  addition  to  those  already 
enumerated,  racing  is  conducted,  and  although  of  less 
consequence  than  that  on  the  larger  courses,  nevertheless 
forms  a  component  part  of  the  yearly  records  of  the  turf. 
Racing  officials  in  those  localities  have  important,  even 
though  less  honorous,  duties  than  in  the  greater  racing 
centres.  The  president  of  the  Little  Rock  Jockey  Club 
in  1897  was  Mr.  J.  M.  Gracie,  and  its  secretary,  Mr.  J. 
M.  Frank.  Racing  at  Ingall's  Park,  Illinois,  is  controlled 
by  the  Ingall's  Park  Jockey  Club,  of  which  the  secretary 
was  Mr.  M.  Nathanson,  and  the  same  gentleman  held  the 
same  relations  to  the  courses  at  Sheffield  and  Lakeside, 
Ind.  The  Highland  Park  Club,  of  Detroit,  Mich.,  had  its 
affairs  directed  by  Mr.  M.  B.  Mills,  president,  and  Mr.  W. 
O.  Parmer,  secretary.  The  officers  of  the  Detroit  Jockey 
Club  were  Mr.  D.  J.  Campau,  president,  and  Mr.  P.  M. 
Campbell,  secretary.  The  president  of  the  Kansas  City 
Fair  and  Racing  Association,  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  was  Mr. 
B.  H.  Smith,  and  the  racing  secretary,  Mr.  Dave  McDaniel. 
In  Montana  the  principal  racing  meetings  of  the  year  are 
held  at  Butte  and  Anaconda.  At  the  former  place  the 
West  Side  Racing  Association  and  at  the  latter  the  Ana- 
conda Racing  Association  looks  after  the  affairs,  Mr.  Ed 
A.  Tipton  being  the  secretary  for  both  associations. 
From  time  to  time  changes  in  these  boards  of  officers 
occur,  but  most  of  those  whose  names  have  here  been 
recorded  as  in  active  official  life  in  1897  had  held  their 
places '  for  many  years  before,  and  are  likely  for  many 
years  to  come  to  give  to  the  turf  the  very  great  advantage 
of  their  experience  and  influence. 

Turf  affairs  in  the  West  and  South  have  been  for  sev- 
eral years  past  principally  directed  by  the  American  Turf 
Congress.  This  organization  is  composed  of  the  Ken- 
tucky Association,  of  Lexington,  Ky. ;  the  New  Louis- 
ville   Jockey    Club,    of    Louisville,    Ky. ;    the    Latonia 


Jockey  Club,  of  Covington,  Ky. ;  the  St.  Louis 
Jockey  Club,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo. ;  the  Tennessee 
Breeders'  Association,  of  Nashville,  Tenn. ;  the  Little 
Rock  Jockey  Club,  of  Little  Rock,  Ark. ;  the  New 
Memphis  Jockey  Club,  of  Memphis,  Tenn. ;  the  Cin- 
cinnati Live  Stock  and  Driving  Park  Company,  of 
Cincinnati;  the  New  Louisiana  Jockey  Club,  of  New 
Orleans,  La. ;  the  Pacific  Coast  Jockey  Club,  of  San 
Francisco,  Cal. ;  the  Queen  City  Jockey  Club,  of  New- 
port, Ky. ;  the  Washington  Park  Club,  the  Chicago  Rac- 
ing Association,  and  the  Harlem  Jockey  Club,  of  Chicago, 
111.,  and  the  Detroit  Jockey  Club  and  Highland  Park  Club, 
of  Detroit,  Mich.  The  officers  of  this  Congress,  elected 
in  1897  for  the  ensuing  year,  were  Messrs.  C.  C.  Maffitt, 
president;  Mr.  W.  F.  Schulte,  vice-president;  Mr.  O.  L. 
Bradley,  treasurer;  Mr.  E.  C.  Hopper,  secretary;  Messrs. 
E.  F.  Clay,  Rolla  Wells  and  George  G.  Perkins,  com- 
mittee on  appeals,  and  Messrs.  Joseph  A.  Murphy,  James 
H.  Rees  and  E.  C.  Hopper,  committee  on  licenses.  The 
purposes  of  this  association  are  similar  to  those  of  The 
Jockey  Club  of  New  York,  and  its  direction  of  racing 
affairs  is  to  insure  clean  and  upright  sport.  The  Con- 
gress co-operates  in  many  respects  with  The  Jockey  Club, 
and  the  combined  influence  of  the  two  organizations 
has  tended  toward  improvement  in  racing  affairs  in  the 
West,  as  well  as  in  the  East. 

Many  other  names  might  be  added  to  these  and  the 
list  still  be  incomplete  of  efficient  and  reliable  racing 
officials.  Too  much  commendation  could  in  no  way  be 
bestowed  upon  the  gentlemen  who  in  their  responsible 
positions  have  labored  energetically,  early  and  late,  and 
have  done  so  much  to  keep  the  turf  true  to  its  best  tradi- 
tions. It  is  a  burdensome  task  that  the  president  and 
other  officers  of  jockey  clubs  and  associations  freely 
assume,  and  too  often  a  thankless  one.  Even  more, 
the  stewards  of  the  meetings,  the  judges,  clerks  and 
starters  take  upon  their  shoulders  the  most  exacting 
duties.  The  demands  of  their  positions  call  for  sound 
and  far-reaching  knowledge  in  regard  to  racing  methods 
and  the  history  of  thoroughbreds  of  the  past,  as  well  as 
of  the  present,  and  an  alertness  in  detecting  and  circum- 
venting the  wiles  of  some  dishonest  owners  and  jockeys. 
Honesty,  diplomacy,  tact  and  firmness  are  imperative 
requisites  in  them.  That  they  are  so  generally  success- 
ful in  the  discharge  of  their  difficult  duties  is  the  highest 
testimony  to  their  standing,  not  only  in  the  racing  world, 
but  with  the  general  public  as  well.  It  may  be  truly  said 
that  upon  them,  in  a  very  large  measure,  rests  the  entire 
success  of  the  turf,  for  they,  and  they  only,  can  keep  it 
pure  and  upright  so  that  it  shall  win  the  approval  of 
the  race-going  public  and  the  support  of  the  racing  fra- 
ternity. 


158 


BREEDERS 

AND 

BREEDING    ESTABLISHAAENTS 


BRHRDHRS   AND    BREEDING   ESTABLISHMENTS 


Great   Stud   Farms   of   Kentucky,    Tennessee   and   New  Jersey— California's  Contributions 

TO  the   Turf— The  Bitter   Root,    Nursery   and   Other   Stock  Farms— Modern 

Methods  of  Selling  Thoroughbreds 


O  pursuit  that  has  engaged  the  attention  of  busi- 
ness men  in  the  United  States  has  had  a  longer 
or  more  honorable  record  than  that  which 
pertains  to  the  breeding  of  the  thoroughbred 
horse.  Its  beginning  was  almost  coincident  with  the 
foundation  of  the  colonies,  and  from  that  time  on  it  has 
kept  steady  pace  with  the  material  growth  of  the  coun- 
try. Millions  of  dollars  have  been  invested  in  it,  and  it 
has  constantly  given  employment  to  small  armies  of 
men.  Aside  from  its  own  importance,  both  by  reason 
of  the  large  capital  invested  and  its  general  profitable- 
ness, it  has  contributed  directly  and  indirectly  to  the 
general  prosperity  of  the  country  and  to  the  encourage- 
ment and  development  of  many  branches  of  industry, 
some  of  which  seem  to  be  only  distantly  related  to  it. 

There  is  one  striking  characteristic  about  this  business 
that  cannot  be  overlooked.  In  most  enterprises  men  are 
engaged  solely  with  a  view  to  the  profits  to  be  derived 
therefrom.  Their  business  is  regarded  only  as  a  more  or 
less  convenient  method  of  making  a  living,  or,  it  may 
be,  of  accumulating  the  fortune  which  all  men  are 
believed  to  be  aiming  at.  With  the  breeding  of  the 
thoroughbred  an  entirely  different  condition  of  affairs 
prevails.  Breeders  are  not  quite  so  oblivious  to  material 
interests  as  to  engage  in  the  occupation  in  utter  disregard 
of  the  financial  success  that  may  accrue  to  them.  At  the 
same  time,  however,  they  are,  almost  without  exception, 
thoroughly  imbued  with  an  abiding  affection  for  the 
noble  animal  whom  they  are  engaged  in  propagating, 
and  in  this  respect  they  seem  to  be  exceptional  in  the 
business  world.  Their  love  for  the  thoroughbred  and 
the  interest  that  they  feel  in  the  many  absorbing  and 
often  perplexing  problems  of  breeding  amounts  almost 
to  a  passion.  The  greatest  breeders  have  undoubtedly 
been  eminently  successful  from  the  financial  point  of 
view.  Nevertheless  their  greatest  satisfaction  has  surely 
been  derived  from  the  spectacle  of  the  gradual  develop- 
ment of  the  great  equine  race  to  which  they  have  devoted 
themselves  and  of  the  marvelous  performances  to  which, 
by  the  careful  and  thorough  study  that  they  have  given 
to  the  subject,  they  have  contributed  in  no  small  degree. 
It  can  be  no  unworthy  object  that  has  thus  commanded 
the  attention  of  some  of  the  greatest  Americans  of  the 
last  two  centuries.  Men  have  turned  themselves  from 
the  exactions  of  public  and   professional    pursuits   and 


from  the  allurements  of  social  life  to  study  theories 
of  breeding  and  to  devote  themselves  to  the  work  of 
improving  the  character  of  the  American  blood  horse. 
From  the  time  of  Washington  and  JetTerson  down  to  the 
closing  years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  many  of  the 
most  distinguished  and  most  influential  gentlemen  of 
this  country  have  found  in  breeding  the  thoroughbred 
not  only  a  profitable  business,  but,  even  more,  an  absorb- 
ing pleasure. 

The  roll  of  men  who  have  been  famous  as  proprietors 
of  breeding  establishments  is  a  long  and  brilliant  one, 
and  includes  the  names  of  many  who  have  been  fore- 
most in  their  respective  generations.  At  the  present  time 
we  have  only  to  recall  the  names  of  such  as  the  Messrs. 
August  Belmont — father  and  son— Pierre  Lorillard,  D.  D. 
Withers,  George  L.  Lorillard,  James  R.  Keene,  J.  B. 
Haggin,  Leland  Stanford,  George  W.  Hearst,  and  scores 
of  others  not  less  worthy  of  enumeration,  to  gain  at  least 
a  slight  idea  of  the  general  character  of  those  who  have 
devoted  themselves  to  this  important  pursuit.  And  it  is 
instructive  to  consider  that,  however  eminent  these  gen- 
tlemen may  be  in  many  walks  of  life,  and  however  truly 
representative  Americans,  they  have,  as  respects  the 
matter  to  which  we  are  here  calling  attention,  simply 
followed  in  the  footsteps  of  others  in  previous  genera- 
tions who  have  been  not  less  worthy  of  consideration  as 
typical  enterprising  American  citizens  of  the  highest 
social  and  business  standing  and  enthusiastically  devoted 
to  the  cause  of  the  blood  horse. 

From  racing  to  breeding  is  a  natural  step.  In  many 
instances  horsemen  have  combined  both  pursuits,  espe- 
cially in  the  olden  time  when  turfmen,  as  a  matter  of 
pride,  if  nothing  else,  made  it  a  point,  for  the  most  part, 
to  breed  the  horses  that  they  raised.  It  is  significant  in 
the  present  time  of  a  certain  change  in  the  character  of 
the  turf  that  there  is  no  such  close  alliance  between 
breeding  and  racing.  While  it  is  still  true  that  in  many 
conspicuous  instances  the  owners  of  stables  are  also  pro- 
prietors of  breeding  establishments,  there  has  been  some- 
thing of  a  tendency  toward  separating  the  two  and  mak- 
ing an  independent  business  of  breeding.  To  such  an 
extent  has  this  practice  obtained  that  many  well-known 
turfmen  have  almost  entirely  given  over  their  racing  in- 
terests in  order  to  attend  to  the  business  of  breeding. 

For  example,  Messrs,  Clay  &  Woodford  retired  from 


i6i 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


the  race  course  and  established  the  Runnymede  Stud. 
Major  B.  G.  Thomas,  whose  stable  was  once  a  conspicu- 
ous feature  of  all  important  race  meetings,  withdrew  his 
colors  and  pinned  his  future  as  a  turfman  upon  the  suc- 
cess of  King  Ban  in  the  Dixiana  Stud.  General  W.  G. 
Harding  retired  from  the  turf  in  187s,  and  ever  after  was 
identified  with  the  famous  Belle  Meade  Stud.  Mr.  M. 
H.  Sanford,  after  his  unsuccessful  campaign  in  Europe, 
gave  up  nearly  all  his  racing  interests,  and  a  short  time 
before  his  death  established  the  stud  farm  at  North  Elk- 
horn,  Ky.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Sanford,  Mr.  Daniel 
Swigert  also  retired  from  the  turf  and  purchased  the 
North  Elkhorn  Stud  Farm,  at  the  same  time  owning  the 
Elmendorf  Stud.  At  one  time  in  his  career  Mr.  James 
R.  Keene  abandoned  racing,  and  only  maintained  his 
connection  with  the  turf  through  his  stud  farm.  Mr. 
Charles  Reed,  after  years  of  experience  on  the  race 
course,  settled  to  the  more  profitable  pursuit  of  breeding 
at  his  Fairview  Stud.  Among  others  who  may  thus  be 
numbered  have  been  Mr.  Milton  Young,  who  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  H.  P.  McGrath  as  the  proprietor  of  the 
McGrathiana  Stud,  Mr.  F.  B.  Harper,  Mr.  James  Frank- 
lin, and  many  others  whose  names  will  doubtless  readily 
occur  to  every  reader. 

Breeding  is  the  very  practical  side  of  the  turf.  Quite 
as  much  as  the  racing  meeting,  it  is  the  foundation  of  all 
turf  prosperity.  Indeed,  the  theory  that  the  race  course 
has  existed,  to  a  very  considerable  extent,  only  as  an 
encouragement  to  breeding,  has  always  been  persistently 
held,  and  may  indeed  be  accepted  as  reasonably  correct. 
It  has  continually  been  the  defense  of  the  race  course 
that  it  was  an  imperative  necessity  in  order  to  secure 
good  horses  for  practical  use  in  the  every-day  employ- 
ments of  life.  Whenever  a  law  has  been  made  by  legis- 
latures, authorizing  racing,  the  declaration  is  made  in  the 
preamble,  that  it  exists  for  the  ultimate  purpose  of  en- 
couraging the  breeding  of  horses  and  their  improvement. 
So  universal  has  this  been  that  many  who  have  not 
looked  carefully  into  the  subject  have  been  inclined  to 
smile  at  this  as  a  specious  plea,  believing  that  the  con- 
sideration for  the  improvement  of  the  horse,  thus  con- 
spicuously put  forth,  is  merely  an  empty  pretense  and 
designed  to  gloss  over  less  commendable  purposes. 

This  is  not  the  truth,  however,  for  the  breeding  of 
thoroughbreds  for  the  race  course  has  unquestionably 
resulted  in  the  improvement  of  all  horses  of  other  classes 
as  well  as  of  their  own,  and  this  could  never  have  been 
brought  about  had  it  not  been  for  the  incentive  presented 
by  the  race  tracks  with  their  large  purses,  their  oppor- 
tunities for  enjoyable  sport  and  the  importance  of  racing 
as  a  supreme  test  of  merit  in  equine  blood.  A  half  cen- 
tury ago,  as  we  have  repeatedly  seen,  all  the  great  races 
were  at  four-mile  heats,  and  ability  to  stay,  with  plenty 
of  speed  in  reserve,  was  what  the  breeders  and  trainers 


aimed  at.  Devoting  their  entire  energies  to  thus  develop- 
ing the  thoroughbreds  that  they  handled,  they  not  only 
attained  the  specific  object  which  they  had  in  view, 
but  also  brought  about,  as  an  inevitable  result  of  their 
work,  a  decided  elevation  in  the  character  of  all  the 
families  of  horses  in  the  sections  where  they  were  located 
and  where  breeding  for  racing  has  been  the  business  of 
importance  for  a  century  or  more.  It  has  been  remarked 
by  one  good  authority  that,  "  the  English  horse  is  a  very 
different  animal  from  that  of  days  previous  to  the  era  of 
racing;  now  it  is  likely  that  the  horses  of  England  are 
the  best  in  the  world. ' ' 

In  some  countries  racing  has  not  yet  attained  to  the 
position  of  being  a  national  institution.  There  it  has 
been  found,  as  a  general  thing,  difficult  to  secure 
really  first-class  horses  for  driving,  riding  or  more  utili- 
tarian purposes.  This  deficiency  is  especially  felt  by  the 
governments  when  they  are  called  upon  to  mount  the 
cavalry,  and  in  order  to  supply  this  branch  of  the  military 
service,  they  are  frequently  obliged  to  maintain  special 
breeding  stables.  In  the  United  States  horses  of  a  high 
character  for  gentlemen  riders,  or  for  mounted  troops, 
have  not  been  numerous  or  easy  to  secure.  For  the 
United  States  cavalry  horses  have  been  bought,  whenever 
practicable,  in  the  blue  grass  section  of  Kentucky.  When 
it  was  desired  to  equip  several  volunteer  cavalry  regi- 
ments for  service  in  the  invasion  of  Cuba,  there  was  no 
thought  of  looking  elsewhere  than  to  Kentucky  for  the 
necessary  horses.  With  horses,  quite  as  much  as  with 
men,  it  is  fully  recognized  that  blood  will  tell,  and  Ken- 
tucky has  been  so  thoroughly  given  over  to  the  breeding 
of  the  thoroughbred  that  few  horses  exist  there  that  have 
not  some  good  strains.  The  emulations  of  the  turf  in 
that  section,  even  more  than  elsewhere,  have  stimulated 
a  desire  on  the  part  of  even  the  humblest  farmers  to  have 
a  good  racer  and  a  winner  in  his  stable.  The  whole 
tendency  of  breeding,  whether  directly  for  purposes  of 
the  turf  or  with  other  ends  in  view,  is  toward  insuring 
good  blood. 

Experience  in  our  Civil  War  was  conclusive  evidence 
of  this  superiority  of  thoroughbred  stock  over  the  more 
plebeian  families.  It  was  again  and  again  brought  forci- 
bly to  the  attention  of  those  who  had  to  do  with  the 
matter  that  when  two  troops  of  cavalry  were  sent  on  a 
hard  campaign  together,  one  mounted  on  Kentucky 
horses  and  the  other  on  horses  from  Northern  States,  the 
former  invariably  wore  the  others  out.  The  blood  horse 
showed  his  prowess  and  was  equal  to  almost  any  exac- 
tions, while  the  others  broke  down  if  undue  strain  was 
placed  upon  them.  The  superiority  of  the  Confederate 
cavalry  over  the  mounted  troops  of  the  North  in  the  early 
years  of  the  war  has  not  yet  been  forgotten  by  this  gen- 
eration. The  Confederates  were  mounted  upon  horses 
from  Virginia,  South  Carolina,  Tennessee  and  Kentucky, 


162 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Mild  probably  there  was  scarcely  a  single  one  of  their 
animals  who  had  not,  more  or  less  thortuighbred  blood 
in  his  veins,  while  many  of  them  were  pure  thoroLi_uh- 
breds  of  the  fii'st  qLiality.  wlio  had  been  intended  for  the 
race  coiii'se,  had  not  the  unexpected  demands  of  war 
impressed  them  to  severer  uses.  Forrest,  Morgan  and 
other  noted  Confederate  cavalrymen  were  for  a  long  time 
invincible,  and  their  achievements  were  regarded  as  only 
a  little  less  than  miraculous.  But,  after  all,  their  success 
was  almost  entirely  due  to  the  high  grade  of  horses  that 
they  rode. 

It  seems  almost  superfluous  in  view  of  these  and  many 
other  similar  facts  to  point  out  the  very  great  value  of 
the  thoroughbred  animal  and  the  importance  of  encour- 
aging racing  as  a  most  important  factor  in  his  develop- 
ment. Racing  was  universal  in  the  South  in  antebellum 
days,  and  as  an  inevitable  result  came  about  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  horse  of  that  section.  Racing  was  compara- 
tively little  practiced  in  the  North,  save  in  New  York,  on 
which  account  breeding  was  almost  unknown.  When, 
therefore,  attention  is  called  to  the  striking  difference 
between  the  mounts  of  the  cavalrymen  of  the  two  sec- 
tions at  this  important  period  of  the  country's  history, 
further  argument  would  seem  to  be  unnecessary  and  fur- 
ther proof  not  called  for  to  show  the  superior  merit  of  the 
thoroughbred  and  the  necessity  of  racing,  since  it  is  only 
through  that  medium  that,  as  experience  has  shown,  his 
improvement  and  development  can  be  assured. 

That  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  chapters  in  the  his- 
tory of  American  breeding  which  specially  describes  the 
success  in  this  country  of  English  stallions  who  have 
been  allowed  to  leave  their  native  land  before  they  had 
been  fully  tried  there.  Dismissed  without  regret  and 
sometimes  with  positive  satisfaction,  as,  comparatively 
speaking,  useless  lumber,  it  was  not  long  after  their 
departure  before,  in  view  of  their  great  success  here,  they 
were  longed  for  with  unavailing  regret.  Priam,  although 
a  winner  of  the  Derby,  was  disregarded  in  the  stud,  but 
after  he  came  to  this  country.  Industry,  Miss  Letty  and 
Crucifix,  whom  he  left  behind  him,  reversed  the  reputa- 
tion that  he  had  possessed,  while  in  this  country  he  was 
strikingly  successful  in  establishing  a  notable  American 
family.  Even  more  remarkable  than  Priam  in  this  re- 
spect was  Glencoe.  As  a  race  horse  he  stood  in  the  first 
class,  being  second  only  to  Plenipotentiary,  and  was  of 
the  best  English  blood.  As  a  stallion  he  suffered  much 
from  comparison  with  Sultan,  his  sire,  Emilius,  Lottery, 
Velocipede,  Mameluke,  Plenipotentiary  and  Touchstone, 
but  in  his  latter-day  fame  he  has  eclipsed  them  all. 

A  score  of  Derby  winners  trace  direct  to  Glencoe,  and 
it  has  been  said  that  in  the  last  twenty-five  years,  or 
more,  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  best  horses  of  Great 
Britain  have  had  strains  of  his  blood,  among  his  descend- 
ants having  been  Pocahontas,  Stockwell,  Isonomy,  Rob- 


ert the  Devil,  Tristan,  Doncaster,  Bend  Or,  Blair  Athol, 
Rataplan,  Cremorne,  Kisber,  King  Tom,  Foxhall  and 
Rayon  d'Or,  and  scores  of  others  not  less  famous.  Of 
Glencoe's  careei'  in  this  country  scarcely  a  word  need  be 
said.  More  than  any  othei'  single  horse  who  has  ever 
been  identified  with  the  American  stud  he  is  the  founda- 
tion of  the  great  thoroughbreds  of  this  country.  Few 
American  horses  that  have  attained  to  eminence  on  the 
track  have  failed  to  trace  directly  to  him.  It  has  been 
well  remarked  that  "  the  double  cross  of  Glencoe  has 
long  been  acknowledged  as  the  keystone  to  success  in 
breeding,  and  the  triple  cross,  as  in  the  cases  of  Foxhall, 
Sly  Dance  and  Glenmore,  is  fast  becoming  regarded  as 
the  acme  of  blood." 

Then  there  was  Routh's  Crab,  by  Crab  out  of  a  dam 
by  Councillor,  one  of  the  oldest  and  finest  of  the  old 
English  thoroughbreds,  who  left  a  strain  that  has  told 
through  many  generations.  Nor  must  we  overlook 
Diomed,  by  Florizel,  one  of  the  very  best  horses  ever 
imported,  who  has  told  the  longest  tale  on  American 
stock,  having  been  the  sire  in  this  country  of  Sir  Archy, 
Duroc,  Florizel,  Dinwiddle,  Gracchus  and  many  other 
first-rate  runners  and  themselves  sires  of  runners.  Fear- 
nought by  Regulus  out  of  Silver  Tail,  the  most  distin- 
guished horse  of  all  the  other  early  importations,  and  one 
who  left  the  most  decided  mark  on  the  American  race 
horse  in  its  earlier  history,  must  also  be  added  to 
list.  Then  there  was  Wildair,  who  was  foaled  in  1753  by 
Cade,  and  who  proved  such  a  successful  stallion  and  sire 
of  racers  that  he  was  repurchased  for  a  large  sum  and 
sent  back  to  England.  Medley  must  also  be  included, 
by  Gimcrack  out  of  Arminda.  He  was  a  most  success- 
ful stallion,  and  his  blood  is  considered  scarcely  inferior 
to  that  of  Diomed,  Shark  or  Bedford.  Messenger,  by 
Mambrino  out  of  a  dam  by  Turf,  was  little  regarded  at 
home,  but  became  in  this  country  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful stallions. 

Of  modern  instances,  perhaps  the  name  of  Leamington 
will  first  occur.  Condemned  at  home  and  sold  to  this 
country,  he  here  closely  rivaled  the  immortal  Lexington, 
and  English  writers  have  since  acknowledged  that  allow- 
ing him  to  leave  that  country  was  little  less  than  a  crim- 
inal mistake.  Scores  of  other  instances  might  be  cited 
in  still  further  illustration  of  this  point  as  showing  how 
America  has  gained  from  the  potency  of  blood  that  was 
overlooked  by  our  English  cousins.  Nor  has  this  coun- 
try alone  thus  profited.  Buccaneer,  a  good  race  horse  of 
Great  Britain,  was  not  held  in  high  favor  because  his  get 
were  not  considered  to  be  stayers.  He  was  sold  to 
Austria,  but  had  scarcely  left  his  native  land  when  Paul 
Jones,  Formosa  and  Brigantine  appeared  to  completely 
upset  the  previous  adverse  opinion  regarding  his  merit 
and  to  make  the  English  wish  that  they  had  him  back 
again.     Then  there  was  Gladiator,  who  passed  over  to 


163 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


France,  disregarded  and  discarded.  Across  the  Channel 
he  founded  a  family  that  had  no  superior  in  his  time,  and 
sent  back  to  the  country  that  had  failed  to  appreciate  him 
Gladiateur,  Mortemer  and  Chamant,  who  carried  away 
the  Derby  and  other  great  prizes. 

In  recent  years  the  passion  for  imported  stallions  on 
the  part  of  American  breeders  has  intensitied  to  a  degree 
that  has  before  never  been  surpassed.  Every  master  of 
a  breeding  establishment  has  been  on  the  constant  out- 
look for  some  well-bred  English  or  Australian  stallion  who 
should  give  promise  of  great  things  when  grafted  upon 
American  stock.  The  success  of  these  imported  stallions 
has,  on  the  whole,  been  remarkable,  and  would  seem  to 
fully  justify  the  enthusiasm  of  breeders  for  strains  of  for- 
eign blood.  This  is  the  more  surprising  when  we 
consider  that,  as  has  just  been  pointed  out,  most  of  these 
importations  have  been  horses  who  were  not  held  in 
high  repute  at  home,  and  who  really,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
were  never  pre-eminently  distinguished  until  they  came 
across  the  Atlantic.  Leamington,  Eclipse,  and  Rayon 
d'Or,  for  example,  were  good  performers,  but  scarcely  to 
be  considered  as  first-class,  and,  yet,  how  successful 
they  have  been  in  the  stud  in  America  every  one 
knows. 

Mortemer  was  a  great  race  horse  unquestionably,  and 
so  was  Glenelg,  but  the  latter  was  foaled  in  this  country, 
having  been  imported  in  embryo.  Phaeton  never  did 
anything  on  the  course  in  England,  but  in  this  country 
will  be  forever  remembered  as  the  sire  of  Ten  Broeck, 
iKing  Alfonso,  Lisbon,  St.  Martin  and  others.  Billet  was 
only  an  ordinary  performer,  but  he  added  to  the  worth 
of  the  American  turf  by  getting  such  swift  progeny  as 
Volturno,  Runnymede,  Miss  Woodford,  Raceland,  Sir 
Dixon  and  others.  King  Ban,  as  a  racer,  was  of  no  ac- 
count, but  his  get,  as  King  Fox,  Ban  Fox,  Rosaline, 
Punster  and  others,  had  superior  claims  to  recognition. 
King  Ernest,  who  never  ran  a  race,  got  for  us  such  good 
ones  as  Mikado,  Report,  Kinglike  and  others.  From 
Great  Tom  we  have  had  Tyrant  and  General  Harding, 
and  from  Glen  Athol,  who  was  utterly  despised  at  home, 
came  Glenmore,  Greenfield  and  Checkmate  to  add  to  the 
glories  of  the  American  turf.  Then  there  was  Buckden, 
who  gave  us  Bend  Or,  Buchanan  and  Matinee;  The 
lU-Used,  who  gave  us  Magnetizer,  Jack  of  Hearts  and 
Lady  Primrose;  Australian,  from  whom  we  have  had 
Spendthrift,  Springbok,  Helmbold,  Rutherford,  Fellow- 
craft  and  many  others  not  less  noteworthy;  Glenelg, 
who  sired  Monitor,  Louisette,  Firenze,  Dry  Monopole, 
Ferida  and  others,  and  Mortemer,  from  whom  came 
Wanda,  Cyclops,  Chimera  and  Exile. 

The  explanation  of  this  phenomenal  success  of  im- 
ported stallions  who  at  home  had  not  ranked  especially 
high,  have  been  many  and  varied.  Some  theorists  have 
held  that  the  result  demonstrates  the  decided  superiority 


of  the  English  thoroughbred  over  the  native  stallion, 
arguing  that  climatic  differences  have  probably  brought  it 
about,  and  that  even  the  inferior  English  stallion  is  ahead 
of  the  native  animal,  as  a  sire.  Others  have  claimed  that 
the  American  mares  have  furnished  just  the  desirable 
nick  that  was  necessary  to  bring  out  the  potency  of  the 
foreigner.  One  interesting  thing  has.  been  pointed  out, 
and  that  is  that  the  imported  stallions  began  to  arrive 
here  about  the  time  that  our  system  of  racing  changed, 
and  a  writer  in  The  Spirit  of  the  Times  has  argued  with 
a  great  show  of  reasonableness  to  demonstrate  that  the 
English  horses  had  the  advantage  from  the  fact  that  they 
had  been  bred  from  strains  which  for  a  generation  or 
more  had  been  trained  to  short  distance  racing,  while  our 
native  sires  had  been  bred  principally  under  the  long  dis- 
tance test.  There  would  seem  to  be  considerable  con- 
firmation of  this  theory  in  the  fact  that  the  fast  young- 
sters of  the  present  period,  who  have  been  trained  for 
the  short  dashes  that  are  now  the  vogue  on  the  American 
turf,  are  in  turn  succeeding  in  the  stud,  quite  as  well  as 
any  of  their  English  rivals.  Still,  the  time  has  not  yet 
come  when  the  belief  in  the  value  of  the  imported  stal- 
lion, rather  than  those  of  native  produce,  has  been 
entirely  eradicated,  and  it  is  probable  that  for  a  long  time 
in  the  future  we  shall  continue  to  add  new  strains  of 
foreign  blood  to  our  American  thoroughbred  families. 

No  more  interesting  problem  has  engaged  the  attention 
of  turfmen,  both  in  England  and  America  for  genera- 
tions past,  than  that  which  relates  to  the  relative  speed 
and  stoutness  of  the  thoroughbred  and  the  Oriental  horse. 
The  question  seems  to  have  been  finally  very  well  set- 
tled, with  undoubted  evidence  in  favor  of  the  great 
superiority  of  the  English  thoroughbred  and  his  descend- 
ants of  the  American  turf.  It  may  be  safely  conceded 
that  two  hundred  years  or  more  ago  the  Arabians  were 
undoubtedly  the  fastest  runners  in  the  world.  Now, 
however,  at  the  end  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  mod- 
ern thoroughbred  is  as  far  superior  to  the  present  horse 
of  the  East  in  his  qualities  and  powers  as  he  is  in  size, 
bone,  strength  and  ability  to  carry  weight.  While  the 
Arabians  remain  practically  in  the  same  condition  that 
they  were  centuries  ago,  there  has  been  a  vast  improve- 
ment in  the  character  of  their  English  progeny.  The 
best  old  English  blood,  which  had  in  it  a  part  of  the 
Spanish  stock,  when  mixed  with  the  true  Arabian  or 
Barb  race  in  the  beginning  of  breeding  the  thoroughbred 
in  England,  brought  about  infinitely  better  results  than  it 
had  ever  been  possible  to  secure  from  the  unmixed  and 
unstudied  breeding  of  the  Arabians  in  their  native  land. 
The  intelligent  breeding  that  has  been  followed  since  that 
time  and  the  selection  of  the  choicest  animals  to  breed 
from,  a  measure  that  has  been  made  possible,  largely  by 
the  tests  of  the  race  course,  have  brought  about  this 
result.     Upon  practical  test  it  has  been  found  that  with 


164 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


an  allowance  of  as  high  as  forty-eight  pounds  the  Arabian 
has  never  been  able  to  win  an  English  race. 

Some  fifty  years  ago  the  subject  was  I'egarded  as  a 
matter  of  such  supreme  importance  that  discussion  was 
rife,  both  among  English  horsemen  and  those  of  the 
East,  each  of  whom  patriotically  supported  the  claims  of 
the  respective  breeds  of  their  countries.  The  Viceroy  of 
Egypt  even  went  so  far  as  to  challenge  the  English 
Jockey  Club  to  run  a  certain  number  of  English  horses 
against  the  pick  of  his  stables.  The  match  was  declined, 
first  because  the  English  Jockey  Club  in  its  corporate 
capacity  never  owned  any  racers,  and  secondly  because, 
to  run  a  distance  race  over  broken  desert  ground  was 
considered  a  greater  risk  of  destroying  valuable  animals 
than  the  circumstances  would  justify.  Subsequently, 
however,  as  a  result  of  this  challenge,  a  race  was  run  at 
Cairo  between  the  English  mare  Fair  Nell  and  an  Arab 
horse  belonging  to  Aaleen  Pacha,  and  the  result  has  been 
regarded  as  of  the  greatest  value  as  a  clear  demonstration 
of  the  relative  prowess  of  the  two  equine  families.  The 
length  of  the  race  was  eight  miles,  over  a  rough,  gravelly, 
sandy  road,  and  the  English  mare  won,  covering  the 
course  in  i8)^  minutes,  beating  the  Arabian  by  a  full 
mile  and  pulling  up  fresh.  Aaleen  Pacha,  who  owned 
the  Arabian  horse,  was  a  son  of  Abbas  Pacha,  the  Vice- 
roy, who,  three  years  before,  had  challenged  the  English 
Jockey  Club. 

Fair  Nell  was  supposed  to  be  a  thoroughbred,  her  sire 
being  the  celebrated  Irish  horse  Friney,  but  she  was  not 
in  the  Stud  Book.  She  was  a  beautiful  light  bay,  of 
powerful  build,  and  was  used  as  a  hunter,  being  a  hard- 
worker  and  having  a  wonderful  pace.  She  was  called  a 
"raking  Irish  devil, "  and  frequently  traveled  thirty- 
two  miles  in  the  course  of  a  day  at  an  easy  canter, 
carrying  twelve  stone  without  showing  the  least  fatigue. 
She  was  in  low  condition  when  she  was  shipped  to 
Egypt,  yet  ran  and  won  her  race  within  two  months 
from  the  time  of  landing.  On  her  trial  before  the  race 
she  did  five  miles  in  io}4  minutes.  Although  the  result 
with  a  single  thoroughbred  might  not  be  considered  as 
absolutely  conclusive,  yet  when  we  consider  that  Fair 
Nell  was  not  incontestably  proven  to  be  a  pure  thorough- 
bred, and  that  her  rate  of  speed,  both  in  her  recorded 
five-mile  trial  and  her  eight-mile  race,  was  less  than  that 
which  has  been  displayed  by  many  English  and  American 
thoroughbreds,  the  conclusion  that  the  latter  must  be 
superior  to  their  Arabian  rivals  may  be  considered  as 
fairly  settled.  At  any  rate,  the  Egyptians  were  then 
convinced  that  their  Arabians  could  be  beaten  by  English 
horses,  and  few  turfmen  now  question  that  the  modern 
thoroughbred  possesses  speed  and  endurance  which  are 
his  peculiar  inheritance  beyond  any  other  horse  in  the 
world.  It  is  beyond  all  doubt  that  no  Arabian  horse  ever 
lived  who  could  in  any  respect  challenge  such  great  thor- 


oughbreds as  Flying  Childers,  Herod,  Eclipse,  Diomed, 
Glencoe,  Sir  Archy,  Boston,  Lexington  and  hundreds  of 
other  heroes  of  the  English  and  American  turf  in  days  gone 
by,  not  to  mention  scores  and  hundreds  of  contemporane- 
ous equine  champions.  Thefew  Arabians  that  have  been 
seen  in  England  and  this  country  have  never  been  able 
to  cut  any  figure  upon  the  course,  and  when  it  came  to 
the  consideration  of  such  great  races  as  the  Grand  Prix, 
the  Derby  and  the  chief  events  of  the  course  in  this 
country  they  have  never  been  regarded  as  even  in  the 
class  to  warrant  their  participation  in  such  affairs. 

An  interesting  experiment  that  was  carried  out  by  the 
distinguished  American  breeder,  Mr.  A.  Keene  Richards, 
seemed  to  conclusively  and  finally  settle  this  question 
in  favor  of  the  claim  of  the  thoroughbred.  Few 
turfmen  in  the  United  States  had  a  larger  acquaint- 
ance, or  a  wider  experience,  or  gave  themselves 
up  more  unreservedly  to  the  promotion  of  the  interest 
of  the  thoroughbred  than  did  Mr.  Richards.  From 
the  time  of  his  boyhood  he  was  interested  in  horses, 
and  studied  the  thoroughbred  with  enthusiasm  and  with 
rare  good  judgment.  He  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
having  been  born  in  Scott  County  in  1827.  His  death 
occurred  upon  his  celebrated  farm,  Blue  Grass  Park, 
Georgetown,  Ky.,  in  March,  1881.  After  completing 
his  education  in  Bethany  College,  West  Virginia,  he 
spent  several  years  in  travel  in  England,  Europe,  Africa 
and  Asia.  His  interest  in  horses  had  by  this  time  be- 
come fully  matured,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  years 
that  he  spent  abroad  was  given  to  thorough  investiga- 
tion of  the  thoroughbred  in  his  original  habitat.  After 
visiting  all  the  prominent  studs,  breeding  and  training 
establishments  in  England  and  France,  he  proceeded  to 
carry  out  a  project  that  he  had  long  before  matured  to 
make  a  tour  of  the  Barbary  States  and  the  West  of  Africa 
and  study  the  thoroughbred  in  the  countries  where  his 
progenitors  were  considered  to  have  originated.  Travel- 
ing through  Spain,  where  he  made  himself  familiar  with 
the  Andalusion  breed  of  horses  and  the  royal  stud  of 
Madrid,  he  then  made  an  extended  journey  through 
Algeria  and  Morocco,  a  greater  part  of  the  tour  being 
accomplished  on  horseback. 

Next  he  went  to  Egypt  and  Arabia  Petrea.  His  party 
made  the  entire  journey  through  Arabia  on  dromedaries, 
and  there  he  commenced  that  thorough  investigation  into 
the  Arabian  horse  that  made  him  particularly  conspicuous 
in  his  generation.  Notwithstanding  that  the  native  tribes 
of  Arabia  were  then  at  war  and  travel  throughout  that 
country  was  dangerous  in  the  extreme,  he  pushed  his 
investigations  far  into  the  Anazeh  country,  whence  gen- 
erations before  had  come  the  great  Darley  Arabian  and 
other  parents  of  the  English  thoroughbred  family. 
Abundant  opportunities  were  given  him  to  study  the 
Arabian  horse  in  his  native  state,  and  he  bought  several 


165 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


animals  that  were  the  choicest  of  their  kind  that  could 
be  procured.  These  he  shipped  to  England  and  thence 
to  America,  and  then  returned  home  himself  ready  to 
carry  out  the  experiment  that  he  had  planned  and  in 
which  he  had  the  fullest  confidence  of  ultimate  success. 
Completely  informed  now  regarding  the  horse  of  the 
Orient  and  his  English  thoroughbred  descendant, 
their  origin  and  history,  he  was  confident  that  the  best 
horse  in  the  state  of  nature  was  the  Arab.  His  new 
possessions,  the  pure  Arabian  stallions,  Massoud  and 
Mokhladi,  and  the  mare,  Sadah,  arrived  at  his  Blue  Grass 
Park  home  in  1853.  He  also  made  handsome  additions 
to  his  stud  of  American  bred  horses,  and  the  following 
year  in  a  second  trip  to  Arabia  he  purchased  the  mare 
Nulie  and  the  stallions  Sacklowie  and  Fysaul.  He  also 
brought  from  England  about  the  same  time  Knight  of 
St.  George,  the  St.  Leger  winner  of  i8s4;  Australian  and 
his  dam  Emilia,  with  her  foal,  Frazzoletto,  Jr. ;  and  the 
brood  mares  Spiletta  (dam  of  Spinola,  Fenian  and 
Rosetta),  Melrose  (dam  of  John  Porter  and  Melbourne, 
Jr.)  and  Target  (dam  of  Creedmoor). 

Although  Mr.  Richards'  experiment  with  the  Arabians 
attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention  at  the  time,  it  was  not 
generally  looked  upon  as  giving  much  promise  for  the  im- 
provement of  the  American  thoroughbred.  Mr.  Richards 
was  not  convinced  of  this,  but,  after  a  few  years,  when 
it  was  found  that  his  imported  Arabians  made  no  very 
distinct  impress  upon  American  stock,  he  was  gradually 
forced  to  the  conclusion  that,  after  all,  nothing  in  the 
world  could  surpass  the  best  bred  English  and  American 
horse.  He  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  and  money  in  put- 
ting his  theories  to  test,  and  some  of  the  finest  blooded 
mares  in  the  country  were  bred  to  his  Arabians.  The 
outcome  was  a  practical  failure,  and  since  his  time  there 
has  been  very  little  talk  about  the  value  of  Arabian  stock 
for  the  improvement  of  the  thoroughbred,  and  breeders 
have  ceased  to  give  it  any  further  attention. 

There  has  long  existed  among  turfmen  a  positive  and 
well-defined  opinion  that  Kentucky  is,  par  excellence, 
the  natural  home  of  the  American  thoroughbred.  This 
is  not  the  place  to  enter  upon  a  discussion  of  the  relative 
merits  of  that  State  as  compared  with  other  sections  of 
the  country,  for  breeding  purposes.  The  question  is  an 
intricate  one  and  is  not  to  be  solved  offhand.  A  re- 
view even  of  the  arguments  that  are  advanced  on  either 
side  would  require  more  space  than  can  here  be  given 
and  probably  come  to  no  good  results.  Briefly,  the  con- 
tention for  Kentucky  is  that  its  far-famed  blue  grass 
pastures  and  limestone  soil  offer  advantages  such  as  can 
be  obtained  nowhere  else  in  the  country,  and  it  is  partic- 
ularly urged  that  the  presence  of  limestone  in  the 
soil  contributes  to  making  the  horses  that  are  raised  there 
strong  in  bone  and  capable  of  great  endurance.  On  the 
other  hand,  however,  it  may  not  be  forgotten  that  the 


great  race  horses  of  England  have  been  developed  with- 
out the  peculiar  advantages  claimed  for  Kentucky,  while 
at  the  same  time  some  of  the  greatest  thoroughbreds 
known  to  the  American  turf  at  all  periods  of  its  history 
have  been  bred  in  widely  separated  parts  of  the  country 
and  under  conditions  manifestly  diverse. 

Experience  would  seem  to  indicate  that,  notwithstand- 
ing the  undoubted  advantages  possessed  by  Kentucky, 
it  is  still  possible  to  raise  thoroughbreds  elsewhere  that 
shall  be  undoubtedly  of  the  most  approved  character. 
Merely  as  a  suggestion,  it  might  perhaps  be  well  worth 
considering  that  the  apparently  great  numbers  of  success- 
ful Kentucky  thoroughbreds,  as  compared  with  the  lesser 
number  who  have  been  bred  elsewhere,  may  be  in  some 
measure,  at  least,  due  to  the  fact  that  they  are  the  sur- 
vivals of  an  army  of  foals  infinitely  greater  than  is  seen 
in  all  the  rest  of  the  country  put  together.  It  would  be 
an  interesting  calculation,  if  it  were  possible,  to  go  back 
for  many  years  and  see  how  the  successful  thoroughbred 
from  Kentucky,  in  proportion  to  the  total  number  foaled 
there,  compared  with  those  that  were  bred  elsewhere. 

Without  attempting  any  solution  of  the  question,  or 
venturing  to  express  an  ex  cathedra  opinion,  we  may  at 
least  point  out  some  of  the  few  prominent  representa- 
tives of  the  thoroughbred  family  that  have  come  from 
other  parts  of  the  country  than  Kentucky.  New  York 
raised  American  Eclipse  and  Medoc,  who  contested  on 
equal  footing  with  the  best  horses  of  the  country  in  the 
earlier  days  of  the  turf.  In  later  years  New  York  could 
point  with  pride  to  Glenelg,  Olitipa,  Ruthless,  Ferncliffe, 
Monday,  Countess  and  Forester.  Nor  must  we  forget 
that  the  great  Ariel,  daughter  of  American  Eclipse,  was 
of  Long  Island  birth.  So  too  were  Black  Maria,  Bay 
Maria,  Shark  and  other  noted  horses  of  the  same  family. 
In  New  Jersey,  Fashion,  daughter  of  imported  Trustee, 
was  bred,  and  surely  no  horse  in  the  early  part  of  this 
century  was  more  distinguished.  Also  from  New  Jersey 
have  come  Macduff,  Hiawasse,  Leo,  Requital  and  many 
others.  Iroquois,  Parole,  Sensation,  Spinaway,  Harold 
and  Onondaga  were  the  produce  of  Pennsylvania.  Mary- 
land raised  Catesby  and  Crickmore,  while  to  Virginia  are 
credited  Boston  and  scores  of  others.  Illinois,  Missouri, 
Ohio,  California  and  Montana  have  also  contributed  their 
quota  to  the  successful  race  horses  of  the  day,  and  page 
upon  page  might  be  filled  with  simply  the  enumeration 
of  names  did  time  and  space  permit. 

Enough  has  already  been  said,  however,  to  at  least 
indicate  that  no  single  section  of  the  country  can  claim 
the  exclusive  monopoly  of  having  bred  our  greatest  race 
horses.  The  few  names  that  have  been  presented,  which 
really  scarcely  open  the  list,  will  suggest  scores  of  others 
entitled  to  place  in  the  enumeration  equally  with  those 
that  have  been  given.  The  wonderful  success  that  has 
attended  some  of  the  more  recent  breeding  establish- 


166 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


ments  in  the  North  :ind  the  far  West  is  an  argument 
from  practical  experience  that  cannot  be  easily  disposed 
of.  Such  breeding  farms  as  the  Erdenheim,  Rancocas, 
Meadowbrook.  Westbrook,  Brookdale,  Algeria  and  others 
in  the  East,  the  Riverside,  Bitter  Root,  Rancho  del  Paso, 
i'alo  Alto  and  others  in  the  far  West,  have  by  their  pre- 
eminent success  in  adding  many  winners  to  the  racing 
calendar  and  the  Stud  Book,  placed  themselves  in  rank 
with  the  oldest  establishments  that  have  been  conspicu- 
ous in  Kentucky  and  other  parts  of  the  South  for  a  half 
century  or  more.  It  seems  to  be  fully  demonstrated  in 
these  closing  years  of  the  century  that  enterprise,  skill 
and  scientific  management  are  c^uite  as  important  ele- 
ments as  favorable  natural  conditions  in  securing  the 
best  breeding  results. 

Kentucky,  however,  is  still  richer  in  thoroughbred 
stock  than  any  other  section  of  the  United  States.  There 
is  almost  no  necessity  of  calling  the  attention  of  those 
who  have  even  the  most  superficial  acquaintance  with 
the  subject  to  the  fact  that  for  many  years  this  State 
enjoyed  almost  a  monopoly  in  the  breeding  of  the  blood 
horse,  so  that  the  sentiment  in  favor  of  the  Kentucky 
foals  well-nigh  developed  into  a  superstition.  To  an 
almost  incredible  extent  the  State,  with  its  far-famed 
blue  grass  pastures  and  limestone  soil,  was  in  the  olden 
days,  and  also  indeed  in  the  present,  given  over  to  breed- 
ing purposes.  In  some  counties  almost  the  entire  acre- 
age of  land  has  been  taken  up  by  breeding  establishments 
and  the  agricultural  enterprises  connected  with  them, 
while  the  repute  of  the  great  blue  grass  region  has  gone 
out  to  all  the  world.  Although  the  former  pre-eminence 
of  the  State  in  this  respect  has  been  somewhat  shaken  in 
the  present  generation,  the  position  that  it  has  held  for 
nearly  a  century  at  the  head  of  the  great  breeding  sec- 
tions of  this  country  is  still  successfully  maintained. 
Notwithstanding  the  large  and  increasing  value  of  the 
thoroughbred  output  from  California,  New  Jersey  and 
elsewhere  in  recent  years,  the  names  of  most  of  the 
great  stud  farms  are  still  identified  with  the  blue  grass 
country. 

Should  we  attempt  to  make  even  the  most  cursory  and 
perfunctory  reference  to  all  the  stud  farms  in  Kentucky 
that  are  deserving  of  recognition  for  the  commendable 
work  that  they  have  done  in  the  development  of  the 
thoroughbred  many  pages  would  be  required.  Some  of 
these  establishments,  however,  by  reason  of  their  extent, 
long  and  honorable  history  and  the  very  great  influence 
that  they  have  had  in  developing  the  practice  of  breeding 
and  of  racing  may  not  be  casually  passed  over.  Their 
history  has  in  every  way  constituted  a  most  important 
part  of  the  history  of  the  thoroughbred  in  America,  and 
they  may  be  fairly  taken  as  typically  representative  of  the 
great  breeding  interests  of  the  country  for  a  century  or 
more.       From     these    renowned     establishments    have 


come  most  of  the  great  blood  horses  whose  careers  as 
representative  American  racers,  both  in  this  country  and 
in  Europe,  have  reflected  glory  upon  their  family  and  the 
country  that  gave  them  birth  and  nurtured  them. 

Even  in  Kentucky,  the  home  of  great  stud  farms,  no 
establishment  of  the  kind  ever  ranked  higher  than  that  at 
Woodburn.  For  a  generation  or  more  it  was  the  largest 
and  most  successful  breeding  estate  in  the  wodd,  and  it 
has  been  fairly  said  of  one  of  its  proprietors,  Mr.  Robert 
A.  Alexander,  that  he  "  did  more  in  his  short  life  for  the 
improvement  of  the  blood  horse  than  any  other  man  in 
America."  Woodburn  being  one  of  the  first  breeding 
places  in  the  United  States,  really  served  as  a  model  for 
subsequent  undertakings  of  the  same  nature.  In  its 
palmy  days  no  other  stud  farm  sheltered  a  like  number 
of  mares  and  stallions,  and  none  other  sent  to- the  race 
track  so  many  great  champions.  The  estate  was  an  ideal 
of  an  old  Kentucky  home,  and  dated  back  to  the  pioneer 
days  of  the  State.  The  Alexander  house  that  for  several 
generations  was  occupied  by  the  family,  was  built  orig- 
inally by  a  younger  brother  of  a  Scotch  baronet,  who 
settled  and  married  in  this  Western  wilderness.  When 
his  brother  died  and  he  succeeded  to  the  baronetcy,  he 
had  become  so  attached  to  his  New  Worid  home  that  he 
refused  to  return  to  Scotland.  He  drew  the  revenues  of 
his  large  estate  abroad,  however,  and  expended  them  in 
improving  his  Kentucky  place  until  it  became  a  princely 
domain  in  extent  and  richness.  Throughout  his  life  he 
contented  himself  with  the  low  and  rambling  structure, 
part  brick  and  part  wood,  that  he  first  built  and  that  he 
left  as  the  ancestral  home  to  his  descendants. 

One  must  not  overiook  Mr.  Robert  Aitcheson  Alex- 
ander in  the  consideration  of  those  who  played  a  con- 
spicuous part  in  turf  affairs  during  its  formative  period. 
Mr.  Alexander,  although  a  native  Kentuckian,  was  a 
nephew  of  Sir  William  Alexander,  of  England.  Edu- 
cated at  Cambridge,  England,  he  was  a  man  of  strong 
intellectual  powers,  and  brought  to  the  business  of  breed- 
ing thoroughbreds  an  intelligence  and  knowledge  sur- 
passing that  of  most  of  his  compatriots.  He  became, 
perhaps,  the  largest  and  most  successful  breeder  in  the 
worid,  his  large  fortune  enabling  him  to  give  full  vent  to 
his  inclination  and  to  carry  out  his  ideas  upon  the  grand- 
est scale.  It  is  said  that  not  even  that  wealthy  corpora- 
tion, the  Rawcliffe  Stud  Company,  of  England,  exceeded 
his  Woodburn  establishment  in  extent  or  in  importance. 
It  was  not  until  1856,  when  he  was  thirty-eight  years  of 
age,  that  he  first  appeared  upon  the  turf,  but  in  a  few 
years  he  became  a  conspicuous  figure  at  all  racing  meet- 
ings, although  his  blue  and  white  were  not  at  first 
particularly  successful.  Giving  his  life  to  the  thorough- 
bred, he  never  married,  but  was  to  a  considerable  extent 
prominent  in  society.  His  enthusiastic  devotion  to  his 
chosen  profession  led  him  to  carry  heavier  burdens  than 


167 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


he  was  physically  capable  of,  and  he  died  in  1867  at  the 
age  of  forty-eight,  worn  out  by  the  business  cares  that 
he  had  voluntarily  assumed. 

Under  the  management  of  Mr.  A.  J.  Alexander,  who 
succeeded  his  brother,  the  Woodburn  establishment, 
which  comprised  some  4,000  acres  of  land,  steadily  grew 
in  importance  and  in  reputation.  The  constant  aim  of 
the  Alexanders  was  always  to  breed  from  the  most  ap- 
proved stallions  and  mares,  and  the  name  of  Woodburn 
has  been,  as  a  natural  result,  identified  with  many  of  the 
greatest  thoroughbreds  that  the  American  turf  has  known 
in  the  last  half  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Perhaps  Lex- 
ington gave  the  place  its  most  renown,  and  as  the 
corner  stone  of  the  American  thoroughbred  family  of  the 
middle  of  the  century,  he  linked  the  names  of  Woodburn 
and  Alexander  with  his  own.  For  some  ten  years  fol- 
lowing 185s,  Lexington,  Scythian,  who  was  imported 
by  the  Messrs.  Alexander,  and  Australian,  who  was  im- 
ported by  Mr.  A.  Keene  Richards  and  then  purchased  by 
the  Alexanders,  presided  over  this  establishment.  After- 
ward other  good  stallions  arrived  to  keep  them  company, 
among  them  being  Planet,  that  phenomenal  Virginia 
horse,  so  long  owned  by  Major  Doswell.  Asteroid,  son 
of  Lexington,  also  came  to  take  his  place  beside  his 
greater  sire.  Many  of  the  noted  horses  of  the  sixties 
and  seventies  came  out  of  Woodburn,  among  them  Nor- 
folk, Kentucky,  Asteroid,  Pat  Malloy,  Idlewild,  Daniel 
Boone,  Gilroy  and  others.  Subsequently  Glen  Athol, 
then  King  Alfonso,  after  the  death  of  Lexington,  in  1876, 
and  then  Lisbon  and  Pat  Malloy  were  added  to  the  estab- 
lishment. 

Among  the  great  thoroughbred  matrons  identified  with 
Woodburn  were  Glenluine,  dam  of  Troubadour  and 
Lizzie  Krepps;  Jamaica,  dam  of  Foxhall;  Cachuca,  dam 
of  Fresno  and  Palestine,  and  imported  Flora  McDonald, 
dam  of  Dundee  and  King  Mac.  Another  was  Sylph, 
who  traced  to  the  famous  Magnolia  by  imported  Glencoe ; 
she  was  the  dam  of  such  great  horses  as  Princeton,  Han- 
over, Daniel  Boone,  Simon  Kenton,  Skedaddle,  Kentucky, 
Victory,  Madonna  and  Madeline,  grandam  of  Iroquois. 
Woodburn  was  the  birthplace  of  the  famous  Foxhall,  son 
of  King  Alfonso,  who  was  also  the  sire  of  Fonso,  Gren- 
ada, Don  Fulano,  Telemachus  and  other  fast  ones.  From 
Glen  Athol,  by  Blair  Athol,  Glenmore  and  Checkmate 
went  out  to  further  enhance  the  fame  of  Woodburn. 
Pat  Malloy  added  Bob  Miles,  Lord  Murphy  and  others  to 
the  notable  list  of  this  establishment's  foals,  while  Fal- 
setto got  Dewdrop,  Fresno,  Rupert  and  Fordham.  Lis- 
bon got  Troubadour,  who  won  the  sensational  Suburban 
of  1886.  Powhattan,  by  Leamington  out  of  Maiden  by 
Lexington,  and  a  full  brother  to  the  famous  gelding 
Parole,  was  another  inmate  of  the  Woodburn  Stud 
along  in  the  eighties.  Could  all  the  great  racers  who 
have   come    out    of    Woodburn    be    brought    together 


in  one  company  they  would  make  one  of  the  grandest 
armies  of  thoroughbreds  ever  known  to  the  turf  in  the 
United  States,  while  they  would  scarcely  take  second 
place  to  the  like  produce  of  any  foreign  stud. 

The  Elmendorf  Stud  Farm,  although  less  ancient  than 
that  of  Woodburn,  has  been  particularly  notable  in  later 
years  through  the  brilliant  performances  of  its  sons  and 
daughters.  The  establishment  was  founded  by  Mr. 
Milton  H.  Sanford,  who  spent  a  small  fortune  in  improv- 
ing it,  and  regarded  it  as  the  great  achievement  of  his 
career  as  a  sportsman.  Located  in  the  immediate  vicin- 
ity of  Lexington  and  in  the  very  heart  of  the  richest  blue 
grass  region,  it  comprised  over  500  acres,  nearly  all  of 
which  was  rich  pasturage.  After  Mr.  Sanford 's  death  it 
became  the  property  of  Mr.  Daniel  Swigert  and  later  on 
passed  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  C.  J.  Enright.  Some 
of  the  finest  race  horses  that  were  ever  stripped  on  the 
course  in  this  country  were  the  product  of  Elmendorf. 
Here  imported  Prince  Charlie  ruled  for  a  few  short  years 
and  got,  among  other  famous  sons  and  daughters,  the 
immortal  Salvator  out  of  Salina.  Here  also  imported 
Glenelg  stood  for  many  seasons  and  added  much  to  the 
distinction  of  the  American  turf  by  his  famous  progeny. 
Tremont,  the  unbeaten  black  wonder,  who  never  knew 
defeat,  was  dropped  here,  his  dam  being  Ann  Fief,  and 
here  was  foaled  that  grand  filly  Firenze,  who  beat  every- 
thing that  came  in  her  way.  Finework,  one  of  the  most 
successful  of  the  many  dams  who  helped  to  increase  the 
fame  of  their  great  sire,  Lexington,  produced  here  Port- 
land, Elkhorn  Lass  and  Embroidery.  Fair  Lady,  dam  of 
Bermuda  and  Dagonet;  Stamps,  dam  of  Katie  Pease, 
Louisette  and  Precious;  Peru,  dam  of  Dry  Monopole; 
Marguerite,  dam  of  Rupert  and  Ruperta;  Gondola,  dam 
of  Senorita;  these  whose  names  have  been  caught  up  at 
random,  have  been  a  few  among  the  many  matrons  who 
threw  famous  sons  and  daughters  that  have  added  dis- 
tinction to  Elmendorf. 

Runnymede  Stud,  at  Paris,  Ky.,  owned  and  managed 
by  the  Messrs.  Clay  &  Woodford,  is  another  one  of  the 
historic  breeding  establishments  of  that  section.  It  has 
had  a  long,  notable  and  honorable  career.  The  owners 
have  always  given  their  personal  attention  to  everything 
pertaining  to  the  business  of  the  place,  and  they  have 
been  altogether  successful  in  bringing  out  some  of  the 
best  blood  horses  of  the  modern  turf.  The  estate  com- 
prises some  500  acres  of  the  best  blue  grass  land. 
Thereon  imported  Billet  has  stood  in  recent  years,  and  in 
the  stud  have  been  dams  of  Lexington,  Leamington, 
Glencoe  and  Bonnie  Scotland  blood. 

One  of  the  most  successful  breeders  in  America  in  the 
early  part  of  the  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century 
was  Mr.  John  M.  Clay,  whose  historic  establishment  near 
Ashland  has  been  as  rich  in  traditions  as  any  other  in  the 
United  States.     Mr.  Clay  was  established  as  a  breeder  by 

168 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


his  father,  the  great  statesman,  Henry  Clay,  who  gave  to 
him  that  tine  race  horse  and  excellent  stallion,  imported 
Yorkshire.  Mr.  (^lav  had  much  success  with  Magnolia 
and  Topaz,  who  were  Glencoe  mares,  and  with  Balloon, 
daughter  of  Yorkshire.  The  colts  that  he  bred,  that 
afterward  became  great  race  horses,  would  be  numbered 
by  the  hundreds.  He  had  great  faith  in  imported  York- 
shire, and  also  in  the  crosses  of  Lexington's  sons  upon 
Glencoe's  daughters.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Clay  his 
widow  succeeded  to  the  head  of  the  establishment,  and 
for  years  was  the  only  woman  in  the  United  States 
engaged  in  this  particular  kind  of  business.  She  had  a 
complete  knowledge  of  the  blood  horse  and  of  breeding 
methods,  while  the  pedigrees  of  all  the  great  thorough- 
breds were  as  household  words  to  her.  She  was  not 
less  successful  than  her  husband  had  been  in  raising 
some  distinguished  performers  for  the  turf  and  in  adding 
value  to  the  blood  of  the  American  race  horse. 

Bosque  Bonita  has  also  been  one  of  the  celebrated  stud 
farms  of  Kentucky.  It  was  not  a  large  establishment  as 
compared  with  some  of  its  more  conspicuous  rivals, 
including  less  than  lOO  acres.  It  was  charmingly  located, 
however,  and  comprised  stretches  of  beautiful  woodland 
and  rich  pasture.  General  Abe  Buford,  the  proprietor, 
was  one  of  the  foremost  turfmen  of  his  period.  Upon 
his  stud  farm  were  bred  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
horses  that  have  ever  been  known  to  the  American  turf. 
Among  his  earlier  colts  were  Charleston,  Ruric,  Portland 
and  many  others,  not  less  successful  as  race  horses.  In 
later  days  the  chief  of  the  Bosque  Bonita  Stud  was  the 
renowned  imported  Sovereign.  This  great  stallion  stands 
in  the  Stud  Book  as  second  only  to  imported  Glencoe  as 
a  getter  of  successful  racers.  Altogether,  he  was  one  of 
the  most  famous  sires  that  the  world  ever  knew,  and 
has  added  immeasurably  to  the  value  of  American  blood 
stock. 

Early  in  the  seventies  Mr.  M.  H.  Sanford  started  his 
breeding  establishment  at  North  Elkhorn  Farm,  near  Lex- 
ington, Ky.  Sparing  neither  time  nor  expense,  he  built 
a  splendid  stud  farm  that  in  its  day  was  said  to  have  been, 
with  one  exception,  the  largest  of  its  class  in  the  United 
States.  Here  he  kept,  when  he  was  at  the  height  of  his 
interest  in  the  turf,  nearly  lOO  brood  mares,  who  com- 
bined in  themselves  the  choicest  strains  of  blood  known 
to  America.  Monarchist,  that  great  race  horse,  who  so 
pre-eminently  distinguished  himself  on  many  fields  of 
honor,  was  long  at  the  head  of  the  harem.  With  him 
were  Virgil  and  imported  Glenelg.  All  three  of  these 
stallions  added  to  their  triumphs  on  the  race  course 
further  success  in  the  stud.  Glenelg  produced  Idalia, 
Orion,  Eva  Shirley  and  others,  who  were  winners  in 
their  first  season.  The  get  of  Virgil  has  been  so  often 
referred  to  in  these  pages  that  there  is  no  call  to  say  more 
in  regard  to  them  here.     With  these  three  great  stallions 


Mr.  Sanford  added  marvelously  to  the  racing  blood  of  the 
United  States.  The  effect  of  his  enterprise  has  never 
ceased  to  be  felt  even  to  the  present  day,  and  is  con- 
stantly in  evidence  in  the  performance  of  many  cham- 
pions who  trace  their  origin  to  horses  that  were  foaled  and 
bred  at  North  Elkhorn. 

Glen  Agnes  Stud  Farm,  that  was  founded  by  Mr.  N. 
Kinzer,  and  was  afterward  owned  by  Messrs.  Douglass 
&  Daly,  has  had  a  good  reputation  outside  of  Kentucky, 
as  well  as  in  the  State  where  it  was  located.  Its  great 
sire  has  been  imported  Eothen,  who  probably  will  be 
best  remembered  as  the  sire  of  Requital.  The  National 
Stock  Farm,  where  Bob  Miles,  Terra  Cotta  and  others 
stood;  the  Bashford  Manor,  with  which  Azra,  Pandee 
and  others  have  been  identified;  the  Stonewall  Stud  of 
Captain  B.  Viley,  where  Belvedere  has  stood;  the  Oak- 
wood  Stud  of  Messrs.  Applegate  &  McMeeken,  with  its 
Melbourne  and  Hurricana  sires;  the  names  of  these 
readily  come  up  in  this  connection,  and  with  equal  grace 
a  hundred  others  quite  as  worthy  of  enumeration  might 
be  added  to  the  list  without  closely  approaching  the  end 
of  the  subject. 

Tennessee  has  sometimes  been  a  close  rival  of  Ken- 
tucky in  the  importance  of  its  breeding  interests.  Easily 
among  the  foremost  nurseries  in  that  State  must  stand 
the  famous  Belle  Meade  Stud  Farm,  that  for  nearly  three- 
quarters  of  a  century  has  occupied  a  prominent  part  in 
the  work  of  developing  the  American  thoroughbred.  It 
is  a  magnificent  property  of  3,800  acres,  comprising 
some  of  the  best  land  for  breeding  purposes  known  in 
that  section  of  the  country.  Among  the  great  stallions 
who  have  been  identified  with  it  and  who  ended  their 
lives  in  its  harem  have  been  imported  Priam,  the  Derby 
winner;  imported  Eagle,  imported  Bluster,  Vandal,  Jack 
Malone,  Childe  Harold,  imported  Bonnie  Scotland,  John 
Morgan  and  many  others  scarcely  second  in  merit.  In 
contemporaneous  times  Iroquois,  Luke  Blackburn,  En- 
quirer, Longstreet,  Clarendon,  imported  Great  Tom, 
imported  Loyalist,  Tremont  and  Inspector  B.  have 
reigned  supreme.  During  twenty  years,  from  1870  to 
i8qo,  the  produce  of  the  Belle  Meade  Stud  Farm  won 
upward  of  $2,000,000  in  stakes  and  purses.  In  iBqi,  12s 
racers  from  the  establishment  won  over  $300,000  in  4S0 
races,  and  the  record  in  years  following  that  date  has 
shown  even  an  advance  over  those  remarkable  figures. 
Enquirer  as  an  inmate  of  this  stud  achieved  a  national 
reputation.  During  thirteen  years,  from  1878  to  1890, 
inclusive,  his  get  won  in  stakes  and  purses  upward  of 
$46  s,  000. 

Among  the  Belle  Meade  matrons  who  have  been  par- 
ticularly distinguished  are  TuIIahoma,  dam  of  Tulla  Black- 
burn and  Tammany;  Silver  Maid,  dam  of  Young  Luke 
and  Taviston;  Vintage  Time,  dam  of  Uncle  Bob,  who 
won  the  American  Derby;  Bribery,  dam  of  Miss  Ford 


169 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


and  Zuleika;  Miss  Hampton,  dam  of  Elyton;  Guildean, 
dam  of  Ben  Harrison,-  Wrestler  and  Guildura,  and  Mari- 
posa, dam  of  Swift,  Beatitude  and  Boulevard.  For  a 
generation  the  Belle  Meade  Farm  was  in  the  possession 
of  General  W.  G.  Harding  and  General  W.  H.  Jackson, 
two  of  the  most  enterprising  of  modern  turfmen.  In 
1893,  Mr.  Richard  Croker  signalized  his  advent  upon  the 
turf  by  purchasing  a  half  interest  of  the  estate  from  Gen- 
eral Jackson.  The  price  that  he  paid,  $250,000,  suffi- 
ciently indicates  the  great  value  of  the  place.  Dobbins, 
Yorkville  Belle,  Longstreet  and  other  famous  thorough- 
breds have  been  in  the  Belle  Meade  Stud  in  recent  times. 

One  must  not  leave  Tennessee  without  first  having 
given  attention  to  the  Fairview  Stud  of  Mr.  Charles  Reed, 
situated  near  Gallatin.  Although  one  of  the  younger 
establishments,  as  compared  with  some  of  the  historic 
farms,  it  has  long  had  an  enviable  reputation.  The  Fair- 
view  came  notably  into  prominence  when  its  proprietor, 
with  an  intrepidity  that  well-nigh  astounded  the  turf 
world,  paid  $100,000  for  imported  St.  Blaise  when  the 
Nursery  Stud  of  the  late  Honorable  August  Belmont  was 
sold  in  1 89 1.  Previous  to  that  time  Mr.  Reed  had  a  well 
established  stud,  but  the  advent  of  St.  Blaise  gave  it  a 
pre-eminence  that  it  had  never  enjoyed  before,  and  in 
some  respects  marked  an  important  point  in  the  history 
of  American  breeding.  The  value  of  an  undoubtedly 
high  class  and  successful  stallion  was  particularly  em- 
phasized by  the  fee  of  $2,soo  which  Mr.  Reed  placed 
upon  St.  Blaise. 

When  that  eminent  sire  entered  the  Fairview  Stud  the 
establishment  had  already  been  identified  with  some  very 
good  stallions.  There  was  imported  Mr.  Pickwick,  son 
of  the  Derby  winner.  Hermit,  and  also  Forester,  Miser, 
imported  Cheviot,  Long  Taw,  imported  Muscovy  and 
Exile,  son  of  imported  Mortemer.  Miser,  a  full  brother 
to  Spendthrift,  was  fairly  successful  for  his  owner,  and 
made  Fairview  especially  well  known  through  his 
daughter,  Yorkville  Belle,  who  was  one  of  the  best 
two-year  olds  of  her  season.  Thora,  that  grand  old 
mare,  was  the  most  distinguished  matron  ever  attached 
to  Fairview.  As  the  dam  of  the  famous  Dobbins,  by 
Mr.  Pickwick,  and  the  wonderful  filly,  Yorkshire  Belle, 
by  Miser,  she  added  glories  to  the  American  turf  that  age 
can  never  dim.  Among  her  companions  have  been  Mary 
Anderson,  dam  of  Wary,  Melodrama  and  Actor;  Bonnie 
Wood,  dam  of  Phoenix,  Annie  and  Hell  Gate;  Athleen, 
dam  of  Peter  and  Athlete,  and  Acquital,  dam  of  Defend- 
ant and  Not  Guilty,  with  many  others  not  at  all  less 
worthy  of  note. 

Of  the  stud  farms  that  have  existed  in  New  Jersey  in 
modern  times  none  has  been  more  deservedly  prominent 
than  the  famous  Brookdale,  the  property  of  Mr.  David 
D.  Withers,  the  mentor  of  the  American  turf.  During 
the  lifetime  of  the  "  Sage  of  Brookdale  "  his  establishment 


had  a  reputation  second  to  none  anywhere  in  the  coun- 
try. Situated  in  a  neighborhood  famous  for  its  horse 
traditions  and  identified  with  such  noble  animals  as 
Eclipse,  Mingo  and  others  in  the  olden  times,  Brookdale 
was  an  ideal  stud  farm  and  the  beloved  home  of  an  ideal 
sportsman,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  was  the  old  Lloyd 
farm,  forever  associated  with  the  names  of  Nemesis  and 
Attila.  Nearby  was  the  farm  of  Mr.  Francis  Morris,  one 
of  the  foremost  sportsmen  of  the  last  generation.  There 
Ruthless,  Relentless,  Remorseless  and  other  members  of 
the  famous  Barbarity  family,  were  bred,  while  in  later 
years,  under  another  owner,  St.  Martin,  Plevna  and  Post- 
Guard  were  trained.  Wildidle  was  trained  on  the  track 
of  this  farm,  in  187s,  and  brought  into  the  condition  that 
enabled  him  to  win  the  Fordham  Handicap.  The  neigh- 
borhood of  Brookdale  is  full  of  the  most  delightful  recol- 
lections pertaining  to  the  thoroughbred,  his  breeding  and 
his  racing. 

Brookdale  was  not  originally  designed  for  a  stud  farm. 
Mr.  Withers  bought  the  property  purely  for  training  pur- 
poses, and,  as  he  once  expressed  it,  "I  didn't  embark  in 
breeding — I  drifted  into  it."  But,  having  once  engaged 
in  the  business,  he  continued  in  it  with  that  enthusiasm 
and  unreserved  devotion  that  characterized  all  his  pro- 
ceedings as  a  sportsman.  He  had  his  own  peculiar 
theories  in  regard  to  the  development  of  the  thorough- 
bred, and  persisted  in  following  those,  ever  refusing 
to  cater  to  the  likes  and  dislikes  of  others.  His  judg- 
ment was  not  always  faultless,  but  he  steadily  held  to 
his  own  opinions,  nevertheless.  When  he  had  come  to 
a  decision  in  regard  to  the  merits  of  a  stallion,  nothing 
could  change  him,  even  though  the  racing  world  refused 
to  follow  him  or  to  buy  his  yearlings.  He  bred  his  own 
race  horses  and  with  them  achieved  a  considerable  suc- 
cess, although  not  as  great  as  that  which  must  be  cred- 
ited to  other  owners  who  were  of  his  time. 

Comparatively  speaking,  few  great  race  horses  came 
out  of  Brookdale.  The  only  chance  the  public  had  to 
buy  the  produce  of  his  establishment  was  at  the  weed- 
ing out  sales,  when  the  surplus  yearling  stock,  or  selec- 
tions from  the  racing  stable,  were  sold  under  the  ham- 
mer. Some  of  those  whom  the  master  of  Brookdale 
thus  disposed  of  were  fairly  successful,  quite  as  much 
so,  indeed,  as  any  that  Mr.  Withers  ran  in  his  own  colors. 
For  example,  it  is  part  of  the  turf  history  of  the  time 
that,  in  1890,  Mr.  Withers  sold  all  the  yearlings  by  Ven- 
tilator, against  whom  he  had  conceived  an  ineradicable 
prejudice.  Three  of  these  yearlings,  Airplant,  Airshaft 
and  Airtight,  were  purchased  by  Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer,  and 
the  first  named,  especially,  turned  out  to  be  a  very  good 
colt,  winning  for  his  owner  $17,615. 

Among  the  stallions  who  stood  at  Brookdale  were 
King  Ernest,  Stonehenge,  Macaroon,  Sensation,  Venti- 
lator, imported  Mortemer,  Intruder,  Eothen,  Stalwart  and 


170 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Thunderstorm.  Mr.  Withers  never  purchased  many 
brood  mai'es,  but  his  I'acing  fillies  as  tiiey  retired  began 
to  accumulate  and  were  served  by  his  stallions.  Im- 
ported Mortemer  he  bought  when  the  horse  was  twenty- 
one  years  old,  taking  him  from  the  breaking-up  sale  of 
the  Rancocas  Stud.  Ventilator,  whom  he  despised, 
denying  his  claim  as  a  thoroughbred,  brought  him  some 
of  his  best  youngsters.  Out  of  several  of  his  brood 
mares  that  were  sent  to  Tom  Ochiltree  in  the  hopes,  as 
he  said,  "  of  getting  fillies  with  Lexington  top  cross  for 
breeding  purposes,"  he  secured  such  good  colts  as  Major 
Domo,  Cynosure,  Tomboy,  Orator  and  Sluggard,  a  fairly 
successful  result,  but  disappointing  to  the  owner  of 
Brookdale  because  it  was  contrary  to  his  theories  and 
e.Kpectations. 

One  of  the  best  horses  ever  turned  out  from  the  estab- 
lishment, and  by  many  considered  quite  the  best,  was  a 
son  of  Sensation,  by  Imported  Faverdale  by  The  Palmer. 
This  horse  was  never  named,  but  as  a  two-year  old,  in 
1888,  he  was  the  best  member  of  Mr.  Withers'  stable, 
winning  $21,  ^40.  In  that  same  season  ten  of  the  twelve 
two-year  olds  that  Mr.  Withers  started,  all  of  them  hav- 
ing been  bred  by  him,  were  winners.  That  year  of  1888 
was  the  best  Withers'  year  known  up  to  that  time. 
For  more  than  fifteen  years  previously  he  had  steadfastly 
fought  fate  and  paid  out  a  small  fortune  in  forfeits,  never 
succeeding  in  attaining  the  success  on  the  race  course 
most  heartily  wished  for  him  by  those  who  appreciated 
his  truly  sportsmanlike  character  and  the  great  services 
that  he  rendered  to  the  cause  of  the  turf. 

One  of  the  first  mares  who  was  settled  at  Brookdale 
was  Miss  Nellie,  grandam  of  Stonenell.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Eclipse;  and  was  bred  by  Mr.  Francis  Morris 
upon  his  Westchester  farm.  Although  she  had  good 
Orlando  and  Lexington  blood,  she  failed  of  appreciation, 
and  was  used  as  a  hack,  and  also  driven  to  harness 
until  relegated  to  the  stud  in  1884.  There  she  justi- 
fied her  claim  to  good  thoroughbred  ancestry  by  foaling 
Nell,  who  became  the  dam  of  Stonenell.  Another  early 
Brookdale  matron  was  Elsie,  a  daughter  of  Leamington, 
and  out  of  Babta,  who  was  also  Glenelg's  dam.  Mr. 
Withers  purchased  Elsie  from  Mr.  R.  W.  Cameron.  She 
was  named  after  Miss  Elsie  Barlow,  and  was  fairly  suc- 
cessful on  the  turf,  but  a  failure  as  a  brood  mare.  Mimi, 
by  Eclipse,  was  perhaps  the  most  famous  mare  ever  as- 
sociated with  Brookdale.  She  was  bred  in  1869  by  Mr. 
Francis  Morris,  and  when  she  was  three  years  old  she 
carried  the  all  black  of  Mr.  Withers  to  distinction  in 
some  important  races.  In  the  stud  she  threw  Kinglike, 
Mikado,  Stately  and  "Viceroy  to  King  Ernest,  and  also 
was  the  dam  of  Copyright,  by  Uncas. 

Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Withers,  the  title,  "  Master  of 
Brookdale,"  fell  upon  one  in  every  way  qualified  and 
worthy  to  bear  it.     The  stud,  stable  and  farm  were  pur- 


chased by  the  late  Colonel  William  P.  Thompson,  of 
whom  it  has  been  well  said  that  no  more  thorough  gen- 
tleman or  more  gallant  sportsman  ever  graced  the  turf, 
either  in  this  country  or  in  Europe.  Brookdale  naturally 
lost  none  of  its  fame  in  the  hands  of  its  new  owner. 
The  enthusiasm  and  wise  liberality  for  which  Colonel 
Thompson  was  noted  throughout  his  life  were  strikingly 
displayed  in  this  venture.  Unhappily,  he  was  not  spared 
to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  labors.  His  death,  in  February, 
i8q6,  left  a  void  in  social  and  business  circles  as  well  as 
in  the  world  of  sport  that  even  the  lapse  of  years  cannot 
fill.  Yet  all  lovers  of  true,  honest  sport  and  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  progress  of  horse  breeding  rejoiced  that 
the  late  Colonel  Thompson's  sons,  the  Messrs.  Lewis  S. 
Thompson  and  William  P.  Thompson,  Jr.,  who  were 
associated  with  him  in  the  conduct  of  the  Brookdale  en- 
terprise prior  to  his  demise,  have  continued  it  upon  pre- 
cisely the  same  lines,  in  the  same  spirit,  and  with  a 
degree  of  success  that  augurs  well  for  the  future  of 
Brookdale. 

Colonel  Thompson  was  a  native  of  Virginia.  A  South- 
erner to  the  core,  his  sympathies  arrayed  him  on  the 
Confederate  side  in  the  Civil  War.  On  the  termination 
of  the  war  he  was  one  of  the  first  Southern  men  to 
establish  himself  in  the  metropolis,  and  in  a  few  years 
was  not  only  the  master  of  a  considerable  fortune,  but 
was  a  factor  of  no  small  importance  in  the  world  of 
finance  and  commerce.  With  the  inbred  aptitude  of  a 
Virginian  for  legitimate  sport,  he  combined  a  profound 
knowledge  of  horseflesh,  and  was  a  patron  of  the  turf 
for  many  years  before  he  assumed  the  role  of  an  active 
aspirant  for  its  honors.  He  was  connected  by  business 
and  social  ties  with  the  leading  men  of  the  American 
turf,  and  his  advice  was  sought  and  respected  by  the  best 
element  in  racing  circles.  When,  therefore,  in  the  winter 
of  i8q3,  it  was  announced  that  the  famous  Brookdale 
property,  with  its  stud,  and  indeed  the  entire  plant,  just 
as  it  had  existed  in  Mr.  Withers'  time,  had  passed  from 
the  executors  of  the  latter  to  Colonel  Thompson,  there 
was  a  general  feeling  of  gratification  in  the  American 
racing  world. 

Under  its  new  proprietor  the  famous  old  farm  became 
more  than  ever  an  object  of  interest  to  the  racing  com- 
munity. Probably  no  man  engaged  in  racing  and  breed- 
ing ever  enjoyed  those  pursuits  more  than  Colonel 
Thompson.  Yet,  while  finding  in  the  Brookdale  estab- 
lishment a  needed  relief  from  the  engrossing  cares  of  his 
vast  business  enterprises,  he  was  not  unmindful  of  the 
large  pecuniary  stake  that  the  farm  represented.  With 
characteristic  energy  and  judgment,  he  proceeded  at  once 
to  improve  and  enlarge  the  stud,  and  the  perfection 
which  the  present  buildings  represent  is  largely  due  to 
the  liberal,  yet  wise,  expenditures  which  were  under- 
taken at  his  instance. 


171 


THE    AMERICAN    TURE 


At  the  same  time  he  fully  appreciated  the  fact  that  pro- 
gress in  a  breeding  establishment  must  be  continuous, 
in  1893,  he  visited  England  and  made  liberal  offers  for 
Lord  Roseberry's  Ladas  and  the  Duke  of  Westminster's 
Orme.  Although  unable  to  secure  the  great  horses 
that  he  wished,  Brookdale  was,  however,  not  left  with- 
out a  signal  benefit  from  its  owner's  investigation  of  the 
thoroughbred  stock  of  the  mother  country.  One  of  his 
judicious  acquisitions  was  the  mare,  The  Apple.  She 
was  at  the  time  of  her  purchase  and  transfer  to  Brook- 
dale  a  horse  that  had  enjoyed  a  phenomenal  record  on 
the  running  turf,  and  had  her  foal.  One  I  Love,  by  her 
side.  The  most  famous  product  of  the  Brookdale  stud 
under  Colonel  Thompson's  administration  was  Re- 
quital, one  of  the  best  horses  of  recent  years.  He 
was  foaled  at  Brookdale  in  the  autumn  of  1893,  and  was 
purchased  as  a  yearling  by  Messrs.  Gideon  &  Daly  for 
$2,800.  The  great  youngster  began  his  career  by  win- 
ning the  Futurity  with  a  rush,  and  it  was  characteristic 
of  Colonel  Thompson  that  he  promptly  paid  Mr.  Gideon 
$26,000  to  regain  possession  of  the  colt. 

The  Brookdale  property  comprises  about  900  acres  of 
land,  pasture,  woodland  and  arable  soil,  agreeably  diver- 
sified by  running  streams.  Upon  it  there  are  some  sixty 
modern  buildings,  with  every  convenience  for  the  breed- 
ing and  training  of  the  thoroughbred.  Two  large,  com- 
plete high  class  dwellings  loom  up  as  one  approaches  the 
farm  from  Red  Bank.  In  one  of  them  lives  Mr.  Rowe, 
the  trainer,  and  the  other  is  the  family  homestead  of  the 
Messrs.  Thompson.  The  hundred  or  more  employees  of 
the  farm  are  all  comfortably  housed  within  its  precincts, 
and  among  the  other  features  of  the  management  is  the 
permanent  employment  of  a  physician  to  look  after  the 
health  of  their  help.  Another  matter  which  may  well  be 
a  subject  of  approving  mention  is  the  office.  It  is  a 
counting-room  such  as  would  be  found  in  a  large  com- 
mercial or  banking  establishment,  and  here  the  whole 
administration  and  business  of  the  great  stud  is  trans- 
acted with  the  same  regularity  that  would  be  seen  in  a 
purely  commercial  concern. 

Referring  to  the  technical  side  of  the  Brookdale  plant, 
it  may  be  said  that  it  includes  two  tracks,  one  of  a  mile 
and  the  other  a  half-mile  distance.  An  eighth  of  a  mile 
track  has  also  been  built  under  cover  so  that  young 
horses  can  be  successfully  prepared  for  early  spring 
engagements.  There  is  stabling  for  130  horses  and 
numerous  paddocks,  the  abundance  of  running  brooks 
supplying  pure  water  for  the  stock,  while  the  strips  of 
woodland  that  are  found  throughout  the  estate  offer  a 
shelter,  and  at  the  same  time  give  a  truly  picturesque 
appearance  to  the  landscape.  High  grade  cattle  and 
swine  are  also  among  the  specialties  of  Brookdale,  and  a 
large  proportion  of  the  feed  required  by  the  establish- 
ment is  raised    on  the   estate,    the   farming   operations 


requiring  the  service  of  a  score  or  so  of  work  horses. 
To-day  Brookdale  is  one  of  the  representative  breeding 
establishments  of  the  country,  and  its  owners  are  ener- 
getically carrying  out  the  policy  that  their  respected 
father  inaugurated.  They  possess  ambition,  wealth  and 
enterprise.  The  magnificent  plant  at  their  command 
should  make  it  possible  that  their  colors  will  be  among 
the  most  prominent  on  the  courses  of  America,  while 
from  the  Brookdale  stud,  particularly  with  the  additions 
they  contemplate  making  to  the  stallions  and  mares  com- 
posing it,  we  may  expect  from  year  to  year  many  nota- 
ble youngsters  who  will  keep  up-  the  well-earned  fame 
that  the  farm  enjoys  in  the  equine  world.  Nor  is  the 
least  of  the  grounds  for  confidence  in  the  future  of  Brook- 
dale supplied  by  the  fact  that  there  are  few  places  of  the 
kind  in  the  world  better  organized  and  officered.  The 
mere  mention  that  Mr.  James  G.  Rowe,  a  leader  among 
modern  trainers,  is  head  of  the  staff,  is  sufficient  of  itself 
to  carry  conviction  on  this  point. 

A  long  and  interesting  article  could  be  written  with 
reference  to  the  Brookdale  horses,  past  and  present.  It 
is  a  roll  of  honor  that  includes  animals  that  have,  season 
by  season,  taken  a  commanding  position  in  the  esteem 
of  the  racing  public  and  of  sires  whose  get  rank  high  in 
the  aristocracy  of  horses.  Of  stallions  there  are  Faver- 
dale,  the  son  of  Sensation  and  grandson  of  the  famous 
Lexington,  Kinglike,  by  imported  King  Ernest,  both  of 
which  horses  were  bred  by  Mr.  Withers  himself  at  Brook- 
dale. Their  comrades  include  imported  Macaroon, 
Stonehenge,  by  Blair  Athol,  and  Uncas,  one  of  the  last 
and  best  sons  of  that  staunch  sire,  Lexington. 

The  get  of  these  Brookdale  stallions  have  included 
many  noted  brood  mares,  who,  since  the  foundation  of 
the  enterprise  by  Mr.  Withers  and  under  the  proprietor- 
ship of  its  present  owners,  have  given  to  the  American 
turf  some  of  its  most  celebrated  horses.  King  Ernest 
got  Adage  out  of  Maxim;  Auricoma  out  of  Belinda; 
Bassinette  out  of  Miss  Bassett;  Bibelot  out  of  Knick- 
nack;  Eccola  out  of  Echo;  Nell  out  of  Miss  Nellie; 
Stately  out  of  Mimi;  Triolet  out  of  Trill,  and  Inverwick 
out  of  Invermoi'e.  Macaroon  got  Cadence  out  of  Casta- 
gnette;  Knicknack  out  of  Bijou.  Uncas  got  Cascade  out 
of  Cadence;  Doreen  out  of  Michaelmas;  Nutbrown  out 
of  Mimi ;  Trill  out  of  Cadence,  and  Uproar  out  of  Cyclone. 
Imported  Faverdale  got  Castania  out  of  Castagnette. 
Stonehenge  got  Necromancy  out  of  Nancy;  Stonecrop 
out  of  Mary  Buckley,  and  Golden  Rod  out  of  Auricoma. 
Other  distinguished  matrons  of  this  establishment  are 
Castalia,  by  imported  Mortemer  out  of  Castagnette; 
Emilia  by  Muncaster  out  of  E.  M. ;  Favonia  by  Favonius 
out  of  "Wall  Flower;  Essayez  II.  by  Cremorne  out  of  Pill 
Box;  Miss  Maud  by  Duke  of  Montrose  out  of  Miss 
Mattie;  Sandola  by  Iroquois  out  of  Gondola,  and  Wyan- 
dotte by  imported  Leamington  out  of  Nemesis. 


172 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


DAVID    D.    WITHERS 


17a 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


WILLIAM    P.    THOMPSON 


172 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Never  second  to  Brookdale  in  high  repute  and  even 
superior  at  the  height  of  its  career  in  the  success  of  its 
breeding  operations,  was  the  Rancocas  Stud  that  Mr. 
Pierre  Lorillard  established  at  Jobstown,  N.  J.  Over 
fifteen  hundred  acres  were  included  in  the  farm,  mostly 
meadow  land,  with  a  good  three-quarter  mile  track.  At 
the  height  of  its  career  in  the  early  eighties  the  Rancocas 
held  more  than  eighty  brood  mares,  and  a  half  score 
stallions,  while  a  full  half  hundred  horses  were  generally 
in  training,  besides  many  weanlings,  half-breds  and 
horses  for  general  use.  The  training  stable  had  no 
superior  in  the  country,  being  circular  in  shape,  and  hav- 
ing a  walking  ring  sheltered  for  winter  work.  To 
name  all  the  great  horses  that  came  out  of  Rancocas 
would  be  an  agreeable  task,  even  though  it  would  be  of 
interminable  length  and  would  be  practically  a  well-nigh 
complete  history  of  racing  in  the  palmy  days  of  the 
Northern  turf  after  the  war.  There  some  of  the  most 
celebrated  race  horses  of  this  generation  were  bred  and 
trained.  There  Saxon  and  Attila  were  prepared  for  their 
turf  careers,  and,  more  notable  than  they,  both  Parole 
and  Iroquois  were  put  through  the  course  of  training 
that  fitted  them  for  the  brilliant  victories  that  they 
achieved  upon  the  English  turf.  Gonfalon  was  a  con- 
spicuous figure  here  in  the  early  eighties,  and  with  him 
were  such  great  ones  as  Venetia,  Duke  of  Magenta  and 
Endymion.  Pizarro  was  also  one  of  the  noted  horses  of 
the  establishment,  a  perfect  model  of  what  a  blood  horse 
should  be,  and  Nimrod,  Spartacus,  Amazon,  Breeze,  In- 
constant, Disdain,  Battledore  and  others  also  brought 
glory  to  the  Lorillard  colors.  Imported  Mortemer,  one 
of  the  best  horses  that  ever  came  from  England  in  this 
generation,  stood  here  for  many  years. 

Finally  Mr.  Lorillard  broke  up  his  stud,  having  a  sale 
that  was  one  of  the  great  events  of  the  day  in  turf  circles, 
and  that  distributed  many  notable  horses  to  other  studs 
and  stables.  His  passion  for  racing,  however,  still  re- 
mained with  him,  and  after  a  few  years  he  began  to 
build  up  Rancocas  again,  which  presently  assumed  some- 
thing of  the  importance  that  attached  to  it  in  its  earlier 
years.  One  of  his  most  important  acquirements  in  this 
period  of  his  racing  history  was  Simon  Magus,  the  only 
son  of  the  great  English  sire,  St.  Simon,  that  had  ever 
been  brought  across  the  Atlantic.  The  dam  of  Simon 
Magus  was  the  famous  race  mare,  Wheel  of  Fortune, 
who  had  the  exceptional  record  which  has  fallen  to  the 
lot  of  but  very  few  racers  of  never  having  been  defeated 
until  the  day  she  broke  down  in  a  race.  Other  Rancocas 
stallions  of  fame  have  been  imported  Sailor  Prince,  the 
winner  of  the  Cambridgeshire  of  1886,  and  Emperor,  the 
sire  of  Vestibule,  Gramercy,  and  other  good  ones. 
Among  the  mares  who  became  inmates  of  the  new  Ran- 
cocas have  been  Bella,  dam  of  Belisarius,  Beauty  and 
Belle  D. ;  Magnetic,  and  Tarbouche,  a  half-sister  to  La 


Tosca.  Mr.  Lorillard  also  owned  La  Tosca,  for  whom 
he  paid  $is,ooo,  and  many  other  distinguished  thorough- 
breds of  these  later  days  have  been  identified  with 
Rancocas. 

The  younger  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  followed  in  the  foot- 
steps of  his  father  in  taking  an  interest  in  racing.  At 
one  time  he  had  a  lease  of  the  old  Hunter  estate  in  West- 
chester County,  where  he  maintained  a  select  breeding 
stud.  The  neighborhood  in  which  he  began  business 
was  historic  in  thoroughbred  annals.  Not  far  away 
Medoc,  Maid  of  the  Oaks  and  Cora  were  foaled  in  the 
earlier  days  of  the  century.  Nearer  our  own  time, 
Alarm,  Ruthless,  Rhadamanthus,  Relentless,  Merciless, 
Monday  and  others  of  not  less  brilliant  renown  were 
foaled  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Hunter.  Imported 
Eclipse  stood  there  during  the  greater  part  of  his  hfetime. 
Censor,  Balrownie  and  Kentucky  were  also  identified 
with  the  same  place,  but  the  greatest  thoroughbred  glory 
of  the  locality  was  derived  from  Leamington,  when  he 
stood  there  and  got  Aristides,  Olitipa,  Rhadamanthus, 
Bob  WooUey,  Hyder  Ali  and  James  A.  Young  Mr.  Loril- 
lard began  business  with  a  very  good  young  stallion  and 
several  fine  bred  mares.  His  stallion  was  Siddartha,  by 
Pero  Gomez  out  of  The  Pearl  by  Newminster;  grandam. 
Caller  On  by  Stockwell. 

In  its  day  the  Algeria  Stud  of  the  Honorable  William 
L.  Scott,  located  at  Erie,  Pa.,  was  one  of  the  leading 
establishments  in  the  United  States.  Mr.  Scott's  con- 
nection with  the  turf  was  for  a  comparatively  short  time, 
somewhat  less  than  ten  years.  His  breeding  establish- 
ment, however,  assumed  a  position  in  the  first  rank 
almost  from  its  inception.  If  its  owner  had  done  noth- 
ing else,  one  act  alone  would  have  made  him  famous  the 
world  over,  and  that  was  his  purchase,  at  the  breaking- 
up  sale  of  the  Dangu  Stud,  in  France,  in  1882,  of  the 
great  French  race  horse,  Rayon  d'Or,  winner  of  the 
Doncaster  St.  Leger.  Rayon  d'Or  cost  his  new  owner 
$30,000,  the  highest  price  that  had  ever  been  paid  for  an 
imported  stallion  up  to  that  time.  This  purchase,  which 
was  actually  Mr.  Scott's  first  venture  into  the  field  of 
turf  activity,  placed  him  with  a  bound  in  the  front  rank 
of  his  compeers.  The  success  of  his  establishment  was 
assured  beyond  possibility  of  doubt,  and  it  grew  in  fame 
and  just  repute  year  after  year  until  the  death  of  its 
owner  brought  about  its  dispersal,  in  1892. 

The  wisdom  of  the  purchase  of  Rayon  d'Or  was  fully 
demonstrated  by  the  fact  that  at  the  breaking-up  sale  of 
Algeria,  after  he  had  performed  invaluable  service  in  the 
stud  for  nearly  ten  years,  an  advance  of  $2,000  more 
than  his  cost  in  1882  was  paid  for  him.  Rayon  d'Or 
was  the  king  of  the  Algeria  Stud,  and  never  abdicated 
his  position  during  the  life  of  Mr.  Scott.  No  imported 
stallion  ever  had  more  success,  and  his  offspring  have 
been  among  the  greatest  racers  of  this  generation.     The 


173 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


figures  show  that  during  the  four  seasons  immediately 
preceding  the  dispersal  of  the  Algeria  Stud  his  get  earned 
the  grand  total  of  $408,798.  In  one  year  alone  —1889 — 
they  placed  to  the  credit  of  their  sire  $174,620.  When 
it  is  recalled  that  Tenny,  Chaos,  Tea  Tray  and  Ban- 
quet, not  to  forget  other  almost  equally  good  ones, 
were  gifts  of  Rayon  d'Or  to  the  American  turf,  the  value 
of  his  services  as  a  sire  may  be  fully  appreciated.  Other 
stallions  that  Mr.  Scott  owned  were  Kantaka,  Algerine 
and  Wanderer.  Kantaka  was  half-brother  to  the  great 
English  sire,  Hermit;  Algerine  was  by  Abd-el-Kader,  out 
of  Nina  by  Boston,  and  Wanderer,  who  was  also  a  good 
race  horse,  was  of  fine  native  blood.  In  the  last  year 
of  his  life  Mr.  Scott  added  to  his  stud  the  French  stallion, 
Aerolithe. 

In  the  Algeria  Stud  were  some  twenty  or  more  im- 
ported mares,  and  generally  about  fifty  native  mares. 
Many  of  the  matrons  had  not  only  shown  their  good 
qualities  on  the  race  course,  but  also  became  eminent 
producers.  All-Hands-Around,  who  had  been  noted  in 
her  turf  career  through  Bolero  and  Lillie  R.,  added  to 
her  fame  as  a  race  mare  by  becoming  the  dam  of  Chaos, 
winner  of  the  Futurity.  From  Belle  of  Maywood  Mr. 
Scott  bred  Tenny;  from  Ella  T.  came  Tea  Tray  and 
Banquet,  while  Torso  and  Aurelia,  two  tlrst-class  horses 
who  increased  the  reputation  of  Algeria,  were  out  of 
imported  Santa  Lucia,  a  daughter  of  Lord  Lyon. 

Mr.  Aristides  Welch's  Erdenheim  Stud,  near  Philadel- 
phia, needed  no  greater  distinction  than  that  which 
accrued  to  it  from  imported  Leamington  and  Iroquois  to 
fix  it  forever  in  the  grateful  remembrance  of  all  American 
turfmen.  Erdenheim,  beautifully  located  at  the  foot  of 
Chestnut  Hill,  gave  to  the  turf  other  distinguished  racers 
besides  Parole.  Through  imported  Leamington  an  influ- 
ence went  out  from  it  that  has  been  of  incalculable  value 
to  the  American  blood  horse.  The  new  strain  thus  intro- 
duced has  been  productive  of  results,  especially  in  con- 
nection with  the  Lexington  family,  the  importance  of 
which  it  is  impossible  to  exaggerate.  Erdenheim  has 
had  a  place  in  history  quite  apart  from  its  connection 
with  the  breeding  interests  of  the  turf.  It  was  one  of 
the  old  colonial  establishments  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in 
its  solid  gray  stone  mansion  George  Washington  and 
other  dignitaries  at  all  periods  in  our  country's  history, 
from  the  earliest  down  to  the  present,  were  entertained. 
With  Leamington,  Maggie  B.  B.  shared  honors,  and  both 
of  these  great  horses,  with  Flora  Temple,  of  trotting 
renown,  rest  side  by  side  in  graves  upon  the  old  farm 
which  they  did  so  much  during  their  lifetime  to  make 
renowned.  Massive  granite  slabs,  simply  inscribed  with 
their  names,  mark  their  last  resting-places. 

The  Ferncliffe  Stud  of  Mr.  William  Astor  at  Rhinebeck 
held  an  important  place  among  the  breeding  establish- 
ments of  the  North  along  in  the  eighties.     Its  dispersal 


about  the  same  time  that  the  Nursery  Stud  and  several 
other  establishments  were  sold  was  a  notable  event  of 
that  period.  Imported  Galore,  a  son  of  the  English  sire, 
Galopin,  was  for  a  long  time  at  the  head  of  the  Fern- 
cliffe  Stud.  Afterward,  when  Mr.  Astor  began  again  to 
get  together  another  stock,  he  placed  imported  Cavalier, 
a  son  of  the  great  Prince  Charlie,  in  his  establishment  as 
the  first  step  toward  reviving  something  of  its  former 
prestige.  Had  it  not  been  for  his  untimely  death  in 
1892,  it  is  likely  that  the  Ferncliffe  would  once  again 
have  taken  an  important  part  in  the  breeding  affairs  of 
New  York. 

When  the  late  Mr.  M.  H.  Sanford,  who  was  the  sec- 
ond American  to  try  his  fortunes  on  the  English  turf, 
made  up  his  mind  to  go  extensively  into  breeding,  as 
well  as  racing,  he  sought  for  a  location  for  the  establish- 
ment that  he  proposed  in  New  Jersey.  No  place  could 
surpass  in  natural  attractiveness  the  little  village  of  Preak- 
ness,  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of  Paterson,  where  he 
finally  settled.  The  place  is  an  old  Quaker  settlement 
under  the  shadow  of  the  Preakness  Mountains,  and  the 
local  name,  which  Mr.  Sanford  also  adopted  for  his  farm, 
was  not  long  thereafter  in  obtaining  a  world-wide 'repu- 
tation. His  great  stallion,  who  also  bore  the  same  name, 
carried  the  fame  of  the  locality  throughout  the  United 
States  and  even  to  England.  Originally  established  in  a 
moderate  way  as  a  training  ground,  the  Preakness  Farm 
ultimately  became  famous.  Mr.  Sanford's  venture,  it 
must  be  confessed,  appeared  at  that  time  to  be  some- 
what hazardous.  Racing  had,  as  yet,  scarcely  started 
upon  its  new  career,  but  Preakness  became  one  of  the 
most  important  influences  that  contributed  to  the  revival 
which  has  now  become  historic. 

The  track  at  Preakness  quickly  became  a  noted  train- 
ing ground.  Loadstone,  Lancaster,  Niagara,  La  Polka, 
Madam  Dudley,  Preakness,  Mate  and  Stamps,  than  whom 
no  greater  race  horses  ever  gave  glory  to  the  turf,  were 
put  through  their  paces  here  and  prepared  for  their  con- 
quering careers.  The  retired  location  of  the  track  was 
altogether  favorable  to  Mr.  Sanford's  plans,  and  many 
surprises  were  brought  out  from  there  to  dumfound  the 
talent  on  race  days.  When  Mr.  Sanford  abandoned  rac- 
ing in  1881,  he  sold  the  Preakness  Farm  to  Mr.  James 
Galway,  under  whose  management  it  has  constantly 
maintained  the  highest  reputation  that  it  ever  attained  in 
its  best  days. 

Another  breeding  establishment  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York  out  of  which  went  a  wide  and  powerful  influence 
was  that  of  Mr.  R.  W.  Cameron,  at  Clifton,  Staten 
Island.  It  was  called  the  Clifton  Stud,  and  was  main- 
tained by  its  owner  upon  a  generous  scale  and  with 
intelligent  enterprise.  Naturally,  on  account  of  his  Eng- 
lish origin,  Mr.  Cameron  had  more  than  an  ordinary 
interest  and  knowledge  of  the  thoroughbred.     His  early 


174 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


iissuciations  gave  him  a  predisposition  toward  tiie  tiior- 
oiiLciibred  of  iiis  native  land,  and  lie  became  especially 
well  known  as  an  importer  of  some  of  tlie  best  horses 
that  have  come  into  this  country  within  the  recollection 
^of  the  present  generation.  He  even  went  to  the  expense 
of  bringing  over  English  upland  hay  for  his  stock,  lirm 
in  his  belief  in  the  saving  qualities  of  that  food.  Among 
his  most  noted  importations  were  Warminster,  son  of 
Newminster  and  Black  Bess  by  Ratcatcher;  imported 
Hampton  Court,  who  was  of  the  great  Melbourne  and 
Bay  Middleton  blood ;  and  imported  Glenevis  by  Oulston 
(son  of  Melbourne  and  Alice  Hawthorne)  out  of  Volucris 
by  Voltigeur.  Two  other  of  his  importations  were  even 
more  famous,  and  by  their  achievements,  especially  in 
the  stud,  have  lifted  th(i  name  of  their  owner  to  the 
highest  position  for  valuable  service  to  the  American 
blood  horse  family.  The  first  of  these  was  Leamington, 
concerning  whom  it  is  here  unnecessary  to  do  more 
than  to  make  the  mere  mention  of  his  name.  The  other 
was  Glenelg,  who  was  imported,  with  his  dam,  Babta, 
and  who  was  one  of  the  most  useful  stallions  in  his  day. 

Early  in  the  seventies,  Californians  were  indulging  in 
a  great  deal  of  pride  over  their  thoroughbreds,  and  were 
beginning  to  predict  that  their  horses  would  be  able  in  a 
few  years  to  successfully  compete  with  the  East  in  point 
of  speed  and  staying  qualities.  The  opinion  was  held 
by  many  that  the  climate  there  was  superior  to  any  of 
the  Eastern  States  for  the  production  of  the  highest 
type  of  race  horse.  The  comparison  of  that  period  with 
the  present  shows  the  wonderful  development  that  has 
been  made  in  turf  affairs  in  that  section  during  the  last 
twenty  years  or  more.  Then  the  majority  of  thorough- 
breds on  the  Pacific  Coast  were  located  in  California, 
though  other  States  thereabouts  occasionally  maintained 
a  good  one.  California,  however,  despite  its  pre-emi- 
nence, had  less  than  twenty-five  thoroughbred  stallions 
in  1876,  principally  imported  from  the  East.  Among 
those  were  Joe  Daniels,  Monday,  Bayswater,  imported 
Hercules,  Lodi,  Leinster,  Woodburn,  Langford,  Norfolk, 
Newry,  Three  Cheers,  Pittsburgh,  Earnest,  Rifleman, 
Springbok,  Hock  Hocking  and  Rutherford.  Really  good 
brood  mares  were  scarce  in  the  State,  and  breeding  had, 
as  yet,  scarcely  entered  upon  an  experimental  period. 

One  of  the  most  important  breeding  establishments  in 
the  early  days  of  the  California  turf  was  that  of  Mr. 
William  L.  Pritchard,  who  was  located  in  San  Francisco, 
where  he  had  stables,  with  pasturage  in  the  outskirts  of 
the  city,  and  an  extensive  ranch  on  the  Sacramento  River. 
Mr.  Pritchard's  stallions  included  Leinster  by  imported 
Australian  out  of  Luilume  by  Lexington;  Pittsburgh  by 
Pat  Malloy  out  of  Evangeline  by  imported  Eclipse; 
Waterford  by  Langford  out  of  Margretta  by  Lexington, 
and  Earnest  by  Derby  (by  imported  Eclipse)  out  of 
Eglantine,  by  Lambda  (by  imported  Priam).    His  brood 


mares  included  representatives  of  the  stock  o(  Grey 
Eagle,  imported  Glencoe,  Bonnie  Scotland,  imported 
Balrownie  and  Lexington. 

In  recent  years  particularly,  California  has  commanded 
the  attention  of  horsemen,  not  only  in  the  United  States 
but  all  over  the  world.  It  is  no  longer  a  theory,  but  an 
attested  fact,  that  the  Golden  State  possesses  specific 
qualities  for  the  perfect  production  of  the  thoroughbred. 
Animals  bred  and  trained  there  not  only  possess  the 
fundamental  requisites  of  speed  and  endurance,  but  may 
be  fairly  said  to  represent  a  new  type  and  a  further 
advance  in  the  evolution  of  the  race  horse.  It  is,  per- 
haps, a  little  too  soon  to  decide  what  may  be  the  ulti- 
mate outcome  of  this  interesting  experiment  of  raising 
thoroughbreds  so  far  away  from  what  is  considered  to 
be  their  natural  home  in  Kentucky.  Nevertheless,  suf- 
ficient has  already  resulted  to  show  beyond  all  question 
that  the  California  breeding  establishments  are  certain 
to  exercise  a  considerable  and  lasting  effect  upon  the 
future  of  the  American  turf. 

Out  on  the  Pacific  Coast  they  have  a  habit  of  doing 
things  in  a  big  way.  Breeding  has  been  carried  on  upon 
a  large  scale  and  almost  unmindful  of  expense.  Several 
stud  farms  that  have  been  established  in  the  clos- 
ing part  of  the  nineteenth  century  have  surpassed  in  size,  _ 
and  even  rivaled  in  the  fame  of  their  produce,  the  best  of 
their  kind  elsewhere  in  the  United  States.  Some  good 
horses  have  come  from  there,  and  the  importations  from 
Australia,  introduced  into  this  country  through  the 
Golden  Gate,  have  already  made  a  large  impression 
upon  the  American  thoroughbred  family.  The  pioneers 
in  breeding  in  California  in  this  quarter  of  a  century 
were  Theodore  Winters,  John  Hall  and  George  Treat. 
Since  then  we  have  had  Messrs.  James  B.  Haggin  and  E. 
J.  Baldwin,  Senator  George  B.  Hearst,  Senator  Leland 
Stanford  and  others. 

Among  Californians  who  have  been  interested  in 
horses  in  the  present  generation,  certainly  no  one  has 
done  more  to  fix  contemporaneous  racing  and  breeding 
interests  upon  an  assured  and  stable  foundation  than  Mr. 
James  B.  Haggin,  and  no  one  has  been  more  prominent 
or  more  influential  in  establishing  the  worth  of  California 
thoroughbreds  and  the  value  of  California  breeding 
in  the  minds  of  lovers  of  horses  throughout  the 
United  States.  One  might  go  further  than  that  without 
exceeding  the  bounds  of  propriety,  and  say  that  Mr. 
Haggin  is  to-day  one  of  the  few  Americans  whose 
reputation  extends  beyond  the  confines  of  racing  circles 
in  America.  A  representative  in  the  truest  sense  of  the 
best  element  in  turf  circles,  his  connection  with  racing 
and  breeding  has  been  in  every  way  as  important  as 
that  of  any  gentleman  of  the  present  generation.  As  an 
owner  he  engaged  actively  and  energetically  in  racing, 
and  his  participation  in  such  affairs  was  a  distinct  benefit 

175 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


to  the  sport.  Few  owners  in  the  history  of  the  Ameri- 
can turf  have  ever  devoted  themselves  more  unreserv- 
edly to  this  sport,  or  have  supported  their  stables  more 
generously.  His  operations  were  conducted  upon  a 
grand  scale,  and  their  brilliancy  had  a  marked  effect,  not 
only  upon  the  racing  community,  but  also  upon 
the  outside  public,  for  the  performances  of  his  horses 
were  of  such  a  notable  character  that  they  became  mat- 
ters of  a  national,  if  not,  indeed,  of  international  interest. 
Although  Mr.  Haggin  has  now  withdrawn  from  the 
cares  as  well  as  the  delights  of  ownership  in  a 
racing  sense,  the  work  in  which  he  is  now  engaged, 
that  of  breeding  the  best  blood  that  the  equine  world 
can  afford,  under  ideal  circumstances,  so  far  as  material 
surroundings  are  concerned,  promises  to  have  results  of 
the  most  far-reaching  character. 

Descended  from  a  Kentucky  family,  and  a  native  of 
Mercer  County  in  the  Blue  Grass  State,  Mr.  Haggin  is 
naturally  a  lover  of  horses.  Of  his  business  career, 
notable  and  interesting  as  it  is,  little  need  be  said  here. 
It  can  only  be  pointed  out  that  he  is  one  of  the  men  of 
whom  California  and  the  West  are  proud,  that  his  enter- 
prise and  force  of  character  have  been  potent  instru- 
ments in  developing  the  mineral  resources  of  our  coun- 
try's western  domain,  and  that  the  same  liberality,  practical 
spirit  and  enterprise  that  are  his  distinguishing  traits  in 
connection  with  the  turf  have  been  equally  marked  in  his 
private  and  business  life.  His  success  has  been  a  tri- 
umph of  character  and  ability,  and  it  might  be  further- 
more said  that  the  steady  support  and  following  his 
stable  received  from  the  California  contingent  at  our 
tracks  was  as  much  a  personal  tribute  as  it  was  a  pro- 
fessional estimate  of  his  judgment  where  horseflesh  is 
concerned. 

Mr.  Haggin  found  little  to  interest  him  in  the  trotter, 
which  was  the  dominant  racing  animal  in  California 
when  he  took  up  his  residence  in  that  State.  The 
natural  sporting  passion  of  his  native  State  possessed 
him,  and  he  organized  a  first-class  racing  stable  that  he 
sent  to  all  the  principal  meetings  from  San  Francisco  to 
New  York.  His  racing  exploits  now  form  a  bright, 
even  though  too  brief,  page  in  the  history  of  the  turf. 
When  the  names  of  such  horses  as  Salvator,  Firenze, 
Ben  Ali,  Fitzjames,  Fresno,  Tyrant,  Ban  Fox,  King  Fox, 
Hidaigo  and  others  in  his  stable  are  named,  they  recall 
stirring  memories  of  a  series  of  famous  seasons  from 
1885  to  1890,  when  his  colors  were  foremost  in  the  great 
events  on  our  tracks.  It  was  a  series  of  sensational  vic- 
tories and  famous  matches,  and  even  where  defeat  over- 
came his  four-footed  champions,  defeat  was  always 
coupled  with  honor.  The  name  of  the  owner  became 
known  in  every  part  of  the  country. 

When,  in  1890,  Mr.  Haggin  turned  mainly  from  racing 
to  breeding,  the  possibilities  involved  in  his  new  depar- 


ture commanded  the  attention  of  horsemen  everywhere, 
not  only  for  the  large  scale  on  which  his  breeding  oper- 
ations are  conducted,  but  for  the  spirit  which  animates 
him  in  this  connection  and  the  remarkable  character  of 
the  animals  he  has  gathered  together.  Mr.  Haggin's 
estate,  Rancho  del  Paso,  in  Sacramento  County,  Califor- 
nia, comprises  over  44,000  acres,  and  everything  that 
judicious  expenditure  could  do  has  been  lavished  on  it 
until  it  is  probably  not  only  one  of  the  greatest,  but  one 
the  best  equipped  establishment  for  the  breeding  of 
thoroughbred  horses  in  the  world.  Here,  under  the 
efficient  charge  of  Mr.  John  Mackey,  there  has  been 
gathered  an  aggregation  of  famous  horseflesh  such  as 
was  never  before  assembled  in  the  stud. 

The  foundation  of  this  stud  was  the  importation,  at  a 
great  expense,  of  two  stallions  from  Australia,  Darebin 
and  Sir  Modred.  Subsequently,  Mr.  Haggin  imported 
Star  Ruby  from  the  Hampton  Stud  in  England,  and  also 
Candlemas.  His  great  American  star  stallion  has  been 
Salvator,  the  phenomenon  of  the  American  turf  of  this 
generation,  and  with  him  has  stood  Fitzjames,  Fresno, 
Torso,  Tyrant,  and  other  good  Americans.  Later,  Mr. 
Haggin  added  to  his  Australian  blood  horses,  the  New 
Zealander,  Maxim,  son  of  the  English  thoroughbred 
Musket,  who  was  allowed  to  depart  from  his  native 
home  to  the  Antipodes  before  his  great  worth  was  fully 
recognized.  In  New  Zealand  he  became  the  sire  of 
Carbine,  Martini-Henry,  Nordenfeldt,  and  many  other 
good  ones. 

Other  stallions  of  Rancho  del  Paso  have  been  Morello, 
Cliveden,  Prestonpans,  Calvados,  Owas,  Midlothian, 
Order,  Ben  Ali,  Kismet,  Uncle  Jip,  July  (Brother  to  Sir 
Modr-ed),  Gold  Finch,  Golden  Garter,  Golden  Dawn, 
Bassetlaw,  Candlemas,  Chevalier,  Water  Cress  and 
Tenny.  Salvator,  whom  Mr.  Haggin  has  declared  to  be 
the  greatest  horse  that  he  ever  owned,  has  produced 
several  good  sons  and  daughters,  among  them  Salvation, 
Sallie  Woodford,  Etta  McKeever,  The  Preserver,  Salvor, 
Silvester,  Sallie  Cliquot,  Salvable,  Silver  II.,  St.  Aignan, 
and  several  others.  Tyrant  has  been  one  of  the  Rancho 
del  Paso's  most  reliable  stallions.  He  was  a  superbly 
bred  horse,  by  imported  Great  Tom  out  of  a  grand- 
daughter of  Lexington.  He  was  the  best  three-year  old 
of  his  year,  winning  the  Withers,  the  Belmont  and  the 
Stockton  stakes  and  other  races.  In  his  pedigree  are 
found  such  great  names  as  Pocahontas,  Martha  Lynn, 
Alice  Carneal,  Cressida  and  Gamma.  Tyrant  has  already 
sired  many  excellent  performers. 

A  great  Australian  stallion  came  to  the  United  States 
when  Mr.  Haggin  imported  Sir  Modred,  full-brother  to 
imported  Cheviot.  His  sire,  Traducer,  who  was  bred 
in  England,  was  one  of  the  best  stallions  that  ever  stood 
in  New  Zealand.  From  1867  to  1881,  Traducer  got  nine 
winners  of  the  Canterbury  Derby,  the  most  important 


176 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


event  in  that  country,  includinif  Cheviot  and  Sir  Modred. 
In  three  of  these  years  his  get  ran  first,  second  and 
third,  and,  in  two  others,  first  and  second,  idalia,  dam 
of  Sir  Modred,  was  the  Pocahontas  of  New  Zealand — 
the  queen  of  its  stud.  As  a  race  horse  Sir  Modred  was 
a  great  campaigner,  and  his  produce  have  followed 
closely  in  his  footsteps;  their  distinguishing  feature  is  the 
uniformity  with  which  they  race  and  campaign.  His  pro- 
duce in  six  years  won  823  races,  valued  at  $728,063. 

Among  the  brood  mares  that  have  made  their  home  at 
Rancho  del  Paso,  Firenze,  who  was  the  greatest  cup 
winner  of  her  time,  and  easily  ranked  with  the  best  of 
race  horses  whom  she  met,  was  easily  first  as  a  popular 
favorite,  although  several  of  her  companions  have  been 
more  distinguished  as  brood  mares.  Few  of  the  matrons 
of  this  stud  farm  have  not  been  celebrated  more  or  less 
for  their  exploits  on  the  turf,  and  have  also  been  success- 
ful producers.  They  have  been  of  the  bluest  blooded 
equine  families  known  to  this  country.  There  is  Maud 
Hampton,  dam  of  the  two  great  race  horses.  Ban  Fox 
and  King  Fox.  She  came  from  the  Dixiana  Stud,  where 
$10,000  was  paid  for  her.  In  1887,  she  produced  King 
Thomas,  that  celebrated  $40,000  yearling.  In  the  two 
succeeding  years,  respectively,  she  threw  Silver  King  and 
Silver  Fox,  both  by  St.  Blaise,  and  since  then  she  has 
been  bred  to  imported  Sir  Modred.  Other  matrons  of 
the  Rancho  del  Paso  have  been  Carina,  dam  of  St.  Carlo; 
Flavina,  dam  of  Flavia  and  Flattery  and  Mentmore  Lass, 
all  of  whom  came  from  the  Nursery  Stud.  The  famous 
race  mare  Aranza,  by  imported  Bonnie  Scotland  out  of 
Arizona  by  Lexington;  Glidelia,  also  by  imported  Bonnie 
Scotland  out  of  Waltz  by  Lexington;  Peoria  by  imported 
Mortemer,  and  Prude  by  King  Alfonso  out  of  Marguerite 
by  Lexington,  were  added  to  the  Rancho  del  Paso  stock 
from  Mr.  William  Astor's  Ferncliffe  Stud  in  1890.  With 
them  have  been  Plaything,  dam  of  Tournament,  who 
raced  so  brilliantly  as  a  three-year  old  for  the  stable  of 
Senator  George  Hearst;  imported  Agenoria,  dam  of 
Pontiac;  Loulanier,  dam  of  Kildeer,  Katrine  and  Kaleide- 
scope;  Letolay,  dam  of  Cayuga,  Unrest  and  Utopian; 
that  famous  race  mare.  Miss  Woodford,  and  many  others. 
In  1 89 1,  there  were  in  the  thoroughbred  department  of 
Rancho  del  Paso  twelve  stallions  and  nearly  three  hun- 
dred mares,  many  of  the  latter  valued  at  from  $6,000  to 
$18,000  each.  In  1897,  the  establishment  had  grown  so 
that  it  then  contained  twelve  imported  and  seven  Amer- 
ican stallions  and  a  proportionately  larger  number  of 
mares,  and  that  year  produced  130  yearlings. 

Senator  Leland  Sanford,  although  he  was  only  a  few 
years  connected  with  the  turf,  held  a  prominent  position 
among  modern  sportsmen.  His  Palo  Alto  establishment 
was  one  of  the  half  a  dozen  great  breeding  places  of  the 
United  States  that  stood  in  a  class  by  themselves,  far 
ahead  of  all  others.     The  ranch,  which  comprised  over 


1,400  acres,  was  devoted  to  the  trotter,  as  well  as  to  the 
running  horse.  At  the  head  of  the  thoroughbred  de- 
partment stood  the  celebrated  stallion  Monday.  This 
grandson  of  Lexington  was  bred  by  Captain  Moore, 
in  1864,  and  died  at  the  Palo  Alto  in  1884.  His  sire  was 
Colton,  a  son  of  Lexington  out  of  Topaz  by  Glencoe. 
Colton  was  a  successful  racer,  winning  at  two-mile  heats 
from  such  horses  as  Joe  Stoner,  Rebel  and  Sherwood. 

It  must  not  be  overlooked  that  California  became  the 
home  of  the  celebrated  Ormonde,  "the  great  horse  of 
the  century."  That  famous  English  thoroughbred  had  a 
varied,  as  well  as  a  brilliant,  career.  His  wonderful  per- 
formances in  England,  especially  his  capture  of  the  Derby, 
attracted  the  attention  of  turfmen  in  all  parts  of  the 
world.  We  have  already  referred  to  his  emigration  to 
Argentine,  where  he  failed  of  appreciation,  and  whither 
Mr.  Charles  Reed  journeyed  in  the  vain  effort  to  purchase 
him.  Subsequently  he  was  sold  back,  to  the  land  of  his 
nativity,  but  did  not  remain  there  long.  American  turf- 
men still  had  their  eye  upon  him,  and  in  1893,  Mr.  W. 
O'B.  Macdonough  purchased  him.  He  was  brought  to 
the  United  States  in  1893,  and  for  a  few  days  after  his 
arrival  here  was  kept  in  New  Jersey.  Afterward  trans- 
ferred to  California,  he  became  an  inmate  of  the  stud  at 
the  Menlow  Park  Stock  Farm  of  Mr.  Macdonough.  His 
potency  as  a  stallion  did  not  come  up  to  expectations. 

Among  other  California  turfmen  who  have  been  par- 
ticularly active  in  recent  times  has  been  Mr.  Adolph  B. 
Spreckles,  who  was  at  one  time  president  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  Jockey  Club.  Mr.  Spreckles  late  in  the  nineties 
organized  a  breeding  stud,  situated  near  Napa,  in  the 
centre  of  the  beautiful  Napa  Valley.  There  upon  a  farm 
of  some  350  acres,  he  located  a  very  important  stud. 
His  premier  stallion  was  imported  Idalium,  and  associated 
with  him  were  General  Miles,  Puryear  D.  and  imported 
Creighton.  Imported  Idalium,  who  was  one  of  those 
Australian  horses  such  as  Californians  have  so  much 
favored  in  recent  years,  was  a  full  brother  to  Sir  Modred 
and  Cheviot. 

The  Santa  Anita  breeding  ranch  of  Mr.  E.  J.  Baldwin 
is  also  one  of  the  well  known  breeding  establishments  In 
California.  Located  at  Los  Angeles,  the  Santa  Anita  has 
had  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  finest  and  best 
equipped  stud  farms  in  the  country.  Like  a  few  other 
notable  turfmen  of  this  period,  Mr.  Baldwin  has  always 
adhered  to  the  practice  of  breeding  his  own  horses  for 
his  racing  stable.  The  representatives  of  Santa  Anita 
have  been  infrequently  seen  in  auction  sales,  and  even 
at  private  sale  their  owner  has  rarely  ever  parted  with 
them.  Among  the  best  possessions  of  Mr.  Baldwin  in 
years  gone  by  have  been  Grinstead,  Mollie  McCarthy, 
Clara  D.,  Volante,  Lucky  B.,  Mollie  McCarthy's  Last, 
Los  Angeles,  Emperor  of  Norfolk,  Rey  EI  Santa  Anita 
and  others. 


177 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


178 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Started  in  iSqo,  the  Bitter  Root  Stock  Farm  of  Mr.  Mar- 
cus Daly,  located  at  Hamilton,  Ravalli  County,  Montana, 
has  becomefamous  as  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  most 
successful  enterprises  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States. 
Located  at  the  foot  of  the  Bitter  Root  range  of  moun- 
tains, from  which  it  derives  its  name,  the  farm  is  an 
ideal  thoroughbred  nursery.  The  first  suggestion  of  the 
place  came  to  its  owner  far  back  in  the  sixties,  when  he 
was  journeying  in  that  unexplored  region  of  the  North- 
west at  the  head  of  a  relief  party,  it  required  many 
years  before — in  business  enterprises,  to  which  he  was 
giving  his  undivided  attention — he  had  amassed  that 
fortune  which  enabled  him  to  carry  out  the  idea  that  was 
born  in  his  youth.  Having  achieved  unexampled  suc- 
cess, particularly  in  connection  with  copper  mining 
from  whence  came  his  name  of  "the  copper  king,"  Mr. 
Daly  has  been  able  to  accomplish  his  purposes  in  regard 
to  breeding  the  thoroughbred  upon  an  almost  unlimited 
scale  of  expense.  In  its  extent  and  in  the  perfection  of 
its  appointments  the  Bitter  Root  establishment  has  no 
superior  in  this  country,  and  perhaps  not  in  the  world. 

Altogether  the  property  covers   20,000   acres  in  one 


from  his  connection  with  the  running  turf,  has  also 
given  attention  to  the  trotting  horse  and  his  collection  of 
trotters,  both  for  breeding  and  racing,  is  only  second  to 
his  collection  of  thoroughbred  stock. 

Of  most  consequence  to  us,  howevei,  in  this  connec- 
tion is  the  thoroughbred  department  of  the  establish- 
ment. This  comprises  some  1,500  acres,  sloping  back 
gradually  to  the  foot  of  the  Bitter  Root  mountain  range. 
The  Hamilton  Ranch,  as  it  is  called,  famous  as  the  home 
of  Tammany,  Montana,  Senator  Grady  and  other  blood 
horses  who  have  contributed  to  make  the  turf  history  of 
this  generation  notable,  has  been  laid  out  upon  an 
elaborate  scale.  It  contains  a  large  house  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  men  employed  there,  four  barns  or 
stables  for  work  horses,  a  grainery  and  several  resi- 
dences. Upon  this  ranch  is  raised  the  bulk  of  the  hay 
that  is  required  for  the  stock  on  the  farm,  something 
over  2,000  tons  being  the  annual  figure.  Here  also  is  the 
tamous  covered  half-mile  race  course,  while  adjoining 
it  is  an  open  mile  track. 

Upon  the  running  ranch  are  the  thoroughbred  stables 
and  the  residence  of  Sam  Lucas,  who  has  special  charge 


piece  and  represents  a  total  investment  of  $2,000,000,  of     of  the  breeding  and  raising  of  the  thoroughbreds.     The 


which  $150,000  has  been  spent  in  laying  out  irrigating 
ditches,  and  a  six-mile  system  of  ten-inch  water  mains. 
The  farm  consists  of  a  series  of  ranches  extending  along 
the  east  side  of  a  beautiful  valley  and  opposite  the  town 
of  Hamilton.  No  more  magnificent  or  highly-cultivated 
collection  of  ranches  can  be  found  anywhere  in  the  West. 
Fine  residences,  large  stables  and  barns,  extensive  grass 
lands  and  a  thorough  system  of  irrigation  combine  to 
make  this  one  of  the  world's  great  ranches.  It  is  the 
seat  of  operations  of  a  sound  and  well  conducted 
enterprise  that  has  grown  steadily  in  importance  and 
public  favor,  and  has  so  broadened  in  its  scope  that  it 
would  be  extremely  hazardous  for  any  one  to  venture  to 
put  a  limit  to  its  possibilities  in  the  future. 

Mr.  Daly  makes  his  home  upon  this  beautiful  estate, 
and,  upon  that  portion  of  it  known  as  the  Home  Ranch, 
has  erected  a  country  mansion  that  has  been  described  as 
"undoubtedly  the  largest  and  finest  in  the  State."  Here 
he  spends  a  great  deal  01  time  when  he  can  get  away 
from  his  large  business  interests  in  the  great  Anaconda 
mining  properties.  The  gardens  in  connection  with  the 
home  farm  are  on  an  extensive  scale.  They  contain  hot- 
beds and  greenhouses,  and,  under  the  management  of 
H.  A.  Carmichael,  results  have  been  accomplished  that 
may  seem  almost  incredible  to  those  who  are  not  familiar 
with  the  phenomenal  productivity  of  the  West.  In  con- 
nection with  the  Home  Ranch  is  the  breeding  stable  for 
trotters,  which  contains  stalls  for  three  hundred  horses 
and  a  three-quarter  mile  track  for  training.  David  Peel 
has  charge  of  the  breeding  and  D.  B.  Kinney  of  the 
training  of  the  trotters.     Mr.  Daly,  although  best  known 


year's  crop  of  youngsters  is  regularly  fifty  or  more  in 
number.  Adjoining  the  running  ranch  is  the  veterinary 
hospital,  in  charge  of  Dr.  E.  W.  Hagyard,  whose  resi- 
dence is  nearby.  In  the  same  neighborhood  are  the 
ranches  devoted  to  raising  grain.  The  crop  of  oats 
annually  exceeds  60,000  bushels  and  this  product  is  made 
a  specialty  of  the  establishment,  the  quality  of  the  oats 
being  so  high  that  Mr.  Daly  will  use  none  other.  Even 
when  his  horses  are  in  the  East,  during  the  racing  sea- 
son, he  takes  great  quantities  of  this  feed  wherever  his 
stable  is  sent.  A  magnificent  avenue,  eighty  feet  wide 
and  six  miles  long,  running  due  north  and  south,  con- 
nects these  ranches.  The  road  is  well  built,  with  run- 
ning water  on  each  side,  and  is  lined  by  two  rows  ot 
trees  so  as  to  make  a  beautiful  shady  drive. 

The  connection  of  Mr.  Daly  with  the  running  turf  is 
comparatively  recent,  extending  back  over  less  than  a 
decade.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say,  however,  that,  by 
his  liberality  and  enterprise  and  his  clear  foresight,  no 
other  single  individual  has  contributed  more  to  the 
contemporaneous  development  of  the  American  turf 
Planned  on  a  large  scale  and  managed  intelligently,  the 
Bitter  Root  Stock  Farm  has  had  a  powerful  influence 
the  value  of  which  it  would  be  well  nigh  impossible 
to  exaggerate.  From  the  very  first  Mr.  Daly,  in  addition 
to  the  careful  oversight  which  he  has  himself  bestowed 
upon  this,  his  pet  enterprise,  has  enlisted  the  services  of 
so  ne  of  the  best  men  in  their  calling  in  this  country.  J. 
Moran,  who  was  for  years  identified  with  the  late  D.  D. 
Withers,  of  the  Brookdale  Farm,  has  been  one  of  his 
assistants,  while  Matthew  Byrnes,  one  of  America's  fore- 


179 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


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180 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


most  tniiners,  has  also  been  identilied  with  him.  Sam 
Lucas,  who  has  charge  of  the  breeding  department,  was 
for  a  long  time  in  the  employ  of  the  late  August  Bel- 
mont. 

When  at  the  Haggin  sale,  in  1889,  Mr.  Ualy  purchased 
Silver  Fox  he  practically  started  upon  his  career  as  a  turf 
man.  He  paid  $22,000  for  that  colt,  who  was  by  im- 
ported St.  Blaise  out  of  Maud  Hampton  by  Hunter's 
Lexington,  and  was  a  half-brother  of  King  Fox,  Ban  Fox 
atid  King  Thomas.  At  the  same  sale  he  paid  $1,050  for 
the  Darebin-Angenoria  colt.  At  the  Rancho  del  Paso 
sale  in  1890  he  purchased  twelve  head,  for  which  he  paid 
$31,500,  being  the  largest  individual  buyer  on  that  oc- 
casion. The  highest  price  he  paid  for  any  of  this  lot 
was  $7,000  for  the  chestnut  colt  by  St.  Blaise  out  of  Maud. 
At  the  dispersal  sale  of  the  Nursery  Stud  in  1891  he  was 
a  still  larger  purchaser,  investing  $44,000.  His  purchases 
included  the  mares  Affinity,  Belinda,  Clara,  Mehallah, 
Peeress  and  Wood  Violet,  who,  with  Amazon,  formed 
the  nucleus  of  his  stud- 

Some  of  the  most  famous  horses  known  to  the  Amer- 
ican turf  in  the  last  decade  have  come  from  the  Bitter 
Root  Stock  Farm  and  frequently  have  carried  the  copper 
jacket  and  green  cap  of  Mr.  Daly  to  success,  although 
his  stable  has  not  always  been  as  triumphant  as  his  enter- 
prise and  his  service  to  the  cause  of  racing  have  merited. 
Eastern  racegoers  first  became  familiar  with  the  colors 
of  "the  copper  king"  when  Montana  made  his  appear- 
ance on  metropolitan  tracks  in  the  Carteret  Handicap, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile,  at  Monmouth  Park.  Upon  that 
occasion  he  carried  no  lbs.  and  defeated  Russell,  Cor- 
rection, Contribution,  Bermuda  and  others,  in  i  minute, 
12^  seconds.  In  the  famous  record-breaking  mile 
against  time  by  Salvator  in  i  minute,  35)^  seconds,  it 
was  Namonia  out  of  La  Favorita  by  imported  Glenelg, 
that  made  the  pace,  together  with  the  three-year  old 
filly  Rosette  by  Joe  Hooker  out  of  Rosa  B.  by  Norfolk. 
Namonia  set  the  pace  for  the  first  half  mile.  Then  Mon- 
tana rendered  further  service  to  his  owner  by  capturing 
the  Lorillard  Stakes  and  the  Suburban  Handicap. 

Ogden  has  been  a  distinguished  colt  and  his  success 
in  winning  the  Futurity  of  1896  was  especially  gratifying 
to  his  owner  from  the  fact  that  he -was  home  bred,  a 
son  of  Kilwarlin  and  imported  Oriole.  He  not  only 
brought  glory  to  the  Daly  stable  by  winning  the  Futurity, 
but  gained  additional  distinction  by  lowering  the  Futur- 
ity record  a  full  second.  Another  good  winner  bred  by 
Mr.  Daly  has  been  Senator  Bland,  who,  as  a  three-year 
old,  won  the  Farewell  Handicap  at  San  Francisco,  i^ 
miles,  defeating  Yankee  Doodle,  Rey  del  Bandiodos  and 
eight  others,  and  establishing  the  Pacific  Coast  record  at 
2  minutes,  7  seconds.  Scottish  Chieftain,  foaled  in  1894 
by  imported  Inverness  out  of  Miss  Darebin,  has  been 
another  one  of  Mr.  Daly's  strong  colts.   He  won  brackets 


the  second  time  out  at  the  Gravesend  track.  As  a  two- 
year  old  he  won  the  Spring  Stakes  over  the  Futurity 
Course,  carrying  113  lbs.,  covering  the  distance  in  i 
minute,  13I  seconds,  and  defeating  Arbuckle  and  others. 
Then  he  won  the  June  Stakes,  also  over  the  Futurity 
Course,  carrying  121  lbs.,  and  covering  the  distance  in  i 
minute,  I2|-  seconds,  defeating  Rodemonde,  Casseopia, 
Arbuckle  and  Cauldron.  His  most  notable  victory,  was 
in  the  Belmont  Stakes,  1^  miles,  at  Morris  Park,  when 
he  defeated  On  Deck,  Octagon,  Horoscope,  Don  de  Oro 
and  Ogden,  the  time — 2  minutes,  23^  seconds — being 
the  best  made  over  the  course  up  to  that  time. 

Perhaps  the  most  popular  horse  that  has  carried  the 
Daly  colors  is  Tammany,  whose  splendid  victory  in  the 
Realization  of  1892,  when  he  defeated  the  strongest  field 
of  rivals,  will  not  soon  be  forgotten.  Tammany  came 
honestly  by  his  marvelous  qualities  of  speed  and 
endurance,  for  he  is  the  son  of  Iroquois,  the  brilliant 
American  winner  of  the  Derby,  through  whose  sire 
and  dam,  imported  Leamington,  and  Maggie  B.  B.,  he 
united  strains  of  the  most  powerful  blood  ever  known  to 
the  American  turf,  the  Leamington,  Australian,  Boston 
and  Glencoe.  The  dam  of  Tammany  was  TuUahoma, 
who  was  a  daughter  of  imported  Great  Tom  and  Blink 
Bonny.  Tammany,  who  is  a  handsome  chestnut  horse, 
was  foaled  in  1889  and  bred  at  Belle  Meade,  in  Tennes- 
see. His  first  appearance  was  as  a  two-year  old,  when 
he  ran  in  the  Great  Eclipse  Stakes  at  Morris  Park,  beating 
Sir  Matthew  and  other  good  ones.  He  also  won  the 
Criterion  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park,  but  was  beaten  in 
the  Futurity,  and  ran  third  in  the  Select  Stakes. 

During  the  season  he  started  in  six  races  and  his  win- 
nings amounted  to  $29,720.  In  his  three-year  old  form 
he  started  five  times,  winning  the  Withers,  the  Realiza- 
tion, the  Lorillard  and  the  Jerome  Stakes  and  running 
second  for  the  Tidal  Stakes.  His  winnings  that  year 
amounted  to  $72,410.  His  winning  of  the  Realization 
placed  him  in  the  first  class,  and  his  other  victories  that 
year  sufficed  to  more  fully  establish  his  reputation.  In 
1893,  he  was  started  only  three  times,  but  won  upon 
each  occasion  His  great  achievement  that  year  was  his 
defeat  of  Lamplighter,  at  Guttenberg.  His  winnings  in 
i8  3  amounted  to  $13,500,  and  he  was  then  retired  with 
a  total  of  $1 1 5,690  to  his  credit  In  the  stud  he  has  been 
very  successful.  Among  his  get  have  been  Tammany 
Hall  II.  out  of  Imported  La  Trappe;  Senator  Matts  out 
of  imported  Buttermere;  Tempse  out  of  imported 
Tempe;  Colonel  Root  out  of  imported  Namesake; 
Tamor  out  of  imported  Oriole;  Ash  Leaf  out  of  imported 
Ayrshire  Rose;  Ternary  out  of  imported  Ladyjudette; 
Greenback  II.  out  of  Clara;  Affiant  out  of  Affinity; 
Croker  out  of  Belinda;  Crutch  out  of  Beaucatcher; 
Grand  Sachem  out  of  Belinda;  Lord  Beresford  out  of 
imported  Erin-go-Bragh ;    Amazonian    out  of  Amazon; 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


\  1 


182 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Ravalli  out  of  imported  La  Trappe;  Marozia  out  oi 
Merry  Peeress,  and  Barracan  out  of  imported  Barca- 
mere. 

A  double  glory  came  to  the  Daly  Stable  in  1892,  for 
not  only  did  Tammany  win  the  Realization,  but  Mon- 
tana carried  off  that  great  prize,  the  Suburban.  Montana 
was  foaled  in  1S88  and  bred  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin,  at  the 
Rancho  del  Paso.  He  is  a  son  of  Ban  Fox  and  imported 
Queen.  His  sire,  son  of  King  Ban  and  grandson  of  King 
Tom,  belonged  to  one  of  the  greatest  modern  thorough- 
bred families.  Through  his  great  grandam,  Atlantis,  he 
was  descended  from  the  Derby  winner,  Thormanby,  and 
from  Alice  Hawthorne  and  Melbourne.  Through  his 
grandam,  Maud  Hampton,  he  traced  on  one  side  to  Lex- 
ington and  imported  Glencoe,  and  on  the  other  to  Irish 
Birdcatcher  and  also  through  another  line  to  Glencoe. 
Qiieen,  dam  of  Montana,  was  by  Scottish  Chief  out 
of  Gertrude. 

When  Montana  was  brought  out,  in  1890,  his  first 
start  was  in  the  Carteret  Handicap.  His  two  other 
races  of  that  year  were  the  Futurity,  in  which  he  was  a 
good  fourth,  and  the  Great  Eastern  Handicap,  in 
which  he  was  fifth.  Wonderful  things  were  expected 
of  him  as  a  three-year  old,  but  his  career  that  season 
was  a  disappointment.  Although  he  went  to  the 
post  nine  times,  he  won  only  one  race,  the  Lorillard 
Stakes.  In  the  Withers,  he  finished  second  to  Pick- 
nicker;  in  the  Belmont  was  beaten  by  Foxford;  was  un- 
placed in  the  Thistle  Stakes  and  the  Omnibus;  was  sec- 
ond to  Potomac  in  the  Realization;  was  last  in  the 
Second  Special  and  last,  but  one,  in  the  Hickory  Stakes. 
Besides  the  Suburban  in  1892,  he  won  the  Comparative 
Stakes  and  the  Labor  Day  Handicap. 

Many  other  horses  that  have  attained  to  distinction  in 
this  generation  have  borne  the  Daly  colors.  Prominent 
among  them  have  been  Senator  Grady,  Brown  Fox,  who 
won  the  Carnival  Stakes  at  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  in  1890, 
Bathampton,  Hamburg  and  Tammany  Hall  IL  The 
horse,  last  named,  was  a  prominent  candidate  for  the 
Futurity  of  1897,  and  was  considered  to  be  quite  in  that 
class,  taking  a  place  in  popular  estimation  that  had  once 
been  occupied  by  his  distinguished  sire.  The  Bitter  Root 
Stock  Farm  has  also  sent  out  many  colts  that  have  done 
creditable  work  and  that  have  reflected  honor  upon  their 
place  of  birth.  There  was  another  son  of  Tammany, 
Grand  Sachem  out  of  Belinda,  who  was  considered  to  be 
a  formidable  candidate  for  the  Futurity,  and  other  good 
product  of  the  Farm  have  been  Inverary  II.,  Ben  Nevis, 
Amazonian,  Bitter  Root,  Ternary,  Afghan,  Barracan, 
Friar,  Sam  Lucas  and  Tullamore.  Nor  would  the  list 
end  here  had  we  room  to  make  it  comprehensive. 

In  all  turf  affairs  in  the  far  West  during  the  present 
period  Mr.  Daly  has  been  a  conspicuous  figure.  The  extent 


to  which   racing   has   increased   in   that  section  of  the 


country  in  recent  years  is  almost  unparalleled  and  is 
scarcely  comprehensible  to  those  who  have  not  given 
careful  consideration  to  this  particular  feature  in  the 
modern  development  of  the  American  turf  Numerous 
race  courses  have  been  constructed,  several  of  them  of  a 
very  superior  character.  They  have  been  laid  out  upon 
a  large  scale  and  have  been  munificently  equipped  by  a 
generous  and  intelligent  expenditure  of  money,  so  that 
in  the  excellence  of  their  appointments  they  compare 
favorably  with  those  in  any  other  part  of  the  country. 
Meetings  01  importance  are  held  throughout  the  entire 
season,  and  such  has  been  the  increase  in  breeding  and 
in  the  number  of  enterprising  turfmen  in  those  parts, 
that  the  courses  are  supplied  with  good  equine  perform- 
ers, almost  without  consideration  as  to  what  may  be 
going  on  at  the  headquarters  of  racing,  either  in  the 
North  or  the  South.  The  annual  meetings  that  are  held 
at  Butte  and  elsewhere  have  been  more  than  ordinarily 
successful,  not  alone  financially,  but  also  from  the  fact 
that  they  have  shown  first-class  racing  conducted  in  an 
upright,  enterprising  manner. 

In  all  this  extraordinary  turf  activity,  Mr.  Daly  has 
played  an  important  and  influential  part.  His  Bitter 
Root  Stock  Farm  has  contributed  in  many  ways  to 
magnify  the  racing  spirit  of  that  section  and  to  make  it 
possible  to  build  up  racing  affairs  there.  Nor  has  his 
healthful  and  stimulating  influence  been  in  any  respect 
confined  to  the  West.  His  stables  have  added  to  the 
brilliancy  of  the  great  race  meetings  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York  and  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  and  his 
colors  have  been  among  the  most  popular  in  these 
modern  times.  By  his  liberality  in  everything  that 
relates  to  the  turf,  by  his  notable  enterprise  and  by  his 
sound  good  judgment,  he  has  become  one  of  the  most 
important  factors  in  modern  racing  in  the  United  States. 
By  his  purchase  of  Hamburg,  the  best  two-year  old 
of  1897,  he  added  further  to  the  importance  of  his  stable 
and  his  own  position  in  the  racing  world.  For  the 
season  of  1898,  those  of  Mr.  Daly's  horses  that  are 
running  on  the  Eastern  track  are  trained  by  Mr.  William 
Lakeland.  They  include  those  famous  champions, 
Hamburg  and  Ogden,  and  also  Isidorby  Amphion  out  of 
Isis,  Kitefoot  by  Buchanan  out  of  Longshore,  and  the 
promising  two-year  olds,  Uam  Var  and  Larva  by 
imported  Inverness,  Ilithyia  and  Croker  by  Tammany, 
Redcoat  by  Montana  and  Gold  Car  by  Goldfinch.  A  true 
sportsman  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  Mr.  Daly's  in- 
fluence in  racing  affairs  has  been  healthful,  and  through 
his  energy  and  public  spirit,  he  has  stimulated  in  many 
others  a  liking  for  and  activity  in  the  sport.  •  He  will 
occupy  a  large  place  in  the  history  of  the  modern  Amer- 
ican turf,  and  will  share  with  other  gentlemen  sports- 
men of  abundant  means  the  credit  of  the  contempora- 
neous revival  of  interest  in  the  thoroughbred. 


183 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


184 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


185 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


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HE    AMERICAN    TURE 


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THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


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THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Prom  a  consideration  of  the  iiorses,  sucii  as  Tammany, 
Montana  and  Ogden,  tiiat  iiave  been  most  in  tiie  public 
eye,  we  make  tiie  acquaintance  of  otiier  inmates  of  the 
Bitter  Root  Stud  who  have  performed  useful  parts  in  re- 
plenishing the  ranks  of  American  race  horses.  First 
among  the  stallions  who  are  companions  of  Tammanvis 
imported  Inverness,  who  was  foaled  in  i8S8,  son  of 
Cymbal  and  Belle  of  Scotland.  His  sire  was  by  Kettle- 
drum out  of  Nellie  Hill.  Kettledrum,  on  the  side  of  his 
sire  Rataplan,  was  descended  from  The  Baron,  Bird- 
catcher,  Glencoe,  Sir  Hercules  and  Sultan.  Hybla,  the 
dam  of  Kettledrum,  was  a  daughter  of  The  Provost  and 
Otesina  and  was  descended  from  Lottery,  Tramp, 
Whisker  and  Bustard.  Nellie  Hill,  the  dam  of  Cymbal, 
was  by  Springy  Jack  out  of  Anne  Page,  daughter  of 
Touchstone  and  Isabel  by  Pantaloon.  On  the  side  of  his 
dam  imported  Inverness  is  also  highly  bred.  Belle  of  Scot- 
land being  by  Blair  Athol  out  of  Theresa.  Through 
Blair  Athol,  son  of  Stockwell  and  Blink  Bonny,  Inverness 
had  another  cross  of  Birdcatcher  and  Glencoe  blood  and 
also  inherited  strains  of  Melbourne,  Gladiator  and  Pleni- 
potentiary. Theresa,  the  dam  of  Belle  of  Scotland,  was 
a  daughter  of  Touchstone  and  Olga,  her  dam  being  by 
Charles  XII.  out  of  Fair  Helen. 

Inverness  was  successful  as  a  racehorse,  taking  several 
plates  and  purses  in  his  two-year  old  form.  He  was 
started  in  eight  races  and,  although  he  was  not  in  very 
good  form  when  the  season  began,  was  five  times  a 
winner,  second  once,  third  once  and  unplaced  once.  In 
his  first  race  he  ran  third  to  Windlass  and  Dorothy  Ver- 
non for  the  Ashley  Plate,  and  in  his  second  ran  unplaced 
to  Lady  Clare  in  the  Walton  two-year  old  race.  Next 
he  won  the  Newmarket  two-year  old  plate  and  the  Dyke 
plate  at  Newmarket  and  at  the  Epsom  summer  meeting 
in  June  ran  second  to  Bumptious  for  the  Stanley  Stakes. 
At  the  Derby  September  meeting  he  won  the  Devonshire 
Nursery  Handicap,  -^s  of  a  mile,  carrying  top  weight,  125 
pounds,  and  beating  eighteen  others.  At  Newmarket 
he  walked  over  for  the  Double  Trial  Plate  in  September, 
and  at  the  same  meeting  won  the  Severals  Plate.  He 
has  shown  undoubted  merit  as  a  sire,  his  get  being  large 
and  fine-looking  and  possessed  of  great  speed.  Senator 
Bland,  one  of  the  first  of  his  get,  has  held  the  Pacific 
Coast  record  for  a  mile  and  a  quarter — 2  minutes,  7  sec- 
onds, besides  winning  other  good  races  and  beating 
high  class  horses  of  all  ages.  Inverness  is  also  the  sire 
of  Scottish  Chieftain.  Others  of  his  get  have  been  Ben 
Nevis  out  of  Flirt,  Scotch  Pirate  and  Illumine  out  of  Wy- 
oming, Sword  Dance  out  of  Slow  Dance,  Highbinder  out 
of  Homeless,  Punter  out  of  Lottery,  and  Marvellous  and 
Monda  out  of  Mascot. 

Imported  Bathampton  ranks  in  importance  with  the 
other  stallions  of  the  Bitter  Root  Stock  Farm.  A  bay 
colt,  foaled  in  1891,   he  was  purchased   at  auction  as  a 


yearling  by  Mr.  Daly  for  8so  guineas.  He  is  a  horse  of 
lofty  lineage,  being  a  son  of  Hampton  and  The  Bat.  His 
sire,  by  Lord  Clifden  out  of  Lady  Langden,  was  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  horses  known  to  the  English 
turf,  and,  through  both  of  his  parents,  traces  to  the 
Touchstone,  Melbourne,  Birdcatcher,  Blacklock  and 
other  great  English  families.  The  Bat,  dam  of  Bath- 
ampton, was  by  Hermit  out  of  Cicely  Hackett.  Hermit, 
it  is  well  known,  was,  on  the  one  side  of  the  Touch- 
stone fimily  through  his  sire  Newminster,  and 
on  the  other  through  his  dam  Seclusion,  descended 
from  Tadmor  and  further  back  from  Bay  Middleton. 
Cicely  Hackett  was  by  Le  Marechal  out  of  Meg  of  Mar- 
ley.  Le  Marechal  by  Monarque  out  of  Lady  Lift  was 
descended  from  Sir  Hercules.  Meg  of  Marley  was  a 
daughter  of  Mandricardo  and  Miss  Tennyson.  Man- 
dricardo  was  a  grandson  of  Touchstone,  through  his 
sire  Orlando. 

After  his  purchases  from  the  Haggin  and  the  Belmont 
sales,  Mr  Daly  became  a  somewhat  less  frequent  buyer 
of  homebred  stock.  He  turned  his  attention  toward  the 
famous  English  racing  f^imilies,  being  firmly  convinced 
of  the  value  of  reinforcing  the  American  blood  from  those 
quarters.  While  in  nowise  disposed  to  underrate  the 
potency  of  American  strains,  he  pursued  the  subject 
of  breeding  with  scientific  ardor,  and  felt  the  necessity 
of  a  new  departure.  The  fashion  of  importing  stallions 
from  abroad  long  ago  became  fully  established  among 
all  breeders,  but  somewhat  less  attention  has  been  paid 
to  imported  mares.  A  few  breeders  have,  from  time  to 
time,  recognized  the  value  that  might  be  derived  from 
such  operations  and  have  considerably  profited  thereby. 
Mr.  Daly,  believing  that  the  English  brood  mare  gave 
promise  of  quite  as  much  usefulness  in  her  way,  when 
brought  to  this  country,  as  her  companions  of  the  other 
sex,  has  made,  perhaps,  as  extensive  and  important 
purchases  of  English  bred  mares  as  any  proprietor  of  an 
American  breeding  establishment  that  has  ever  lived. 
His  selections  have  always  been  made  with  remarkable 
acuteness  and  judgment. 

A  more  notable  collection  of  mares  than  that  which 
he  has  gathered  at  Bitter  Root  has  seldom,  if  ever,  been 
seen  in  the  United  States.  Among  the  famous  sires 
represented  by  these  mares  have  been  Hampton,  Bar- 
caldine,  Doncaster,  Merry  Hampton,  Saraban,  St.  Blaise, 
Kyrle  Daly,  Darebin,  Hyder  Ali,  Glenelg,  The  Ill-Used 
and  Inverness.  The  homebred  sires  represented  have 
included  Luke  Blackburn,  Uncas,  Salvator,  Montana, 
Tammany,  Alarm,  Longfellow  and  others.  The  selec- 
tion of  these  mares,  whether  of  foreign  or  native  birth, 
has  always  been  made  with  special  regard  to  strong 
winning  lines,  and  the  success  of  this  plan  has  been  fully 
demonstrated  many  times  by  the  noted  winners  who 
have   come   from    Mr.  Daly's   establishment.     Some   of 


193 


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194 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


these  inures  are  fully  described  on  succeeding  pages  in 
connection  with  a  collection  of  their  portraits. 

Other  matrons  connected  with  Mr.  Daly's  establish- 
ment, most  of  them  from  its  earliest  days,  are  also  enti- 
tled to  recognition  as  well  as  those  whom  we  soon 
shall  have  occasion  to  speak  of  more  fully.  Among 
these  is  imported  Countess  Therry,  a  chestnut  mare  who 
was  foaled  in  i88t,  and  bred  by  Mr.  J.W.  Smith,  of  Eng- 
land. She  came  of  the  most  fashionable  blood,  being  on 
the  side  of  her  sire,  Barcaldine,  descended  from  the  Mel- 
bourne, Touchstone,  Birdcatcher,  Stockwell  and  New- 
minster  families.  Her  dam.  Miss  Edith,  gave  her  strains 
of  Stockwell,  Touchstone  and  Glencoe,  while  she  also 
traces  to  Whisker,  Pipator,  Matchem  and  D'Arcy's  black- 
legged  royal  mare.  To  the  cover  of  Hampton  in  1894 
she  produced  the  bay  filly  Maid  of  Avenel  and  in  1895, 
by  Sheen,  the  bay  filly  Corinna.  Another  Barcaldine 
mare  is  imported  Barcameer  out  of  imported  Butter- 
mere.  In  189s,  she  produced  to  the  cover  of  Tammany 
the  brown  filly  Barracan. 

A  mare  from  the  great  Hampton  family  that  Mr.  Daly 
acquired  in  1892,  when  she  was  a  yearling,  is  imported 
Merry  Peeress,  originally  named  Dressmaker.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  Merry  Hampton  by  Hampton  out  of  Doll 
Tearsheet.  Her  dam  was  Mistress  of  the  Robes  by 
Queen's  Messenger  out  of  Duchess  of  Sutherland. 
Through  both  his  sire  and  his  dam,  Queen's  Messenger 
had  strains  of  Touchstone.  The  Duchess  of  Sutherland 
was  by  Faugh-a-Ballagh,  the  sire  of  the  great  Leaming- 
ton. Her  dam  Laundry  Maid  was  by  Wintonian  out  of 
a  sister  to  Laundress.  Through  Faugh-a-Ballagh,  Merry 
Peeress  had  the  blood  of  Whalebone,  and  also  had  the 
same  strain  through  Laundry  Maid  and  her  sire  Win- 
tonian, who  was  by  Camel,  by  Whalebone.  The  tenth 
dam  of  Merry  Peeress  was  Vanessa  by  Regulus.  In  1895, 
Merry  Peeress  threw  to  Tammany  the  bay  filly  Marozia. 
Imported  Balsam  Fir,  dam  of  the  bay  colt  Balista  by  Sam 
Lucas,  comes  of  the  most  fashionable  blood  of  England, 
and  few  mares  ever  imported  into  this  country  could 
boast  of  more  royal  lineage.  She  is  by  imported  Friar's 
Balsam  out  of  imported  Tempe,  whose  first  foal  she  was. 
She  has  four  strains  of  Touchstone,  two  of  Birdcatcher, 
one  of  Melbourne,  one  of  Blacklock,  one  of  Pantaloon, 
twelve  of  Orville,  four  of  Emilius,  two  of  Partisan  and 
one  each  of  Melbourne,  Pantaloon,  Queen  Mary  and 
Glencoe. 

Then  there  is  imported  Crisis  by  imported  Fernandes, 
out  of  imported  Isis.  Her  sire  was  by  Sterling  out  of 
Isola  Bella,  the  latter  tracing  on  the  side  of  her  sire, 
Stockwell,  to  Birdcatcher  and  Glencoe  and  on  the  side 
of  her  dam,  Isoiine,  to  Faugh-a-Ballagh  and  Sir  Hercules. 
Sterling,  son  of  Oxford  and  Whisper,  was  of  the  line  of 
Birdcatcher,  Emilius,  Touchstone  and  Melbourne.  Mag- 
nificat,   another    of  Mr.  Daly's   best    imported    mares, 


is  by  Galliard,  out  of  Miserere,  and  has  four  strains 
each  of  Birdcatcher  and  Banter,  five  strains  of  Voltaire, 
six  strains  of  Sultan,  eleven  strains  of  Blacklock,  two 
strains  each  of  Voltigeur,  Touchstone,  Pantaloon,  Martha 
Lynn  and  Langar,  three  strains  of  Bay  Middleton  and 
one  strain  each  of  Flying  Dutchman,  Newminster,  Stock- 
well  and  Pocahontas.  Sightseer  is  another  fashionably 
bred  mare  that  Mr.  Daly  imported.  She  is  by  Kendall 
out  of  Lorgnette,  Kendall  being  bv  Bend  Or  out  of 
Windermere.  The  principal  strains  of  blood  in  Sightseer 
are  twelve  of  Orville,  seven  each  of  Blackdock  and  Banter, 
six  of  Touchstone,  four  each  of  Birdcatcher  and  Pantaloon 
and  two  each  of  Stockwell,  Thormanby  and  Orlando. 
Maid  of  Avenel  by  Hampton  out  of  Countess  Therry; 
Peep  Sight  by  Prison  out  of  imported  Lorgnette;  Samara 
by  Saraband  out  of  imported  Sacrifice;  Boise  by  Hamp- 
ton out  of  imported  Buttermere  are  among  the  other 
imported  matrons  of  the  farm. 

The  home  bred  matrons  of  Bitter  Root  Stud  Farm 
have  been  not  less  admired  than  their  foreign  sisters. 
The  principal  ones  will  be  elsewhere  fully  described,  but 
some  others  deserve  at  least  passing  mention.  There  is 
Bandana  by  imported  Darebin  out  of  Bessie  Peyton, 
who  traces  to  Touchstone  on  the  one  side  and  to  Lex- 
ington on  the  other.  In  1894,  she  produced  to  Tam- 
many the  chestnut  filly.  Tiger  Cat.  Mascot,  the  dam  of 
the  bay  filly  Malpaquet  by  Hyder  Ali,  the  chestnut  filly 
Marvellous  by  imported  Inverness  and  the  bay  colt 
Monda  by  imported  Inverness,  is  by  imported  Glenelg 
out  of  Mignon.  Through  Glenelg  she  has  the  Stockwell 
and  Melbourne  blood,  and  through  Mignon,  who  was  a 
daughter  of  Enquirer  and  Magnetta,  she  traces  to  Leam- 
ington, Lexington,  Sovereign  and  Sir  Charles  blood. 
Palfiena,  the  dam  of  Protest  II.  and  Poppinjay,  both  by 
Inverness,  Palfurni  by  Montana  and  Pallucus  by  Sam 
Lucas,  is  a  daughter  of  Hyder  Ali  and  Pandora,  tracing 
to  Leamington  and  Lexington  through  her  sire  and  to 
Australian,  Lexington  and  Melbourne  through  her  dam. 

Wood  Violet,  a  full  sister  to  Forester,  Woodfiower, 
Woodcraft  and  Forest  King,  has  been  one  of  the  most 
distinguished  mares  on  Mr.  Daly's  ranch.  A  chestnut, 
she  was  foaled  in  1885  and  bred  by  Mr.  August  Belmont. 
Her  sire  was  imported  The  Ill-Used,  and  her  dam  was 
Woodbine  by  Censor  or  Kentucky  out  of  imported 
Fleur  de  Champs.  She  has  the  Birdcatcher,  Melbourne, 
Sir  Hercules  and  Touchstone  strains,  and  also  derives 
from  the  immortal  Lexington  and  imported  Glencoe. 
While  she  was  the  property  of  Mr.  Belmont  she  was 
covered  by  St.  Blaise  and  produced  the  chestnut  filly, 
Pansy,  the  chestnut  colt,  St.  Jacob,  and  the  chestnut 
colt.  Primrose.  The  best  known  of  her  get  has  been 
Senator  Bland,  the  chestnut  colt  by  imported  Inverness. 
He  was  foaled  in  1893.  She  is  also,  by  Inverness,  the 
dam  of  the  chestnut  filly,  Sweet  Violet,  foaled  in  1894. 


195 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Imported   Matt   Byrnes,   a  brown  colt,  was  foaled  in 
1 89 1.     His  sire  was  Hampton,  son  of  Lord  Clifden  and 


MATT    BYRNES   (imported) 

Lady  Langden.  Through  Lord  Clifden  he  traces  to  New- 
minster,  Touchstone,  Melbourne,  Voltaire  and  the  great 
English  families  that  they  represented,  among  his  other  an- 
cestors in  this  line  being  Camel,  Humphrey  Clinker,  Whale- 
bone, Selim,  Beningbrough,  Black- 
lock  and  Comus.  Lady  Langden, 
the  dam  of  Hampton,  was  by  Ket- 
tledrum out  of  Haricot,  Kettledrum 
being  a  son  of  Rataplan  and  Hybla 
and  Haricot  a  son  of  Lanercost 
and  Queen  Mary.  Through  Lady 
Langden,  imported  Matt  Byrnes 
has  the  blood  of  Pocahontas,  Glen- 
coe,  Tramp,  Whisker,  Bustard, 
Plenipotentiary,  Gladiator  and 
others.  Cherry,  the  dam  of  Matt 
Byrnes,  was  by  Sterling  out  of 
Cherry  Duchess,  her  sire  being  by 
Oxford  out  of  Whisper  and  her 
dam  by  The  Duke  out  of  Mirella. 
Through  Sterling,  Cherry  traced  to 
Birdcatcher,  Flatcatcher,  Sir  Her- 
cules, Guiccioli,  Whalebone,  Plen- 
ipotentiary, Melbourne,  Emilius, 
Bay  Middleton  and  Touchstone. 
In  the  dam  of  Cherry  flowed  the 
blood  of  Stockwell,  Pocahontas, 
The  Baron,  Whalebone,  Sir  Hercules,  West  Australian, 
Orlando  and  the  great   families   that   they  represented. 


Through  his  grandams  Matt  Byrnes  is  descended  from 

Woful,    Waxy,    Sweetbriar,     Babraham,    Golden   Ball, 

Hampton's  Court  Childers  and  Lord 

Halifax'  Bushy  Molly  by  the  chestnut 

Litton  Arabian. 

Primrose,  a  chestnut  colt,  foaled  in 
1892,  came  to  Mr.  Daly  out  of  the 
mare  Wood  Violet,  whom  he  pur- 
chased from  the  Nursery  Stud  sale. 
The  sire  of  Primrose  was  imported  St. 
Blaise,  the  famous  son  of  Hermit  and 
Fusee.  So  much  has  been  said  of  St. 
Blaise  in  this  volume  that  his  pedigree 
need  not  be  dwelt  upon  in  detail  here, 
save  to  say  that  none  richer  appears 
in  the  Stud  Book.  Through  Hermit 
he  traces  to  Touchstone,  Tadmor, 
Whalebone,  Waxy,  Trumpator,  Sul- 
tan, Selim,  Bay  Middleton  and  Black- 
lock.  Through  Fusee  he  has  the 
blood  of  Gladiator,  Touchstone,  Whis- 
ker, Sir  Hercules,  Camel,  Waxy,  Pot- 
8-os  and  Emilius.  Wood  Violet  was  by 
imported  The  Ill-Used  out  of  Wood- 
bine. The  pedigree  of  The  111-Used 
is  also  a  matter  of  common  knowledge,  he  being  the  son 
of  Breadalbane  and  Ellermire.  Through  his  grandam. 
Woodbine,  Primrose  has  the  best  American  blood, 
Vvoodbine  being  a  daughter  of  Censor  or  Kentucky  and 


PRIMROSE 


tracing   to   Lexington,    and    to  Magnolia   by  imported 
Glencoe  out  of  imported  Myrtle. 


THE     AMERICAN     'ITRF 


One  of  the  earliest  and  one  of  the  best  of  Mr.  Daly's 
importations  was  Isis,  a  chestnut  mare,  foaled  in  1SS7, 
and  bred  by  the  Duke  of  West- 
minster. She  was  by  Bend  1  )'0r 
out  ot  Shotover.  Through  Don- 
caster,  the  sire  of  Bend  D'Or, 
she  descended  /rom  Stock- 
well,  Pocahontas,  Glencoe,  Or- 
lando and  Melbourne.  The  dam 
of  Bend  D'Or,  as  is  well  known, 
was  Rouge  Rose,  daughter  of 
Thormanby,  the  Derby  winner, 
and  Ellen  Home.  Through 
Thormanby,  the  blood  of  that 
great  English  racing  tllly,  Alice 
Hawthorne,  was  transmitted  to 
Isis.  Ellen  Home  was  by  Red 
Shank  out  of  Delphi.  Shotover, 
the  dam  of  isis,  was  by  Hermit, 
son  of  Newminster  and  Seclu- 
sion, while  her  dam,  Stray  Shot, 
was  by  Toxophilite  out  of  Vaga. 
Newminster  was  the  son  of 
Touchstone  and  grandson  of 
Camel;  Seclusion,  a  daughter  of 

Tadmor  and  Miss  Sellon;  Toxophilite,  a  daughter  of 
Longbow  and  Legerdemain;  and  Vaga,  a  daughter  of 
Stockwell  and  Mendicant.  On  the  line  of  her  dams,  Isis 
traces   to    Bustard,    Eclipse,    Herod,  Regulus,  D'Arcy's 


Israel  by  Galliard;    the   bay  filly  Crisis  by  Fernandez; 
the   chestnut   colt   imported    Isidor   by    Amphion;    the 


LA    TRAPPE  Umported) 

White  Turk  and  a  royal  mare.     Among  the  produce  01 
Isis  have  been  the  filly  Isiac  by  Roseberry;    the  bay  colt 


ISIS   (imported)    ano    ILITHYIA 

chestnut  filly  imported  Sistrum  by  Common;    and  the 

chestnut  filly  Ilithyia  by  Tammany. 

Imported  La  Trappe  has  had  a  successful  career  in  the 

stud,  both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  A  bay  mare, 
she  was  foaled  in  1881,  the 
daughter  of  Hermit,  son  of 
Newminster  and  Seclusion.  Her 
dam  was  Ambuscade,  daughter 
otCamerinoand  Crossfire.  Cam- 
erino  was  by  Stockwell,  son  of 
The  Baron  and  Pocahontas, 
while  his  dam,  Sylphine,  was  by 
Touchstone  out  of  Mountain 
Sylph.  Crossfire,  the  grandam 
of  La  Trappe,  was  by  Vedette 
out  of  Crosslanes,  her  sire  being 
by  Voltigeur,  son  of  Voltaire 
and  Martha  Lynn.  In  England, 
La  Trappe  was  covered  by  Ison- 
omy,  Barcaldine  and  Apollo,  pro- 
ducing Nomion,  Barmecide  and 
Celibacy.  In  this  country  her 
produce  has  been  the  bay  colt 
Friar  by  Ayershire,  the  bay  filly 
Mother  Superior  by  Hyder  Ali, 
the  bay  colt  Trappean  by  In- 
verness,  the  chestnut   colt  Fort 

Augustus    by    imported    Inverness,    and    the    bay  colt 

Tammany  Hall  II.  by  Tammany. 


iqy 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


In  imported  Erin-Go-Bragh  is  combined  tlie  blood  of 
several  of  the  best  English  equine  families.  This  chest- 
nut mare,  foaled  in  1887,  was 
bred  by  the  Duke  of  Westminster. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  Barcaldine, 
who  was  by  Solon  out  of  Ballyroe. 
Solon  was  by  West  Australian  out 
of  Darling's  dam,  who  was  by 
Birdcatcher,  son  of  Sir  Hercules 
and  Guiccioli.  Through  West 
Australian  Erin-Go-Bragh  was  de- 
scended from  Melbourne,  Hum- 
phrey Clinker  and  Touchstone. 
Ballyroe,  the  dam  of  Barcaldine, 
was  by  Belladrum  out  of  Bon  Ac- 
cord, Belladrum  being  a  son  of 
Stockwell  and  Catherine  Hayes, 
while  Bon  Accord  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Adventurer  and  Darling's 
dam.  Farewell,  the  dam  of  Erin- 
Go-Bragh,  was  by  Doncaster  out 
of  Lily  Agnes.  Through  Doncaster 
the  line  of  descent  was  from 
Stockwell,  The  Baron,  Birdcatcher, 
Pocahontas,     Glencoe,      Marigold, 

Teddington,  Orlando,  Melbourne  and  Ratan.  Lily 
Agnes  was  by  Macaroni  out  of  Polly  Agnes,  her  dam 
being  a  granddaughter,  through  her  dam,  of  Birdcatcher 
and  of  Agnes,  by  Clarion.     Erin-Go-Bragh  also  traces  to 


1 89 1,  the  bay  filly  imported  Lady  Judette;  by  Child  of 
the  Mist,  in  1892,  the  chestnut  colt  Sleeping  Child  and 


RED   SPINNER    (imported) 

Priam,     Don   Juan,   Pipator,   Hambletonian  and  Young 
Marske.    By  Highland  Chief,  Erin-Go-Bragh  produced,  in 


ERIN-QO-BRAGH    (imported) 

by  Tammany,  in  1895,  the  chestnut  colt  Lord  Beresford. 
From  the  establishment  of  Mr.  Carew  Gibson  in  Eng- 
land came  the  bay  mare  imported  Red  Spinner,  who 
was  foaled  in  1879.  She  was  by  Rosicrucian  out  of  Re- 
action. Her  sire  was  a  son  of 
Beadsman  and  Madam  Eglantine. 
Beadsman  was  by  Weatherbit 
out  of  Mendicant,  being  of  the 
line  of  Lottery,  Priam,  Touch- 
tone,  Camel,  Orville  and 
Tramp.  Madam  Eglantine  was 
by  Cowl  out  of  Diversion,  her 
sire's  pedigree  tracing  to  Bay 
Middleton,  Crucifix,  Sultan  and 
Priam,  while  the  pedigree  of  her 
dam  was  through  Defense  and 
Folly  to  Whalebone  and  Middle- 
ton.  Reaction,  the  dam  of  Red 
Spinner,  was  a  daughter  of  King 
Tom  and  Waterwitch.  Her  dam 
was  by  Flying  Dutchman  out  of 
Evening  Star.  In  England  Red 
Spinner  produced  Lammerlaw 
by  Lammermoor,  and  Spanish 
Fly  by  Don  Juan.  She  was  also 
the  dam  of  Bill  Gwin  by  Spring- 
field, imported  by  Mr.  Daly. 
In  this  country  she  produced  the  bay  filly  Gwendolyn 
to  the  cover  of  St.  Simon. 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


LORGNETTE    Omported) 


Foaled  in   1S8;;,   the  brown  mare  imported  Lorgnette      foaled  in   1884.     She    is  a   daughter   of  Doncaster   and 

was  bred  by  Lord  Rossiyn.  She  was  by  Speculum  out  of  Thorwater.  Doncaster  was  by  Stockwell  out  of  Mari- 
gold, Stockwell  being  by  The 
Baron,  son  of  Irish  Birdcatcher 
and  Echidna,  and  out  of  Poca- 
hontas, daughter  of  Glencoe  and 
Marpessa.  Marigold,  through 
her  sire,  Teddington,  traced  to 
Orlando,  son  of  Touchstone,  and 
to  Miss  Twickingham,  daughter 
of  Rockingham.  The  dam  of 
Marigold  was  a  sister  of  Singa- 
pore and  a  daughter  of  Ratan, 
who  was  by  Buzzard;  her  gran- 
damwas  a  daughterof  Melbourne 
and  Lisbeth;  Thorwater,  the  dam 
of  Buttermere,  was  by  Thorman- 
by  out  of  Fairwater,  her  dam 
being  by  Loup-garou  out  of  The 
Bloomer,  Loup-garou  coming 
from  the  Lanercost  and  Moon- 
beam families  and  The  Bloomer 
from  the  Melbourne,  Velocipede 
and  Tramp  families.  The  sixth 
dam  of  Buttermere  was  by  Bust- 
Miss  Middlewick.     Her  sire  was  a  son  of  Vedette,  who     ard,  and  her  seventh  dam,  Olympia  by  Sir  Oliver.     The 

was  by  Voltigeur  out  of  Mrs.  Ridgeway,  while  his  dam      produce  of  Buttermere  has  included  the  bay  filly,  Barca- 

Doralice,  was  by  Alarm  or  Orlando  out  of  Preserve,  thus     mere,  and  the  bay  colt,  Barbecue,  both  by  Barcaldine; 

giving  to  him  the  blood  of  Touchstone,  Vulture,  Emilius     the  bay  colt,    Butte,  and   the  bay  filly,   Boise,   both  by 

and     Mustard.      Miss    Middlewick,    the    dam    of 

Lorgnette,  was   a   daughter  of  Scottish   Chief  and 

Violet.      Through     Scottish     Chief     she    derived 

from    Lord    of  the   Isles,    son   of  Touchstone   and 

Fair  Helen  by  Pantaloon  out   of  Rebecca.     Sister 

Ann,    the    dam    of    Scottish    Chief,   was  by  The 

Little    Known    out     of    Bay    Missy,    The    Little 

Known   being  a  son  of  Muley  and  Lacerta,    and 

Bay    Missy   a   daughter    of    Bay    Middleton    and 

Camilla.     Violet,    the    dam    of    Miss  Middlewick, 

was  by   Thormanby,    her    dam  being    Wuodbine 

by  Stockwell  out  of  Honeysuckle,  who,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Touchstone  and    Beeswing  by  Dr.  Syntax, 

was   a    sister    to    Newminster.     Other   ancestors 

of     Lorgnette       were      Ardrossan,      Whitworth, 

Young  Marske,  Regulus,  Lord  Morton's  Ara- 
bian,  Mixbury,  Bay  Bolton,  Coneyskins,  Hutton's 

grey     barb,    the      Byerly    Turk,     Hutton's    royal 

colt.     Buster    and     the     Helmsley     Turk.       The 

produce   of    Lorgnette    have    been    the   bay   filly 

Sightseer    by    Kendal;    the    bay    filly     Peepsight 

by   Prism;   and    the   bay  filly  Common  Sight   by 

Common  buttermere  (imported)  and  senator  matts 

From  the  establishment  of  the  Duke  of  W^estminster     Hampton;  the  bay  colt.  Bitter  Root  by  Royal  Hampton, 
came  the   bay   mare   imported    Buttermere,    who   was     and  the  chestnut  colt.  Senator  Matts  by  Tammany. 

199 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


A  fair  winner  on  the  turf,  imported  Irony,  has  also  a 
good  record  as  a  producer.     A  chestnut  mare,  she  was 


IRONY   (impobted) 

foaled  in  1881,  being  by  Rosebery  out  of  Sarcasm.  Her 
sire  was  a  son  of  Speculum  by  Vedette  out  of  Doralice, 
and  his  dam  was  Ladylilte  by  Newminster  out  of  Zuleii<a. 
Through  both  his  sire  and  his  dam  Rosebery  was  de- 
scended from  Touchstone  and  Whalebone  and  among  his 
other  ancestors  of  note  were 
Orlando,  Voltiguer,  Orville, 
Muley,  Beningbrough,  Bees- 
wing, Birdcatcher,  Blacklock, 
Sir  Hercules  and  Selim.  The 
dam  of  Irony  was  by  Breadal- 
bane,  of  the  Stockwell  and 
Blink  Bonny  families.  Her 
dam  was  Jeu  D'Esprit,  daugh- 
ter of  Flatcatcher  and  Extem- 
pore. Through  Flycatcher  Irony 
has  another  cross  of  Touch- 
stone and  through  Flatcatch- 
er's  dam.  Decoy,  she  traces 
to  Filho- da-Puta,  Haphazard 
and  Peruvian.  Extempore  was 
a  daughter  of  Emilius  by  Or- 
ville out  of  Emory,  and  her 
dam.  was  Maria  by  Whisker 
out  of  Gibside  Fairy.  On  the 
side  of  her  dams  Irony  has  the 
blood     of     Sir     Peter    Teazle, 

Matchem,     Miss     Slammerkin,     and     D'Arcy's    black- 
legged  royal  mare.     In  England,  Irony  produced  the  bay 


colt  Lamprey  by  Beauclerc,  the  chestnut  colt  Junius  by 
Albert  Victor  and  the  brown  filly  Vampire  by  Gallopin, 

all  of  them  being  winners,  and 
the  last-named  being  purchased 
by  the  Duke  of  Westminster  for 
^1,050. 

Imported  Close  the  Door,  a 
bay  mare,  was  foaled  in  1887. 
She  is  by  Wisdom,  one  of  the 
best  sires  in  England.  Wisdom 
was  a  son  of  Blinkhoolie  and 
Aline,  his  sire  being  by  Rata- 
plan out  of  Queen  Mary.  Rata- 
plan was  descended  from  Bird- 
catcher,  Economist,  Glencoeand 
Muley,  while  Queen  Mary  traced 
to  Gladiator,  the  son  of  Partisan 
and  Pauline,  to  Plenipotentiary 
by  Emilius  and  to  Myrrha  by 
Whalebone  out  of  Gift.  Through 
Aline,  the  dam  of  Wisdom, 
Close  the  Door  traces  in  other 
lines  to  Birdcatcher,  Economist, 
Glencoe  and  Muley,  the  sire  of 
Aline  being  Stockwell  by  The 
Baron  out  of  Pocahontas.  Jeu  D'Esprit,  the  dam  of  Aline, 
gave  to  her  daughter  the  Touchstone  and  Emilius  pedi- 
grees. The  dam  of  Close  the  Door  was  Draughty, 
daughter  of  Exminster,  who  was  the  son  of  Neminster 
and  Stockings.     The   produce  of  Close  the  Door  have 


CLOSE   THE    DOOR  (imported) 


included  the  chestnut  colt  Mistral  II.  by  Florentine  and 
the  chestnut  filly  Open  Doors  by  Tammany. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Purchased  at  Tattersall's  Newmarket  sale  in   1892  tor 
200  guineas,  imported  Miserere  produced  tiie  filly  Mag- 


MISERERE  (imported) 

nificat  by  Galliard,  and  also  the  chestnut  colt  Missioner 
by  the  same  sire.  Miserere,  who  was  foaled  in  1887, 
a  handsome  chestnut  mare,  was  by  The  Miser  out  of 
Pauline.  Her  sire  was  a  son  of  Hermit  and  La  Belle 
Helene.  Through  her  grandsire, 
who  was  a  son  of  Newminster 
and  Seclusion,  she  traces  to  Touch- 
stone, Camel,  Dr.  Syntax,  Tad- 
mor,  Sultan,  Bay  Middleton  and 
Crucifix.  Through  her  grandam. 
La  Belle  Helene,  daughter  of  St. 
Albans  and  Teterrima,  she  is  de- 
scended from  Stockwell,  Bribery, 
Pantaloon,  Voltigeur,  Bay  Middle- 
ton  and  Malek.  On  the  side  of  her 
dam,  Pauline,  Miserere  is  quite  as 
richly  endowed  as  through  her 
sire.  Pauline  was  by  Cock  Robin 
out  of  Polly  Plush,  Cock  Robin 
being  a  son  of  Chanticleer  and 
Forlorn  Hope,  and  Polly  Plush  a 
daughter  of  Orlando  and  Plush. 
Thus  the  famous  Birdcatcher, 
Whalebone,  Blacklock,  Waxy, 
Touchstone,  Selim,  Emilius  and 
other  great  English  families  gave 
to  Miserere  several  crosses. 
On  the  side  of  her  dams  she  traces  to  Trumpator, 
Highflyer,    Snap,    Bay    Bolton,    Darley's    Arabian,    the 


Byerly  Turk,    the   Taffolet   Barb,    Place's    White    Turk 
and   the    natural    Barb    mare. 

Few  brood  mares  ever  im- 
ported into  this  country  have 
had  better  blood  than  imported 
Petticoat,  who  was  purchased 
privately  at  Newmarket  by  Mr. 
Daly  for  450  guineas.  A  chest- 
nut mare  foaled  in  1888,  her  sire 
was  Doncaster,  a  winner  of  the 
Derby,  who  was  also  the  sire  of 
Ben  D'Or,  another  Derby  winner, 
who,  in  turn,  was  the  sire  of 
Ormonde,  the  Derby  winner  and 
"the  great  horse  of  the  cen- 
tury." Doncaster  was  a  son  of 
Stockwell,  who  was  by  The 
Baron  out  of  Pocahontas  and 
thus  he  had  strains  of  the 
Whalebone,  Whisker,  Black- 
lock,  Selim,  Tramp  and  other 
noted  families.  Marigold,  the 
dam  of  Doncaster,  was  by  Ted- 
dington  out  of  the  Sister  to 
Singapore,  and  through  her  he 
traced  to  the  Touchstone  and  Humphrey  Clinker,  Black- 
lock,  Melbourne  and  Selim  families.  The  dam  of  imported 
Petticoat  was  Pelisse,  daughter  of  The  Baron  and  Pel- 
erine.    The  produce  of  Petticoat  has  included  The  Nude 


PETTICOAT  (imported)  and    MOLLER 


by  St.  Gatien;  Chiffie  by  Prism;  Tea  Gown  by  Mon- 
tana and  MoUer  by  Montana. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Imported  Tempe  cost  her  owner  470  guineas  at  Tat- 
tersall's  Newmarket  sale  in  1892.  Siie  can  boast  of 
liaving  tile  blood  of  the  best  En- 
glish families.  A  bay  mare 
foaled  in  1889,  her  sire  was 
Tynedale  and  her  dam  Temer- 
aire.  Tynedale  was  by  Warlock 
out  of  Queen  of  Tyne.  The  pedi- 
gree of  Warlock  takes  us  back 
through  Birdcatcher  to  Sir  Her- 
cules, Whalebone,  Waxy,  Guic- 
cioli  and  Chanticleer  and  through 
his  dam,  Elphine,  to  Emilius, 
Whiskey,  Bustard  and  Bening- 
brough.  Qiieen  of  Tyne,  by 
Tomboy,  out  of  a  daughter  of 
Whisker  traced  to  Smolensko, 
Orville,  John  Bull,  Waxy,  Pot- 
8-os,  Trumpator  and  Prunella. 
Through  her  dam  Temeraire, 
Tempe  has  crosses  of  Touch- 
stone and  Emilius.  The  sire  of 
Temeraire  was  Adventurer  by 
Newminster,  son  of  Touchstone 
and  Beeswing,  and  out  of  Palma, 

daughter  of  Emilius  and  Francesca,  the  latter  being  a 
daughter  of  Partisan,  granddaughter  of  Orville  and  great- 
granddaughter  of  Buzzard.  Witchery,  the  dam  of  Tem- 
eraire, was  by  Dundee  out  of  a  daughter  of  The  Cure  and 


was  a  great-grandson   of  Gladiator.     Elphine   gave  to 
Witchery  the  Orville,  Bustard  and  Beningbrough  strains. 


THE   TASK    (iMPOHTEo) 

Elphine.     Dundee,  son  of  Lord  of  the  Isles,  was  a  grand- 
son of  Touchstone  and  through    his  dam,   Marmalade, 


TEMPE  (imported)   and    TEMPEAN 

The  produce  of  Tempe  has  included  the  Bay  filly  Balsam 
Fir  by  Friar's  Balsam;  the  bay  filly  Devil's  Dream  by 
Chittabob;  the  bay  filly  Tempse  by  Tammany;  and  the 
bay  colt  Tempean  by  Sam  Lucas. 

Winner  of  the  Devonshire 
Nursery  Stakes  in  1891,  import- 
ed The  Task  was  regarded  in  En- 
gland as  an  excellent  race  mare 
in  her  two-year  old  form.  She 
v/as  foaled  in  1889  and  bred  by 
the  Duke  of  Portland.  Her  ped- 
igree runs  back  to  Mrs.  Cruik- 
shank  by  Walbeck;  Tramp's 
dam  by  Gohanna;  Fraxinella 
by  Trentham;  Everlasting  by 
Eclipse;  Hyena  by  Snap;  Miss 
Belsea  by  Regulus,  and  also  to 
Woodpeck,  Bartlett's  Childers, 
Honeywood's  Arabian,  and 
Bowe's  Byerly  Turk  mare.  The 
sire  of  The  Task  was  Barcaldine, 
son  of  Solon  and  Ballyroe.  The 
pedigrees  of  Solon  and  of  Bally- 
roe are  familiar.  The  dam  of  The 
Task  was  Satchel,  a  daughter  of 
Galopin  and  Qiiiver.  In  1894, 
The  Task  threw  the  brown  colt 
imported  Sain  by  St.  Serf,  and  in  1895,  the  chestnut  filly, 
Shimoga  by  Sir  Hugo. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Bred  by  John  Watson,  of  England,  imported  Name- 
sake, a  bay  mare,  foaled  in  iSSq,  is  a  half-sister  to 
Geheimness,  winner  of  the  Oaks 
in  1S83.  Some  of  the  richest  strains 
of  English  ec|uine  lilood  unite  in 
her.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Hamp- 
ton and  Nameless.  The  pedigree 
of  Hampton  is  as  familiar  as  a 
household  word  in  turf  circles,  his 
sire,  Lord  Clifden,  tracing  to  New- 
minster,  Touchstone,  Dr.  Syntax, 
Melbourne  and  Voltaire,  and  his 
dam,  I.ady  Langden,  tracing 
through  Kettledrum  to  Rataplan, 
The  Baron  and  Pocahontas,  and 
through  Haricot  to  Lanercost, 
Gladiator  and  Plenipotentiary.  An- 
other cross  of  Rataplan  and  Queen 
Mary  came  to  Namesake  through 
her  grandsire  Blinkhoolie,  the  sire 
of  her  dam  Nameless  and  the  son 
of  Rataplan.  The  dam  of  Name- 
less was  No  Name,  daughter  ot 
Teddington  and  Queen  of  Beauty, 
her  sire  being  by  Orlando  out  of 
Miss  Twickenham,  and  her  dam  a  daughter  ot  Melbourne 
and  of  Birthday,  who  was  by  Pantaloon  out  of  Honoria 
by  Camel.  The  sixth  dam  of  Namesake  was  Maid  of 
Honor   by   Champion;    her  seventh   dam  Etiquette   by 


dams  she  also  traces  to  Matchem,  the  Newton  Arabian, 
Hly  Turk,  St.  Martin  and  the  Oldtield  mare.     Namesake 


SACRIFICE    (imported) 


NAMESAKE   (imported)   and    NAMELY 


has  produced  Nominal  by  Inverness;  Colonel  Root  by 

Tammany,  and  Namely  by  Sam  Lucas. 

Two  crosses  of  Touchstone,  two  of  Birdcatcher,  two 

of  Partisan,  three  of  Sultan,  four  of  Blacklock,  and  two 
of  Monimia,  combined  to  give 
imported-  Sacrifice  as  rich  blood 
as  ever  flowed  in  the  veins  of 
any  English  thoroughbred.  She 
also  includes  among  her  ances- 
tors Newminster,  Rataplan, 
Stockwell,  Glencoe,  Whisker 
and  other  great  thoroughbreds 
of  Royal  descent.  A  hay  mare, 
foaled  in  1881,  she  is  by  Hamp- 
ton out  of  Sanctity.  Her  sire 
has  been  one  of  the  noblest 
horses  in  the  stud  in  this  gener- 
ation, being  the  sire  of  no  less 
than  three  winners  of  the  Derby, 
Ayrshire,  Merry  Hampton  and 
Ladas.  Sanctity,  the  dam  of 
Sacrifice,  was  by  Caterer  out  of 
Dame  Alice,  who  was  the  dam 
of  many  winners.  The  produce 
of  Sacrifice  has  included  Society 
by  Marquis  Townshend ;  Stadt- 
holder  by  New  Holland;  Scapu- 


Orville;    her  eighth  dam  Boadicea  by  Alexander;    and      lar   by  Marquis   Townshend;    Mintmaster  by  Minting; 
her  ninth  dam  Brunette  by  Amaranthus.  On  the  side  of  her     Leveret  by  Galopin;  and  Samara  by  Saraband. 


203 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


The  pedigree  of  imported  Oriole  includes  tliree  win- 
ners of  the  Derby  and  other  great  thoroughbreds  of  the 


ORIOLE    (imported)   and   TAMOR 

English  turf.  It  shows  three  crosses  of  Touchstone, 
three  of  Catton,  and  two  of  Defence,  and  also  is  strong 
with  such  great  names  as  Birdcatcher,  Newminster, 
Rockingham,  Picton,  Alice  Hawthorne,  Muley.  Selim, 
Plenipotentiary,  Emilius,  Waxy, 
Dr.  Syntax,  B  e  n  i  n  g  b  r  o  u  g  h, 
Smolensko,  Whalebone  and 
Partisan.  The  sire  of  Oriole 
was  Ben  D'Or,  the  Derby  win- 
ner, and  sire  of  Ormonde. 
Through  both  his  sire  and  his 
dam  Ben  D'Or  had  the  proud 
inheritance  of  Derby  honors,  his 
sire,  Doncaster,  and  Thormanby, 
the  sire  of  his  dam,  being  dis- 
tinguished winners  of  the  Blue 
Ribbon  of  the  English  turf.  He 
transmitted  these  honors  to  his 
son  Ormonde,  who  also  became 
a  Derby  winner.  It  would 
almost  seem,  from  these  brilliant 
records,  as  though  the  winning 
of  the  Derby  was  a  tradition  in 
this  family.  The  dam  of  im- 
ported Oriole  was  Fenella, 
daughter  of  Cambuscan  and  La 
Favorita.      Cambuscan  was   by 

Newminster  out  of  The  Arrow,  the  latter  being  by  Slane 
out  of  Southdown.     La  Favorita  was  foaled  in  France, 


and  was  also  the  dam  of  Dourance,  who  won  $2|,,ooo  in 
stakes,  and  was  the  grandam  of  the  fleet  Grey  Leg.  Her 
sire,  Monarque,was  also  the  sire 
of  the  great  Gladiateur.  She, 
herself,  was  the  dam  of  Flag- 
eolet, who  became  the  sire  of 
Rayon  D'Or.  Fenella's  half 
brother,  Flageolet,  was  the  sire 
of  winners,  who  took  $600,000 
in  stakes  and  purses  in  England 
and  France.  Among  the  pro- 
duce of  Oriole  have  been  Ogden, 
the  winner  of  the  Futurity,  by 
Kilwarlin;  Black  Cap.  by  Royal 
Hampton;  and  Tamor  by  Tam- 
many. 

Imported  Ayrshire  Rose,  a 
chestnut  filly,  foaled  in  1892,  is 
by  Ayrshire  out  of  Rose  of  Lan- 
caster. Her  sire  was  by  the 
famous  Hampton  out  of  Atalanta> 
the  latter  being  by  Galopin  out 
of  Feronia.  The  dam  of  Atalanta 
was  by  Thormanby  out  of 
Woodbine.  Thus,  through  her 
sire  Ayrshire  Rose  traced  by  several  different  lines  to 
Touchstone,  Melbourne.  Stockwell,  and  Pocahontas.  Rose 
of  Lancaster,  the  dam  of  Ayrshire  Rose,  was  by  Doncaster, 
the  Derby  winner,  and  out  of  Rouge  Rose.     Ayrshire 


AYRESHIRE    ROSE  (imported)  and  ASH   LEAF 


Rose   produced  the  chestnut  filly  Ash  Leat,    who   was 
thrown  in  1895  to  the  cover  of  Tammany. 


204 


THE     AMERICAN     ■VVliV 


Imported  Gwendolyn,  a  bay  mare  with  a  star  on  her 
forehead,  was  foaled  in  1891.  She  was  bred  in  England 
but  imported  to  the  United  States 
in  embryo  by  Mr.  Daly.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  St.  Simon  by  Red 
Spinner.  St.  Simon,  a  son  of  Galo- 
pin  and  St.  Angela,  had  the  best 
blood  of  England  on  both  sides  of 
his  pedigree.  Galopin,  by  Vedette 
out  of  Flying  Duchess  had,  as  we 
have  several  times  heretofore  seen, 
royal  blood  in  every  vein.  St.  An- 
gela, daughter  of  King  Tom  and 
Adeline,  had  also  in  her  pedigree 
some  of  the  best  crosses  known  to 
the  Stud  Book.  Her  sire.  King 
Tom,  was  a  son  of  Harkaway, 
who  was  by  Economist  out  of 
Fanny  Dawson,  while  the  dam  of 
King  Tom  was  the  celebrated  Po- 
cahontas, by  Glencoe  out  of  Mar- 
pessa.  Adeline,  the  dam  of  St. 
Angela,  was  by  Ion  out  of  Little 
Fairy,  Ion  being  a  son  of  Cain  and 
Margaret,  and  Little  Fairy  being  by 
Hornsea  out  of  Lacerta.  The  pedigree  of  Red  Spinner, 
dam  of  Gwendolyn,  and  also  an  inmate  of  Mr.  Daly's 
stud,  has  been  given  at  length  on  a  preceding  page  of 
this  volume.     Gwendolyn  was  covered  by  imported  In- 


country    by    Mr.    Daly,    her    bay   filly,    imported    Lady 
Judette,     came    in    embryo.      The    pedigree    of    Lady 


LADY   JUDETTE   (impobted) 


verness  and,  in  1 896,  threw  to  him  the  bay  filly  G wennin. 
When  imported  Erin-Go-Bragh  was  brought  to   this 


GWENDOLYN    (importeo)    and  GWENNIN 

Judette  is  of  the  most  distinguished  character.  That 
part  of  it  which  traces  through  her  dam,  Erin-Go-Bragh, 
has  been  already  given  on  the  page  devoted  to  a  sketch 
of  that  famous  brood  mare.     The  sire  of  Lady  Judette 

was  Highland  Chief, and  through 
him  she  has  descent  from  sev- 
eral of  the  most  illustrious  lines 
known  to  the  English  turf.  The 
sire  of  Highland  Chief  was 
Hampton  by  Lord  Clifden  out 
of  Lady  Langden,  and  the 
strains  of  blood  thus  uniting  in 
Hampton  are  too  well  known  to 
need  more  than  the  merest  ref- 
erence to  them.  Corrie,  the 
dam  of  Highland  Chief,  was  a 
daughter  of  Stockwell,  son  of 
The  Baron  and  Pocahontas.  Her 
dam,  Mayonnaise,  was  by  Ted- 
dington  out  of  Picnic,  Tedding- 
ton  being  the  son  of  Orlando 
and  Miss  Twickenham  and 
Picnic  the  daughter  of  Glaucus 
and  Estella.  The  sixth  dam  of 
Lady  Judette  was  Agnes  by 
Clarion ;  her  seventh  dam,  An- 
nette by  Priam  ;  her  eighth  dam. 
Potentate's  dam  by  Don  Juan.  In  1895,  Lady  Judette 
produced  the  bay  colt  Ternary  by  Tammany. 


205 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Foaled  in  1891,  imported  JVlaiden  Poem  is  the  daughter 
of  Master  Kildare  or  Laureate,  the  latter  being  accepted. 
Laureate  was  a  son  of  Rosicrucian  and 
Laura.  His  sire,  by  Beadsman  out  of 
Madam  Eglantine,  was  also  the  sire 
of  imported  Red  Spinner.  Laura,  the 
dam  of  Laureate,  was  by  Orlando  out 
of  Torment.  Through  her  sire  she 
had  strains  of  Touchstone,  Selim  and 
Bustard.  Through  her  dam,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Alarm  and  out  of  a  daughter  of 
Glencoe,  she  had  the  valued  strains 
of  Defence,  Sultan  and  Whalebone. 
Through  her  dam.  Maiden  Belle, 
Maiden  Poem  has  crosses  of  Touch- 
stone, Glencoe,  Whalebone  and 
Melbourne.  Maiden  Belle  was  a 
daughter  of  Beau*  Brummel  and 
Maiden  Hair,  her  sire  being  by  George 
Frederick  out  of  Ma  Belle.  George 
Frederick  was  the  son  of  Marsyas  and 
the  Princess  of  Wales,  his  sire  being 
by  Orlando  out  of  Malibran,  and  his 
dam  by  Stockwell  out  of  The 
Bloomer,  who  was  by  Melbourne  out 
of  Lady  Sarah.  Ma  Belle  was  by  Lord  Clifden  out  of 
Dulcibella,  a  daughter  of  Voltigeur.  Maidenhair  by 
Broomiclaw,  son  of  Stockwell  and  Qiieen  Mary,  was  out 
of  Fern.     Brought  to  the  cover  of  Sam  Lucas,  Maiden 


of  Flora,  was  purchased  by  Mr.    Daly  as  a  yearling  for 
250  guineas.     She  is  as  royally  bred  as  any  mare  that 


BENEFACTRESS    (imported)   and    BELLOVESUS 


Poem,    in    1896,    produced    the    bay    filly    Cleodora. 
Foaled  in  1892,  imported  Benefactress  by  Bendigo  out 


MAIDEN    POEM    Cimported)  and  CLEODORA 

has  ever  been  served  in  the  United  States.     Her  sire, 
Bendigo,  was  by  Ben  Battle  out  of  Hasty  Girl.     The  sire 
of  Ben    Battle  was  by   Rataplan,    whose   pedigree   has 
been  frequently  given.     Young  Alice,  the  dam  of  Ben 
Battle,  was  by  Young  Melbourne, 
son  of  Melbourne  and  Clarissa,  and 
out  of  Sweet  Hawthorne,  daughter 
of   Sweetmeat    and    Alice    Haw- 
thorne.    Hasty   Girl,    the   dam   of 
Bendigo,  was  by  Lord  Gough  out 
of  Irritation,  the  former  being  by 
Gladiateur,   by    Monarque    out   of 
Miss  Gladiator,  and  of  Bataglia  by 
Rataplan  out  of  Espoir,   daughter 
of  Liverpool  and  Esperance.     Irri- 
tation was  by  King  of  Trumps  out 
-of  Patience,  the  former  being  a  son 
and  the  latter  a  great  granddaugh- 
ter of  Velocipede.     On  the  side  of 
her  dam  imported  Benefactress  is 
equally  well  bred.  Her  dam,  Flora, 
was  a  daughter  of  Buccaneer  and 
Violet.     Buccaneer,  by  Wild  Dayr 
rell,    was.  out    of    a   daughter  of 
Little  Red  Rover  and   Eclat;  and 
Violet,  the  dam  of  Flora,  was  the 
daughter  of    Voltigeur    and    Gar- 
land.    In  1896,  Benefactress  threw  to  imported  Inverness, 
the  dark  brown  colt,  Bellovesus. 


206 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Foaled  in  1879,  the  bay  mare  Clara  was  bred  by  the 
Honorable   August   Belmont.     She   is  one   of  the   best 


daughters  of  imported  The  ill-Used,  whose  pedigree  and 
history  has  already  become  an  important  chapter  in  the 
Stud  Book  of  this  country  as  well  as  of  England.  It  is 
only  necessary  to  record  the  parentage  of  The  Ill-Used, 
who  was  by  Breadalbane  out  ot 
Ellermire,  to  show  clearly  the 
richness  of  his  blood.  Camilla, 
the  dam  of  Clara,  was  not  less 
highly  bred  than  the  stallion  who 
served  her.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  King  Tom  and  Agnes.  King 
Tom,  through  his  parents.  Hark- 
away  and  Pocahontas,  traced  to 
Economist,  Whisker,  Fanny 
Dawson,  Glencoe  and  Muley. 
Agnes,  representative  of  that 
great  family  known  by  her 
name,  was  by  Pantaloon  out  of 
Black  Agnes,  and  through  her 
sire  was  descended  from  Buz- 
zard and  Selim,  and  through  her 
dam  from  Velocipede,  Blacklock 
and  imported  Diomed.  On  the 
side  of  her  dam  Clara  also  traces 
to  Squirrel,  Marske,  Driver, 
Merlin,  Commoner,  the  Selaby 
Turk  and  Place's  White  Turk. 

Clara  has  been  very  productive.     Her  sons  and  daughters 
have  included  the  bay  filly  Marie  Jansen  and  the  bay 


filly  Clarissa,  both  by  Kingfisher,  the  bay  colts  Claren- 
don, Chatham  and  Canning,  and  the  bay  filly  Clarinda, 
all  by  imported  St.  Blaise;  the 
bay  filly  I  Declare  by  imported 
Inverness  and  the  bay  colt  Green- 
back II.  by  Tammany. 

Another  of  Mr.  Daly's  brood 
mares  that  came  from  the  Nur- 
sery Stud  Farm  of  August  Bel- 
mont is  the  bay  mare  Mehallah, 
who  was  foaled  in  1880.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  Kingfisher  out  of 
imported  Lady  Mentmor. 
Through  Kingfisher,  who  was  a 
son  of  Lexington,  Mehallah  had 
the  choicest  American  blood. 
The  dam  of  Kingfisher,  imported 
Eltham  Lass,  was  a  daughter  of 
Kingston,  who  was  by  Venison 
out  of  Queen  Anne.  The  dam 
of  Eltham  Lass  was  a  daughter 
of  Pyrrhus  the  First  and  Pal- 
myra, the  latter  being  by  Sultan 
out  of  Hester.  Imported  Lady 
Mentmor,  by  King  Tom  out  of 
May  Bloom,  was  descended  from  Harkaway,  Economist, 
Pocahontas,  Glencoe  and  Newminster.  To  imported 
The  Ill-Used  Mehallah  threw  the  fillies  Her  Majesty, 
Glory  and  Phoebe  and  the  famous  bay  colt  Sam  Lucas. 


MEHALLAH 


By  imported  Inverness  she  had  the  bay  filly  Meekness 
and  by  Tammany  the  bay  filly  Makallah. 


207 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Affinity,  a  chestnut  mare  foaled  in  1884,  was  also  from 
the  Nursery  Stud,  and  was  as  choicely  bred  as  any  of  the 


AFFINITY   AND   AFFIANT 


sons  and  daughters  that  came  out  of  that  famous  estab- 
lishment. She  was  another  daughter  of  Kingfisher,  who 
was  a  son  of  Lexington  and  imported  Eltham  Lass.  Her 
dam  was  Attraction,  who  was  of  royally  bred  English 
stock.  The  sire  of  Attraction 
was  imported  Balrownie  and  her 
dam  was  imported  Maud.  Bal- 
rownie by  Annandale  out  of 
Queen  Mary  traced  to  Touch- 
stone and  Rebecca,  Camel  and 
Banter,  Lottery,  Cervantes,  Par- 
tisan and  Pauline,  Gladiator, 
Plenipotentiary  and  Myrrha.  Im- 
ported Maud  was  a  daughter  of 
Stockwell  out  of  Countess  of 
Albemarle,  the  latter  being  by 
Lanercost  out  of  a  sister  to 
Hornsea,  who  was  by  Veloci- 
pede out  of  a  daughter  of  Cer- 
berus. Included  among  other 
distinguished  ancestors  of  Affin- 
ity were  Sir  Peter,  Pegasus, 
Paymaster,  Herod,  Snap,  Regu- 
lus.  Hip,  Babraham's  dam,  Will- 
iam's Woodstock  Arabian,  the 
St.  Victor  barb,  Why  Not  and  a 
royal  mare.  To  the  cover  of  im- 
ported The  lU-Used  Affinity  threw  the  colt  Circular  and 
also  the  bay  colt  University.     By  imported  Inverness  she 


is  the  dam  of  the  filly  Afflatus  and  by  the  same  sire,  the 
dam  of  the  chestnut  colt  Afghan.     In   1896  she  produced 

the  chestnut  filly  Affiant  by  Tam- 
many. 

Belinda,  a  bay  mare  foaled  in 
1887  and  bred  at  the  Nursery 
Stud  was  another  one  of  the 
daughters  of  Kingfisher,  who 
was  much  favored  by  Mr.  Bel- 
mont. Her  dam  was  Bellona, 
daughter  of  imported  The  111- 
Used  and  Beatrice.  Through 
Beatrice,  who  was  a  daughter 
of  Kentucky  and  imported  Ber- 
nice,  Bellona  traced  to  Lexing- 
ton, Magnolia  and  Stockwell. 
Braxey,  the  dam  of  Bernice,  was 
by  Moss  Trooper  out  of  Queen 
Mary  by  Gladiator.  The  sixth 
dam  of  Belinda  was  by  Plenipo- 
tentiary; her  seventh  dam, 
Myrrha,  by  Whalebone;  her 
eighth  dam,  Gift  by  Gohanna; 
her  ninth  dam,  a  sister  to  Gra- 
zier by  Sir  Peter;  her  tenth  dam, 
a  sister  to  Aimator  by  Trumpator,  and  her  eleventh  dam 
a  sister  to  Postmaster  by  Herod.  At  the  Bitter  Root 
Stock  Farm  Belinda  has  been  served  by  Tammany.  In 
1895,  she  produced  to  the  cover  of  that  great  stallion  the 


BELINDA    AND   CROKER 


bay  colt  Grand  Sachem,  and  in  the  following  year  she 
threw  the  bay  colt  Croker. 


208 


THE    AMERICAN    TURl' 


From  the  Rancho  del  Paso  of  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin  came 
Miss  Darebin,  a  brown  mare  foaled  in  iSqo.     She  is  by 


MISS    DAREBIN    and    MOYA 


imported  Darebin  out  of  Miss  Clay.  Imported  Darebin 
was  the  son  of  imported  The  Peer  and  Lurline.  Through 
his  sire,  who  was  by  Melbourne  out  of  (^linizelli,  Dare- 
bin traced  to  Humphrey  Clinker,  Comus,  Cervantes, 
Golumpus,  Touchstone  and  Pan- 
taloon. Lurline,  the  dam  of 
Darebin,  was  by  Traducer  out 
of  Mermaid.  Her  sire  was  a  son 
of  The  Libel  and  Arethusa,  The 
Libel  being  by  Pantaloon  out  of 
Pasquinade,  and  Arethusa  by 
Ellis  out  of  Languid.  Mermaid, 
the  dam  of  Lurline,  was  by  King 
Tom  out  of  Waterwitch,  daugh- 
ter of  Flying  Dutchman  and  Ev- 
ening Star.  Miss  Clay,  the  dam 
of  Miss  Darebin,  came  of  the  best 
American  stock,  being  the 
daughter  of  Hindoo  and  Belle 
Runnymede.  Hindoo,  through 
his  sire  Virgil,  transmitted  the 
Vandal  strain  to  his  descend- 
ants and  through  his  dam  Flor- 
ence, the  Lexington,  Weather- 
bit  and  Irish  Birdcatcher  strains. 
Belle  Runnymede  was  the 
daughter  of  imported  Billet  and 

Fancy  Jane,  the  latter  being  by  Neil  Robinson,  son  of 
Wagner  and  Belle  Lewis.     The  dam  of  Fancy  Jane  was 


a  daughter  of  imported  Knight  of  St.  George  and  a  Glen- 

coe  mare.     To  the  cover  of  imported  Inverness,  Miss 

Darebin  threw  Scottish  Chieftain 

in  1894;  Inverary  II.  in  1895,  and 

Moya  in  1896. 

Another  good  brood  mare  who 
came  from  the  Rancho  del  Paso 
is  the  chestnut  Missoula,  who  was 
foaled  in  1890.  She  is  by  imported 
Sir  Modred  out  of  Dixianne.  Her 
sire,  by  Traducer  out  of  Idalia, 
had  strains  of  Pantaloon,  Camel, 
Touchstone,  Beeswing,  Slane  and 
Voltair.  Traducer  was  by  The 
Libel,  son  of  Pantaloon  and  Are- 
thusa, daughter  of  Elis.  Idalia 
was  the  daughter  of  Cambuscan, 
son  of  Newminster  and  out  of 
Dulcibella,  daughter  of  Voltiguer. 
In  Dixianne,  the  dam  of  Missoula, 
were  united  the  best  English  and 
American  blood.  Dixianne  was 
by  imported  King  Ban  out  of 
Dixie's  War  Flag.  King  Ban,  be- 
ing a  son  of  imported  King  Tom 
and  Atlantis,  traced  to  Harkaway  and  Pocahontas. 
The  sire  of  Dixie's  War  Flag  was  War  Dance,  by  Lex- 
ington out  of  Reel.  To  imported  Child  of  the  Mist  or 
Silver  King,  Missoula  produced  in  1894  the  bay  filly. 


"v  ^^'<^»ies»«*'*fc;- 


»««•*  -  ."^ 


MISSOULA   AND    MAL-LAK-WA 


Corvallis.     In    1896,    she    produced   the    chestnut   colt, 
Mal-lak-wa,  by  imported  Inverness. 


209 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Amazon,  a  bay  mare  foaled  in  1887,  was  bred  by  Au- 
gust Belmont.  She  is  tiie  dam  of  tiie  chestnut  colt, 
Amazonian  by  Tammany.  She 
is  royally  bred,  being  by  im- 
ported The  lU-Used  out  of  Fair 
Barbarian.  Her  sire  gave  her 
crosses  of  Stockwell,  Melbourne, 
Irish  Birdcatcher,  Lanercost  and 
other  strong  lines.  Her  dam, 
Fair  Barbarian,  was  by  Hermit 
out  of  Romping  Girl.  As  is  well 
known,  Hermit  was  by  New 
minster  out  of  Seclusion,  thus 
uniting  Touchstone,  Dr.  Syntax 
and  Tadmor  lines.  Romping  Girl, 
the  dam  of  Fair  Barbarian,  was 
by  Wild  Dayrell  out  of  Gay.  Wild 
Dayrell,  son  of  Eon  and  Ellen 
Middleton,  was  a  grandson  of 
Cain,  Margaret,  Bay  Middleton 
and  Myrrha.  Through  Gay  other 
strains  of  the  Melbourne  blood 
were  given  to  Romping  Girl,  Gay 
being  a  daughter  of  Melbourne 
and  of  Princess  Alice,   who  was 

by  Liverpool  out  of  Queen  of  Trumps,  b)  Velocipede. 
Even  more  distinguished  ancestry  is  included  in  the 
pedigree  of  Amazon.  Among  her  grandams  were  Prin- 
cess Royal,  Queen  of  Diamonds,  Lass  of  the  Mill,  Brown 


Castrel,  Diamond,  Sir  Peter,  Florizel,  Eclipse,  Engineer, 
Partner,  Makeless  and  Brimmer. 


BEAUTY   AND    BRITOMARTIS. 


Woodcot,  Chestnut  Thornton,  Old  Thornton  and   the 
Burton   barb  mare,  while  among   her   grandsu'es  were 


Beauty,  a  chestnut  mare  foaled  1888  and  bred  by  Au- 
gust Belmont,  was  covered  by  imported  Rayon  D'Or  and 
in  1893  produced  the  filly  Ray  of  Gold;  was  covered 
bj/_Tristan  and  in   1894  produced  the  black  filly.  Tryst; 

was  covered  by  imported  Inver- 
ness and  in  1895  produced  the 
chestnut  filly  Bellibone,  and  was 
covered  by  Inverness  and  in 
1896  produced  the  chestnut  filly 
Britomartis.  Beauty  is  by  im- 
ported St.  Blaise  out  of  Bella, 
and  one  of  the  choicest  get  of 
her  great  sire,  through  whom 
she  numbered  among  her  an- 
cestors such  famous  thorough- 
breds as  Touchstone,  Gladiator, 
Sir  Hercules,  Whisker,  Whale- 
bone, Waxy,  Selim,  Crucifix, 
Priam  and  scores  of  others,  not 
less  worthy.  Bella,  the  dam  of 
Beauty,  was  by  Fiddlesticks  out 
of  imported  Bernice.  Fiddle- 
sticks was  one  of  Lexington's  best 
sons,  and  his  dam  was  imported 
Filagree,  by  Stockwell  out  of 
Extasy,  who  was  by  Touchstone 
out  of  Miss  Wilfred,  the  latter 
being  by  Lottery,  by  Tramp  out  of  a  daughter  of  Smolen- 
sko.    Through  her  dam  Bella  had  another  Stockwell  strain. 


THE    Ai\II':KICAN     TURF 


Butterfly,  a  chestnut  mare,  foaled  in  1886,  came  from 
Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin's  Rancho  del  Paso.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  imported  Kyrle  Ualy  and 
Mariposa,  and  is  thus  well 
bred  in  the  Touchstone  and 
Lexington  lines.  Her  sire, 
Kyrle  Daly,  was  a  son  of 
Artillery  out  of  Colleen  Rhue. 
Artillery  was  by  Touchstone 
-out  of  Jeannette,  his  dam 
being  a  daughter  of  Irish  Bird- 
catcher,  son  ot  Sir  Hercules 
and  of  Perdita,  who  was  bv 
Langar  out  of  Delenda.  Col- 
leen Rhue,  the  dam  of  Kyrle 
Daly,  was  by  Gemma-di- 
Vergy  out  of  Princess.  Gem- 
ma-di-Vergy  was  a  son  of 
Sir  Hercules  and  Snowdrop 
by  Heron  out  of  Fairy.  Prin- 
cess was  a  daughter  of  Re- 
triever by   Recovery   out     of 

Tadlioni,      her      dam     being  

Echidna  by  Economist  out  of 

Miss     Pratt.      Mariposa,    the 

dam  of  Butterfly,  was  a  thoroughly  well-bred  American, 

the  daughter  of  Monarchist  and  Heliotrope.     Monarchist, 

as  is  of  course  well  known ,  was  one  of  the  best  sons  of 

Lexington,  his  dam  being  Mildred  by  imported  Glencoe 


and  out  of  Evergreen,  daughter  of  imported  Glencoe  and 
Mistletoe.     Butterfly  produced  in  1890  Chrysalis,  and  in 


Jta 

■HkvN.^-. 

^ 

f  ^^v/H 

^^^^^h.Vv 

-T^MRII 

^■RlTc.  ^ 

*ii  oHk 

•r^-.'s^f^ 

P^..  . 

im^ 

FLORID   AND    IVY    BLOOM 


out  of  Levity.     Heliotrope,  the  dam  of  Mariposa,  was  by 
imported  Knight  of  St.  George,  son  of  Irish  Birdcatcher 


BUTTERFLY   and    LARVA 

1891  Emma  Mc,  both  by  Hidalgo;  in   1894  Loch  Ness, 
and  in  1896  Larva,  both  by  imported  Inverness. 

Bred  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin,  the  bay  mare  Florid  was 
foaled  in   1888.     She  is  the  daughter  of  imported  The 

111-Used  and  Flower  Girl.  Her 
dam  by  imported  Australian 
out  of  Neutrality,  was  of  the 
new  blood  that  has  been  such 
a  potent  quantity  in  the  devel- 
opment of  the  American  thor- 
oughbred in  this  generation. 
Australian  was  a  son  of  West 
Australian  and  Emilia,  thus 
combining  in  himself  the 
strains  of  the  Melbourne, 
Touchstone,  Emilius  and  Whis- 
ker families.  Neutrality,  the 
dam  of  Flower  Girl,  was  by 
that  staunch  American  horse 
Revenue,  son  of  Trustee  and 
Rosalie  Somers,  the  latter,  as 
will  be  readily  recalled,  being 
by  Sir  Charles  out  of  Mischief. 
No  stronger  strains  than  those 
running  through  Sir  Charles, 
Trustee  and  Revenue  are  found 
in  the  American  Stud  Book. 
Flond's  produce  include  AUa-habad  by  Hyder  Ali,  Franc 
by  Silver  King  and  Ivy  Bloom  by  imported  Inverness. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


In  the  brown  mare  Virgin,  daughter  of  Milner  and 
Virgie,   is  united  the   blood  of  imported  Leamington, 


VIRGIN    AND    E-COME 

Lexington,  Vandal  and  Wagner,  a  combination  that  can 
scarcely  be  excelled  in  the  experience  of  American  turf- 
men. Milner  was  by  imported  Leamington  out 
of  a  daughter  of  Lexington  and  Kate  Anderson.  The 
pedigrees  of  Leamington  and  Lex- 
ington combine  the  choicest  strains 
of  English  and  American  blood,  and 
the  Leamington-Lexington  cross  has 
'always  been  considered  one  of  the 
most  potent  in  modern  breeding. 
Kate  Anderson,  the  grandam  of 
Milner,  was  by  imported  Sovereign 
out  of  Chloe  Anderson,  thus  adding 
another  valuable  strain  to  the  pedi- 
gree of  Virgin.  Virgie,  the  dam  of 
Virgin,  was  a  daughter  of  Virgil  and 
Lax,  Virgil,  as  is  well  known,  being 
by  Vandal  out  of  Hymenia.  Lax  was 
a  daughter  of  imported  Scythian,  son 
of  Orlando  and  grandson  of  Touch- 
stone, and  her  dam,  Lavender,  was 
by  Wagner  out  of  Alice  Carneal. 
Virgin's  sixth  dam  was  by  Robin 
Grey;  her  eighth  dam  by  imported 
Highflyer;  her  ninth  dam  by  im- 
ported Fearnought;  her  tenth  dam  by 
Ariel;  her  twelfth  dam  by  the  Cullen 
Arabian;  her  thirteenth  dam  by  Croft's  Partner;  her  fif- 
teenth dam  by  the  Curwen  bay  barb  and  her  sixteenth  dam 


by  D'Arcy's  chestnut  Arabian.     The  produce  oi  Virgin 
have  been  the  brown  colt  Vitringa  by  imported  Child  of 

the  Mist,  the  bay  colt  Vignola  by 
Silver   King,  and  the   dark  bay 
^m  colt  E-come  by  imported  Inver- 

^^L  ne^s. 

R^^*'.  W  Namonia,  a  bay  mare  foaled  in 

1888,  daughter  of  imported  Sir 
Modred  and  La  Favorita,  was 
bred  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin.  Sir 
Modred's  pedigree,  beginning 
with  his  parents,  Traducer  and 
Idalia,  runs  back,  as  is  well 
known,  to  Pantaloon,  Newmins- 
ster,  Voltigeur,  Camel  and 
Touchstone,  having  several 
crosses  of  the  most  important 
families  to  which  those  thor- 
oughbreds belong.  La  Favorita, 
the  dam  of  Namonia,  was  by 
Glenelg  out  of  Edeny,  the 
Glenelg  strain  going  back  to 
Stockwell,  Pocahontas,  Mel- 
bourne and  Defence.  On  the 
side  of  her  dam  La  Favorita  came 
from  good  American  stock,  Edeny  being  a  daughter  of 
Lexington.  Namonia  was  covered  by  Hyder  Ali,  and  in 
1893  threw  the  bay  filly  New  Moon.  The  next  year  she 
threw  the  bay  colt  Namaquas,  also  by-Hyder  Ali.  In  1 895, 


NAMONIA   AND   NICOMACHUS 


she  produced  the  bay  colt  Negligence,  and  in 
chestnut  colt  Nicomachus,  both  by  imported 


1896,  the 
Inverness. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


An  own  sister  to  Namonia,  the  bay  mare  Belle  of 
Butte,  was  foaled  in  1880  and  bred  at  the  Rancho  del 
Paso.  Daughter  of  imported  Sir 
Modred  and  La  Favorita,  she  has 
shown  all  the  best  qualities  of  the 
great  thoroughbreds  of  England  and 
the  United  States,  to  whom,  in  com- 
mon with  Namonia,  she  traces.  Be- 
sides the  ancestors  to  whom  reference 
has  just  been  made  in  the  sketch,  of 
her  sister,  Belle  of  Butte  and  Namo- 
nia are  descended  through  their 
grandam  from  Wilkes'  Wonder,  im- 
ported Saltram,  Melzar,  Haynes' 
Flimnap,  Clodius,  Evans'  imported 
Stirling,  the  Belsize  Arabian,  Croft's 
Partner,  Bald  Galloway,  the  Akas- 
ter  Turk,  Leede's  Arabijin  and 
Spanker.  Barren,  in  1894,  Belle  of 
Butte  produced  in  1895  the  bay  filly 
Belle  de  Nuit  by  imported  Inverness, 
and  in  1896  the  bay  colt  Silver  Beaux 
by  Montana. 

Few  brood  mares  can  boast  of 
more  illustrious  descent  than  Home- 
less, who  was  foaled  in  1890,  and 
D.  Withers.  In  the  fifth  generation 
tors  include  Timoleon,  imported  Sarpedon,  Rowena,  im- 
ported Glencoe,  of  whom  she  has  two  crosses;    Irish 


tors   were   Sir   Archy,    Ball's   Florizel,   Emilius,  Sultan, 
Trampoline,    Touchstone,     Glencairne,     Sir     Hercules, 


bred  by    Mr.    D. 
back    her  ances- 


HOMELESS   AND    HOMEMADE 


Birdcatcher,  Marpessa,  Heron  and  Pyrrhus  the  First.     In 
the  preceding  generation  her  most  distinguished  ances- 


BELLE    OF    BUTTE   AND   SILVER    BEAUX 

Waterwitch,  Muley  and  Bustard.  Still  further  back  she 
derives  from  imported  Diomed,  Florizel,  Rockingham, 
Eclipse,  imported  Shark,  Pot-8-os,  Beningbrough,  Selim, 
Buzzard,  Tramp,  Waxy,  Blacklock,  Trumpator,  Whale- 
bone, Whisker,  Comus,  Lottery 
and  Defence.  The  sire  of  Home- 
less was  the  celebrated  Uncas, 
son  of  Lexington  and  Coral,  his 
dam  being  by  Vandal,  imported 
Glencoe's  great  son,  and  out  of 
imported  Cairngorme,  who  was 
by  Cotherstone  out  of  Glenluce. 
The  dam  of  Homeless  was  im- 
ported Sweet  Home,  daughter  of 
Knight  of  St.  Patrick  and  Bittern. 
Knight  of  St.  Patrick  was  by 
imported  Knight  of  St.  George, 
and  his  dam  was  Pocahontas  by 
imported  Glencoe  out  of  Mar- 
pessa. Bittern,  the  dam  of  Sweet 
Home,  was  by  Fisherman  out  of 
Village  Lass,  her  sire  being  a  son 
of  Heron  by  Bustard.  Village  Lass 
was  by  Pyrrhus  the  First.  In  1 894, 
Homeless  produced  the  bay  filly 
Homestakeby Brown  Fox;  in  1895, 
the  bay  colt  Highbinder,  and  in 
1896,  the  bay  colt  Homemade,  both  the  last  named  being 
by  imported  Inverness. 


213 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


From  the  Rancho  del  Paso,  from  which  establishment, 
as  we  have  seen,  Mr.  Daly  has  had  some  of  his  best 
native  brood  mares,  came  also 
Slow  Dance,  who  was  foaled  in 
1890.  Her  sire  was  imported 
Darebin  and  her  dam  Sly  Dance. 
The  pedigree  of  Darebin  has 
been  given  in  detail  on  a  preced- 
ing page  in  the  sketch  of  Slow 
Dance's  half-sister,  Miss  Darebin. 
Sly  Dance,  the  dam  of  Slow 
Dance,  was  by  War  Dance  out 
of  Sly  Boots.  From  War  Dance, 
son  of  Lexington  and  Reel,  she 
derives  from  Boston,  Timoieon, 
imported  Sarpedon,  imported 
Glencoe  and  Camilla.  Sly  Boots 
came  of  another  great  American 
thoroughbred  family,  her  sire 
being  a  son  of  Revenue  and 
Topaz.  Her  dam.  Skedaddle, 
was  by  imported  Yorkshire  out 

of  Magnolia.     She  has  a  double      

cross     of    imported     Glencoe. 

Through  her  dam.  Slow  Dance 

was  descended  from  Bobadilla  by  Bobadil,  Pythoness  by 

Sorcerer,  Princess  by  Sir  Peter,  Golden  Grove  by  Blank, 

Spinster  by  Croft's  Partner  and  the   Layton   barb  mare, 

and  also  from  such  other  great  grandsires  as  Dungannon, 


ported   Inverness.     She  was  barren  in  1894,  but  in  1895 
she  produced  the  chestnut  colt   Highland   Ball,   and' in 


BEAUCATCHER    and   CRUTCH 

Turf,    Herod,   Makeless,    Brimmer,    Place's  White  Turk 
and  Dodsworth.     Slow  Dance  has  been  covered  by  im- 


SLOW    DANCE   and   SWORD    DANCE 

the  following  year  the  chestnut  foal  Sword  Dance. 
Beaucatcher,  the  dam  of  the  chestnut  colt  Crutch  by 
Tammany,  was  foaled  in  1891,  and  bred  by  Mr.  D.  D. 
Withers.  She  is  by  imported  Eothen  out  of  Auricoma, 
and  few  mares  of  this  genera- 
tion have  been  able  to  exhibit 
more  lofty  lineage.  Imported 
Eothen  was  a  son  of  Hampton, 
the  great  sire  of  Derby  winners, 
whose  pedigree  and  history  have 
already  been  given.  The  dam 
of  Eothen  was  Sultana  by  Ox- 
ford out  of  Besika,  her  sire  being 
a  son  of  Irish  Birdcatcher  and 
Honey  Dear,  and  her  dam  by 
Beiran  out  of  Merope,  thus  giv- 
ing her  the  valuable  strains  of 
Whalebone,  Waxy,  Emilius, 
Bay  Middleton,  Priam,  Buzzard, 
Blacklock,  Whisper  and  Whis- 
key. On  the  side  of  her  dam 
the  lineage  of  Beaucatcher  is  not 
less  notable.  Her  dam,  Auri- 
coma, was  by  imported  King 
Ernest  out  of  Belinda.  Imported 
King  Ernest,  son  of  King  Tom 
and  Ernestine,  was  descended 
from  Harkaway,  Economist,  imported  Glencoe,  Touch- 
stone and  Waxy. 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


HON.    AUGUST     BELMONT 

FOUNDER,  THE   NURSERY  STUD 


2IS 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


OLIVER    H.    P.    BELMONT 


216 


THE    AMICRICAN     TURF 


Attention  has  been  called  in  the  preceding  chapter  to 
the  valuable  services  rendered  by  the  Honorable  August 
Belmont  in  the  work  of  reorganizing  the  American  lurf 
in  the  present  generation,  and  in  elevating  it  to  a  posi- 
tion of  honor  and  inlluence.  That,  however,  was  by  no 
means  the  only  part  that  Mr.  Belmont  played  in  turf 
affairs  during  his  lifetime  and,  important  though  it  was, 
did  not  surpass  in  usefulness  to  the  cause  of  the 
thoroughbred  his  unremitting  devotion  to  breeding  and 
racing.  Perhaps  the  future  will  even  look  upon  Mr. 
Belmont's  breeding  enterprises  as  constituting  the  great- 
est and  most  lasting  benefit  that  he  conferred  upon  the 
turf.     The  primary  cause  of  the  magnitude  of  this  enter- 


to  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  the  methods  by  which  the 
thoroughbred  has  been  brought  to  such  perfection  in 
Europe.  His  intimate  association  with  the  Rothschilds 
was  of  great  advantage  to  him  in  this  connection,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  he  was  completely  and  soundly 
familiar  with  those  theories  and  practices  of  breeding 
the  blood  horse  that  had  stood  the  test  of  generations 
and  were  accepted  everywhere  as  the  foundation  of  all 
good  breeding.  It  was  easy  for  him  to  realize  what  was 
lacking  in  the  representatives  of  the  thoroughbred  in 
America  and  his  practical  mind  at  once  determined  on  the 
steps  necessary  to  infuse  the  best  equine  blood  into  the 
horses  that  should-uphold  the  honor  of  our  country  on  the 


THE    NURSERY    STUD,  LEXINGTON,   KY. 


prise  and  its  wonderful  success  lay  in  the  character  of 
the  man.  In  everything  that  engaged  his  attention, 
it  was  part  ot  his  nature  to  seek  for  fundamental 
principles  and  to  pursue  every  ramification  of  a  subject 
to  its  fountain  head. 

The  same  thoroughness  and  capacity  to  grasp  the  true 
significance  of  things  which  explains  his  success  in  so 
many  other  directions,  was  fully  asserted  in  his  fondness 
for  the  horse,  although,  at  the  outset,  this  had  its  origin 
merely  in  a  desire  for  relaxation  from  more  serious  re- 
sponsibilities. No  sooner  had  he  begun  to  give  even 
cursory  attention  to  the  subject  than  he  devoted  himself 


turf.  Breeding  became  one  ot  Mr.  Belmont's  favorite 
pastimes.  More  than  that.  It  was  a  serious  matter 
with  him,  for  no  man  ever  had  the  interest  of  the  turf, 
or  thoughts  for  its  future  nearer  to  his  heart.  Outside 
of  his  banking  business,  and  notwithstanding  the  social, 
literary  and  political  calls  that  were  made  upon  his  time, 
breeding  ultimately  became  one  of  the  chief  objects  of 
his  attention.  His  wealth  enabled  him  to  buy  the  best 
animals  in  the  market  in  any  country,  and  his  intimate 
relations  with  the  leading  racing  men  in  England  gave 
him  exceptional  opportunities  to  add  valuable  blood 
horses  to  his  stud.     His  purchases  were  invariably  made 


217 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


judiciously  and  in  the  exercise  of  a  thorougii  knowledge 
of  the  animal,  and  with  a  mastering  ambition  to  do  only 
that  which  should  serve  the  best  interests  of  the  turf. 

With  justice  it  may  be  said  that  he  set  the  first  ex- 
ample for  that  magnificent  development  of  breeding  as 
an  art  that  has  raised  the  standard  of  the  American 
thoroughbred  until,  at  the  present  day,  no  animal  in  the 
world  can  claim  to  be  its  superior  in  speed  or  bottom. 
Even  his  success  in  racing  was  subordinate,  in  his  mind, 
to  the  gratification  that  he  experienced  when  the  horses 
bred  in  accordance  with  his  ideas  proved  their  superior- 
ity. His  maroon  and  scarlet  were  made  prominent  in 
public  esteem  from  the  establishment  of  Jerome  Park. 


favored  climate  and  grasses  of  Kentucky.  Nevertheless, 
it  promptly  took  a  position  in  the  front  rank  of  the  great 
breeding  establishments  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
results  that  accrued  from  the  liberal  management  and 
the  well-informed  and  painstaking  care  that  Mr.  Belmont 
personally  gave  to  it  were  of  the  most  notable  char- 
acter, and  won  for  it  a  reputation  that  was  not  even 
limited  by  the  boundaries  of  the  country.  When  the 
estate,  which  comprised  over  a  thousand  acres,  came  into 
Mr.  Belmont's  possession  in  the  sixties  it  was  nearly  all 
unimproved  wood  land.  Under  his  wise  direction  it 
was  converted  into  a  fertile,  well-tilled  expanse  and  be- 
came an  almost  perfect  spot.     Its  nearness  to  New  York 


TEN   DAYS  OLD 


NURSERY   STUD 


There,  as  well  as  at  Saratoga  and  Long  Branch,  when 
thosetracks  were  in  the  heyday  of  their  popularity,  his 
stable  won  every  triumph  they  could  offer,  and  its  owner, 
although  already  known  from  one  end  of  the  United 
States  to  the  other,  gained  recognition  as  the  undisputed 
leader  of  sport  in  America.  But  always  in  the  midst  of 
these  glories  he  turned  fondly  to  his  breeding  establish- 
ment and  gave  to  that  an  attention  that  showed  how 
thoroughly  absorbed  in  the  pursuit  he  had  become. 

Located,  originally,  at  Babylon,  L.  I.,  the  Nursery 
Stud  labored  under  some  disadvantages  when  compared 
with    what   has   generally   been    considered   the    more 


City  rnade  it  especially  agreeable  to  its  owner,  since  he 
was  thus  enabled  to  give  his  personal  attention  to 
the  establishment.  Upward  of  500  acres  of  the  prop- 
erty were  kept  under  cultivation,  a  large  extent  of  it 
laid  down  in  grass. 

The  accommodations  that  were  afforded  for  Mr. 
Belmont's  equine  treasures  befitted  their  lofty  lineage. 
Some  fifty  acres  comprised  the  paddocks,  specially 
devised  and  arranged  for  the  comfort  of  their  occupants, 
and  beyond  them  was  a  fine  level  mile  track,  where  the 
aspirants  for  racing  honors  were  put  through  their 
courses.     This  mile  track  was  an  ideal  race  course,  and 


218 


•HE    AMERICAN    TURF 


probably  few,  if  any,  that  were  superior  to  it  ever 
existed  in  tiiis  countrv.  In  connection  with  it  was  a 
cooling  shed  and  a  grand  stand  tVom  which  the  per- 
formances of  the  coming  cracks  could  be  studied.  Not 
far  away  was  a  pi'etty  pine  grove,  where  the  stallions 
used  to  hold  court,  and  the  necessary  stables  and  pad- 
docks, varying  from  one  to  two  and  a  halt  acres  each 
in  size,  were  conveniently  scattered  about.  A  feature 
of  the  place  was  the  training  stable  or  school,  as  it 
was  called,  which  was  an  ideal  building,  covering  a 
very  large  space,  all  under  one  roof,  and  splendidly 
lighted  from  above.  Here  the  horses  could  be  exercised 
throughout  the  winter  months  despite  the  weather,  and 


associated  with  him  in  the  business,  was  a  house  of 
ordinary  dimensions,  containing  about  twenty -four 
rooms.  Located  near  the  centre  of  the  estate  it  com- 
manded a  beautiful  view  of  the  entire  property,  was 
surrounded  by  a  wide  lawn,  and  had  attached  to  it 
stables  for  carriage  horses,  coach  house,  bowling  alley 
and  other  such  adjuncts  as  naturally  pertained  to  the 
country  residence  of  a  gentleman  of  wealth  and  good 
taste.  On  the  estate  was  also  a  fine  trout  pond,  some 
thirty  acres  in  extent,  that  afforded  the  most  enjoyable 
sport  with  rod  and  line.  The  mansion  was  filled  with 
mementoes  of  Mr.  Belmont's  racing  career  and  has  thus 
been   preserved  with  filial  care    by  his   sons.     Myriads 


A    GROUP   OF   YEARLINGS 


NURSERY   STUD 


the  very  great  advantage  derived  from  this  was  often 
seen  in  the  splendid  condition  in  which  the  bearers  of 
the  maroon  and  scarlet  came  to  the  post  at  the  early 
spring  meetings. 

Adjoining  this  building  and  connected  with  it  were 
the  principal  stables  which  were  finished  in  accordance 
with  the  most  advanced  ideas  for  the  advantage  of  the 
horses.  Close  by  was  the  trainer's  residence,  two 
smaller  stables  and  buildings  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  boys  employed  about  the  place.  Mr.  Belmont's 
private  residence,  which,  in  fact,  was  the  sporting  head- 
quarters of  himself  and  his  sons,  who  ultimately  became 


of  portraits  of  noted  race  horses  were  collected  by  the 
master  of  the  Nursery  Stud  and  from  the  walls  of  the 
drawing  room  pictures  of  such  noble  animals  as  the 
great  English  Derby  winner,  Ormonde,  The  lU-Used, 
Kingfisher,  Glenelg,  Patience,  Woodbine,  Sultana, 
Fiddlesticks,  Victoria,  Fenian,  Prince  Royal  and  a  host 
of  other  celebrities  are  displayed,  many  of  them  mem- 
bers of  the,  Belmont  stable  through  many  years,  and 
others  the  great  blood  horses  of  the  world. 

To  enumerate  the  names  of  all  the  old  time  favorites 
of  the  turf,  whose  names  were  identified  with  the 
Nursery  Stud  during  the  lifetime  of  its  founder  would 


219 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


require  many  pages,  and  however  agreeable  the  task 
might  be,  we  must  be  content  to  give  brief  attention 
only  to  some  of  the  more  important,  trusting  that  an 
account  of  them  will  be  sufficient  to  fully  indicate  the 
character  of  the  establishment.  Foremost  among  the 
stallions  that  Mr.  Belmont  owned  was  perhaps  imported 
St.  Blaise,  and  his  purchase  of  that  animal  was  a  con- 
vincing proof  of  his  thorough  knowledge  of  horseflesh, 
and  his  skill  in  divining  breeding  value  in  an  animal.  At 
the  time  of  Mr.  Belmont's  death,  it  was  well  said  that 
"  no  stallion,  living  or  dead,  ever  achieved  such  wonders 
at  the  stud  as  the  Derby  winner  of  1883  has  done,  and 
since  then  his  reputation  has  never  ceased  to  increase." 


He  was  the  son  of  Breadalbane,  who  was  a  brother  ot 
Blair  Athol,  winner  of  the  Derby  in  1864,  and  his  dam 
was  Ellermire,  who  was  Elland's  dam.  The  Stockwell 
and  Blink  Bonny  strains  on  the  part  of  his  sire  and  the 
Irish  Birdcatcher  and  Lanercost  strains  on  the  part  of  his 
dam  made  him  a  horse  of  irreproachable  pedigree.  Pur- 
chased as  a  yearling  in  1871,  The  ill-Used  was  shipped 
to  New  York,  and,  as  a  two-year  old,  started  at  the  Fall 
Meeting  at  Jerome  Park,  running  for  the  Nursery  Stakes, 
in  which,  however,  he  was  not  successful.  When  run- 
ning for  the  Belmont  Stakes  as  a  three-year  old,  he  was 
slightly  injured,  but  never  after  suffered  defeat,  winning, 
subsequently,  the  Sequel  Stakes  and  the  Kenner  Stakes. 


RAYON   D'OR 


NURSERY  STUD 


An  account  of  St.  Blaise  has  been  given  in  the  chapter 
on  Race  Horses,  Past  and  Present.  Before  Mr.  Belmont 
died,  he  saw  his  stallion  stand  at  the  head  of  the  win- 
ning sires  one  season,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  wit- 
nessing his  get  capture  one  Futurity  and  run  second  for 
another.  In  1889,  his  two-year  olds  in  Mr.  Belmont's 
stable  alone  won  $48,775,  and  in  the  following  year  no 
less  than  $108,185.  This  was  besides  what  his  two- 
year  olds  in  other  stables  won. 

Second  only  to  St.  Blaise  in  the  affections  of  Mr. 
Belmont  was  imported  The  Ill-Used,  who  was  bred  by 
Colonel  Townley,  in  England,  and  was  foaled  in  1870. 


His  racing  career  then  ended  and  he  was  retired  to  the 
stud.  There,  although  he  never  had  a  very  great  chance, 
he  got  Forester,  Jack  of  Hearts,  Jacobus,  Woodflower, 
Carita,  Topsy,  Badge,  Magnetizer,  Magnate,  His  High- 
ness, and  many  others.  His  most  successful  son  was 
probably  His  Highness,  who,  as  a  two-year  old,  stood 
at  the  head  of  his  class,  winning  upwards  of  $112,000, 
including  the  great  Futurity, 

Nonesuch  was  a  good  son  of  The  Ill-Used  and  was 
foaled  in  1879.  His  dam  was  imported  Nonpareille, 
daughter  of  Kingston  and  England's  Beauty.  Kingston, 
the  son  of  Venison  (by  Partisan)  out  of  Queen  Ann  by 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Shine,  was  the  sire  of  the  dains  of  imported  Glen- 
elg  and  KingMsher;  Caractacus,  winner  of  the  Derby; 
Queen  Bertha,  winner  of  the  Oaks  and  dam  of  the 
Wheel  of  Fortune,  who  won  the  Thousand  Guineas  and 
the  Oaks;  Silver  Hair,  dam  of  the  Derby  wmner, 
Silvio  and  King  John,  Nottingham  and  of  other  good  ones. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  illustrious  sires  of  England. 

Fiddlesticks  was  another  famous  stallion  of  the 
Nursery  Stud.  The  son  of  Lexington  and  imported 
Filagree,  he  was  foaled  in  1873.  He  was  a  good  race 
horse  and,  in  1876,  was  the  winner  of  the  Withers 
Stakes  and  the  Jersey  St.  Leger,  in  the  former  defeating 
Brother  to   Bassett,    Merciless,    Algerine,    Viceroy   and 


Few  thoroughbreds  on  the  American  turf,  previous  to 
his  time,  ever  had  a  more  notable  record  as  a  two-year 
old  than  Magnetizer,  son  of  imported  The  111-Used  and 
Magnetism.  He  was  bred  by  Mr.  Belmont  and  foaled  in 
1885.  His  dam,  Magnetism  by  Kingfisher  out  of  Attrac- 
tion, gave  him  strains  of  the  best  thoroughbred  blood  ot 
two  continents.  When  he  first  started  as  a  two-year 
old  in  the  spring  at  Jerome  Park  he  won  a  half-mile  race, 
but  in  a  contest  for  the  Foam  Stakes  failed  even  to  gain  a 
place.  Next,  however,  he  won  the  Surf  Stakes,  beating 
Guarantee,  Balston,  Omaha  and  others,  and  then  carried 
otT  the  Independent  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park  in  one  of 
the  best  races  of  the  year,  carrying  top  weight  at  120 


HENRY    OF   NAVARRE 


NURSERY  STUD 


Others.  He  was  also  the  winner  of  the  Ocean  Stakes 
and  ran  second  for  the  Belmont  Stakes  and  the  Jersey 
Derby.  At  the  end  of  his  four-year  old  career  he  passed 
into  the  stud  where  he  scarcely  had  the  opportunity  that 
he  deserved.  His  daughter,  Bella,  however,  attained  to 
fame  in  breeding,  her  first  foal,  Belisarius,  winning 
eighteen  races  in  1890,  and  nearly  as  many  the  following 
season.  Bella  was  also  the  dam  of  Beauty  and  of  Belle 
D.,  both  of  whom  were  winners.  Carmen,  another 
daughter  of  Fiddlesticks,  was  the  dam  of  the  two-year 
old  winner,  Carmine. 


pounds,  beating  Sir  Dixon,  Balston,  Miracle  and  others. 
This  was  a  good  performance,  but  for  the  rest  of  the 
year  he  was  not  successful,  running  third  in  the  Hopeful 
Stakes,  and  unplaced  in  the  Junior  Champion  Stakes. 
As  a  three-year  old  he  ran  only  a  few  times. 

After  many  years  of  success  with  the  original  Nursery 
Farm  on  Long  Island,  Mr.  Belmont  felt  impelled  to  re- 
move his  establishment  to  Kentucky.  Notwithstanding 
that  he  had  been  eminently  successful  in  establishing  the 
principle  that  it  was  possible  to  breed  well  in  the  North 
if  the  proper  attention  was  given  to  the  matter,  even  he 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


was  constrained  to  concede  that  Kentucky  might  offer 
some  exceptionally  favorable  conditions,  such  as  it  was 
scarcely  likely  could  be  met  with  elsewhere.  The 
attractions  of  the  blue  grass  and  limestone  soil  seem  to 
be  well  nigh  irresistible  to  all  turfmen  at  times,  and  the 
thoroughbred  traditions  of  Kentucky  exercise  at  all  times 
a  powerful  influence.  Accordingly,  in  the  fall  of  1885, 
he  removed  his  breeding  establishment  from  Long  island 
and  founded  the  Nursery  Stud,  near  Lexington,  Ky.  His 
new  farm  was  one  of  the  best  in  the  blue  grass  region. 
Immediately  after  taking  possession  of  it  he  entered 
upon  the  work  of  improving  the  property  on  the  same 
generous  scale  that  he  had  displayed  in  building  up  the 


the  stock,  and  there  are  the  usual  dwelling  houses  and 
other  appurtenances  necessary  to  the  perfect  manage- 
ment of  such  a  large  estate.  When  this  farm  was  made 
the  headquarters  of  the  stud  the  value  of  the  old  Nursery 
Farm  on  Long  Island  was  not  ignored.  It  was  retained 
as  in  a  sense  supplementary  to  the  Kentucky  establish- 
ment. There  the  yearlings  have  been  handled,  the 
race  horses  intended  for  racing  in  the  East  have  been 
wintered,  while  those  who  have  gone  amiss  during  the 
active  season  of  the  year  have  been  sent  there  to  be 
recruited. 

Coincident  with  his   removal  to  Kentucky  Mr.  Bel- 
mont purchased  the  English  Derby  winner  St.  Blaise  and 


NUHSERY   STUD 


MAGNETIZER 


original  Nursery  Stud  on  Long  Island.  He  expended 
large  amounts  of  money  on  stables,  fencing  and  drainage, 
and  gave  careful  treatment  to  the  enrichment  of  the  land. 
The  property,  traversed  by  never-failing  streams,  is 
well  watered,  and  by  a  system  of  mains,  water  in 
abundance  is  conveyed  to  all  the  paddocks  and  horse 
boxes  in  the  establishment.  Upward  of  400  acres  of 
land  are  included  in  the  farm,  which,  although  not  as 
large  in  extent  as  some  others,  has  developed  to  a  point 
of  excellence  where  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any  other 
place  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States.  Extensive  wood- 
land patches  afford  every  convenience  for  the  shelter  of 


gave  him  the  place  ot  honor  as  his  premier  stallion. 
With  imported  The  ill-Used,  Potomac,  Fiddlesticks, 
Kmgfisher  and  others  to  supplement  the  work  of  the 
king  of  the  harem  and  with  some  of  the  most  valuable 
brood  mares  in  the  country,  the  Nursery  Stud  was  thor- 
oughly well  equipped.  The  completeness  of  the  triumph 
that  came  to  Mr.  Belmont  in  subsequent  years  scarcely 
needs  to  be  dwelt  upon.  The  Nursery  Stud  became 
noted  in  a  short  time.  Notwithstanding  the  excellent 
reputation  that  it  had  won  while  on  Long  Island,  its 
Kentucky  fame  was  vastly  in  excess  of  any  that  it  had 
heretofore  achieved.     From  the  Kentucky  establishment 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


ye:ir  :il'ter  yciir  have  come  thoroughbreds  who  have  car- 
ried all  before  them  and  who  altogether  have  consti- 
tuted a  regiment  of  the  most  successful  performers 
known  to  the  American  turf  in  the  closing  decade  or 
more  of  the  century. 

It  was  an  undoubted  source  of  gratification  to  all 
broad-minded  turfmen  that  Mr.  Belmont  did  not  pass 
away  until  he  had  been  a  witness  of  the  full  fruition  of 
his  large-minded  enterprise.  For  a  short  time  in  the 
early  eighties  he  had  withdrawn  from  active  participa- 
tion in  racing,  but  after  1887  his  colors  were  again  seen 
upon  all  the  principal  race  courses.  From  the  beginning 
of  his  connection  with  the  turf  he  adopted  the  principle. 


Stakes  and  the  Stevens  Stakes.  Other  horses  of  his  own 
breeding  won  this  year:  Lady  Margaret,  the  Independ- 
ence and  the  Atlantic  Stakes;  Fides,  the  Clover  Stakes 
and  the  Laurel  Stakes;  while  Lady  Primrose,  She  and 
Carnot  were  also  winners.  In  the  following  year  twen- 
ty-three horses  carried  the  Belmont  colors,  and  twenty- 
one  of  them  were  home  bred.  Out  of  a  total  amount  of 
$12^,635,  which  stood  to  the  credit  of  the  stable,  its 
home  bred  representatives  won  $100,045.  San  Carlo 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  list  with  his  victories  in  the 
Great  American  Stakes  and  the  Foam  Stakes,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  was  second  in  the  Futurity.  Magnate 
won  the  Sapphire,  the  Autumn  and  the  Algeria  Stakes; 


i\UF.S£RV    STUD 


THE   ILL-USED 


of  breeding  for  himself  and  not  for  public  sale.  The 
best  animals  that  he  produced  he  always  kept  to  carry 
the  maroon  and  scarlet,  and  to  win  with  his  own  breed- 
ing was  always  his  highest  ambition.  After  his  return 
to  the  turf  few  of  the  horses  that  he  ran  were  other  than 
of  his  own  breeding.  About  the  only  important  excep- 
tions to  this  rule  were  Raceland  and  George  Oyster. 

In  1888,  twelve  horses  raced  under  his  colors,  ten  ot 
them  being  home  bred.  His  three-year  old  Prince 
Royal  was  the  most  successful  member  of  his  string, 
having  to  his  credit  victories  in  the  Arrow  Stakes,  the 
Jerome  Stakes,  the  Coney  Island   Derby,   the  Stockton 


Padishah,  the  Tremont  Stakes;  Fides,  the  Ladies'  and  the 
Time  Test  Stakes  and  the  Croton  Handicap;  Zephrus, 
the  Bronx  Stakes  and  the  Cape  May  Handicap;  Belinda, 
the  Riverdale  Handicap  and  the  Mermaid  Stakes,  and  St. 
James  the  Seaside  Stakes. 

Triumphs,  even  greater  than  in  previous  years,  were 
achieved  by  the  Nursery  Stud  representatives  in  1890,  and 
Mr.  Belmont  ran  only  one  horse,  Raceland,  that  was 
born  outside  of  the  Nursery  Stud.  His  stable  again 
headed  the  list  of  winning  owners  with  $171,350,  of 
which  $6,040  was  credited  to  Raceland.  As  two-year 
olds,  Potomac  was  the  best  colt  and  La  Tosca  the  best  filly 


223 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


of  that  season.  The  cup  of  happiness  of  Mr.  Behnont 
must  have  been  well  nigh  filled  when  Potomac  won  the 
greatest  two-year  old  event  of  the  year,  the  Futurity 
Stakes,  with  another  Nursery  bred  colt,  Masher,  running 
second  in  the  same  race.  Potomac  achieved  almost  an 
unbroken  record,  winning  the  Futurity,  the  Flatbush 
and  the  Red  Bank  Stakes,  and  being  defeated  in  the 
Junior  and  Champion  Stakes.  La  Tosca  won  the  June, 
the  Select,  the  Belles  and  the  Fashion  Stakes,  and  other 
races  scarcely  secondary  in  importance.  Other  animals 
in  Mr.  Belmont's  stable  won  prominent  events;  St. 
Charles,  the  Juvenile  Stakes;  Fides,  the  Toboggan  Slide 
Handicap,  in  which  she  created  the  six  furlong  record  of 


the  annals  of  our  native  turf  or  the  turf  of  any  other 
country  have  no  parallel.  The  season  would  have  been 
nothing  but  one  long  series  of  triumphs  for  the  maroon 
and  scarlet.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  scarcely  one 
of  the  great  two-year  old  prizes  of  the  year  would  have 
gone  to  another  stable,  and  it  would  have  been  the 
Belmont  Stable  first  and  the  rest  nowhere."  Potomac, 
who  had  been  the  best  two-year  old  colt  and  La  Tosca 
the  best  two-year  old  filly,  now  in  their  three-year  old 
form  stood  at  the  head  of  their  respective  classes.  His 
Highness,  St.  Florian  and  Victory  were  the  best  two- 
year  old  colts  of  the  year,  while  Raceland  was  one  of  the 
very  best  handicap  horses.     The  amount  of  money  that 


ST. 


NURSERY   STUD 


I  minute,  loj  seconds;  Her  Highness,  the  Mermaid 
Stakes  and  the  Monmouth  Oaks;  Clarendon,  the  Trenton 
Stakes;  Amazon,  the  Gazelle  Stakes,  and  Prince  Royal 
the  Coney  Island  Stakes. 

Could  Mr.  Belmont  have  lived  another  year  he  would 
have  reaped  even  richer  rewards  as  a  turfman.  Dying 
immediately  after  the  close  of  the  season  of  1890,  it  was 
not  his  privilege  to  know  the  full  measure  of  phenomenal 
success  that  had  crowned  the  Nursery  Stud  or  the  full 
value  of  his  services  to  the  American  turf  It  has  been 
well  said  that  "  if  only  Mr.  Belmont's  life  had  been 
spared,  his  stable  would  have  been  something  for  which 


BLAISE 

horses  of  his  breeding  who  would  have  represented  his 
stable  earned  during  the  season  reached  the  huge  total  of 
$225,000,  and  it  has  been  freely  predicted  that,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  disadvantages  arising  from  the  absence  of 
his  judgment  in  directing  affairs,  even  that  vast  sum 
might  have  been  increased. 

Upon  the  death  of  the  senior  Mr.  Belmont  it  fell  to  the 
lot  of  his  sons,  Messrs.  August  Belmont,  Oliver  H.  P. 
and  Perry  Belmont,  to  maintain  the  family  name  and  repute 
upon  the  turf  The  second  Mr.  August  Belmont,  in  partic- 
ular, has  taken  the  most  active  interest  in  racing  and  breed- 
ing. When  the  sale  of  the  Nursery  Stud  occurred  in  1891, 


224 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


he  purchiised  several  ul  the  leading  horses  that  his  father 
had  owned,  and  made  his  appearance  on  the  tiirl  under 
the  name  of  the  Blemton  Stable,  the  title  being  a  memory 
of  his  student  days  at  Harvard  and  an  anagram  of  his 
own  name.  The  impoi'tant  work  that  Mr.  Belmont  has 
done  in  reorganizing  and  directing  Eastern  turf  affairs 
during  the  last  few  years  has  been  treated  fully  in  the 
preceding  chapter.  As  the  owner  cf  such  horses  as 
Henry  of  Navarre,  one  of  the  greatest  champions  of  the 
present  day;  Hastings,  Margrave,  Merry  Prince,  Wood- 
bine, Floretta  IV.,  Keenan,  Don  de  Oro,  Octagon,  Lady 
Violet,  Jack  of  Spades  and  others  that  have  borne  his 
colors  to  victory  in  numberless  events,  he  is  recognized 


At  the  head  oi  the  establishment  stands  the  famous 
imported  Rayon  D'Or,  who  has  contributed  to  the 
American  turf  one  of  the  most  valuable  strains  of  foreign 
blood  known  in  this  generation.  Next  to  Rayon  D'Or 
stands  Henry  of  Navarre,  that  brilliant  son  of  Knight  of 
Ellerslie,  than  whom  there  has  been  no  more  deservedly 
popular  horse  upon  the  turf  in  the  present  generation, 
and  who  will  rank  as  one  of  the  famous  champions  ot 
the  American  turf  of  all  time.  Then  there  are  Magneti- 
zer.  Fiddlesticks,  and  Margrave,  son  of  imported  St. 
Blaise  and  Lady  Margaret,  all  three  of  whom  were  bred 
by  the  senior  Mr.  Belmont,  and  have  been  long  and 
notably  identified  with  the  Nursery  Stud. 


NURSERY   STUD 


POTOMAC 


as  a  racing  man  of  the  first  rank.  It  has  also  long  been 
his  intention  to  encourage  international  racing,  and  with 
this  end  in  view  he  has  already  laid  the  foundation  of  a 
representative  American  stable  in  the  Old  World. 
Having  abandoned  the  use  of  the  name  of  the  Blemton 
Stable  in  racing,  and  making  his  entries  under  his  own 
name,  Mr.  Belmont  has  thus  restored  to  its  place  in  con- 
temporary turf  records  a  title  that  will  always  be  honored 
by  lovers  of  the  blood  horse. 

The  Nursery  Stud,  of  which  the  second  Mr.  August 
Belmont  is  now  the  proprietor,  has  not  failed  to  retain  the 
glories  that  it  acquired  during  the  lifetime  of  its  founder. 


The  remaining  stallion  is  Carino,  who  was  foaled  in 
1893,  and  bred  by  Mr.  James  B.  Haggin.  He  is  a 
son  of  imported  Maxim  out  of  Carina.  His  sire,  by 
Musket  out  of  Realization,  was  a  grandson  of  Toxophi- 
lite  and  a  daughter  of  West  Australian,  and  also  of 
Vespasian  and  Hopeful.  Through  his  great  grandsire, 
Toxophilite,  he  traces  to  Touchstone,  Orville  and  Buz- 
zard, and  through  his  great-grandam,  daughter  of  West 
Australian,  traces  again  to  Touchstone  and  also  to 
Whisker,  Whalebone  and  Blacklock.  Through  his 
great-grandsire,  Vespasian,  he  is  descended  from  Touch- 
stone,  Irish   Birdcatcher,  Glencoe,  Selim   and  Whisker, 


225 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


and  through  his  great-grandam,  Hopeful,  he  has  the 
blood  of  Bay  Middleton,  Whalebone  and  Whisker.  The 
dam  of  Carino  was  a  daughter  of  Kingfisher  and  Carita. 
The  matrons  of  the  Nusery  Stud  are  a  royal  household. 
Most  of  them  are  the  produce  of  the  establishment  with 
which  they  are  connected,  Mr.  Belmont,  like  his  father 
before  him,  being  a  firm  believer  in  the  results  of  his  own 
breeding.  First  on  the  list  stands  Arnica  by  Sam  Brown 
out  of  Belladonna.  She  was  foaled  in  1889.  Her  sire 
was  by  General  Rosseau  out  of  Bonanza.  General 
Rosseau  was  a  son  of  Commodore  and  Naty  Price. 
Commodore  was  by  Caleb  Quotem  out  of  Mary  Brown, 
his  sire  being  by  Sir  Peter  Teazle  by  Highflyer- by  Herod 


Stockwell  and  Braxey.  Bellegarde  is  the  dam  of  the 
bay  colt  Bell  Punch  and  the  bay  colt  Bellegrave,  both  by 
Badge.  Felicia,  the  dam  of  Felix  by  Kingfisher;  Feronia, 
St.  Felix  and  Franciscan,  by  imported  St.  Blaise;  Prince 
Felix  by  Prince  Royal  and  Falernian  and  Felician,  by  im- 
ported Rayon  D'Or  is  another  one  of  the  mares  bred  by 
the  Honorable  August  Belmont.  She  was  foaled  by  im- 
ported The  Ill-Used  out  of  Felucca.  Her  dam  was  by 
Buccaneer  out  of  Revival,  Buccaneer,  through  his  sire, 
being  descended  from  Bay  Middleton  and  Blacklock  and 
through  his  dam  from  Trumpator,  Beningbrough  and 
Waxy.  Revival,  the  dam  of  Felucca,  traced  through 
Newminster  to  Touchstone  and  Trumpator  and  through 


NURSERY  STUD 


FIDES   AND    YEARLING 


and  out  of  a  daughter  of  imported  Diomed.  Through 
Mary  Brown,  daughter  of  Guilford  and  Vixen,  Com- 
modore ran  back  in  the  next  generation  to  Revenue  by 
imported  Trustee,  and  Pot-8-os  by  Eclipse.  Naty  Price 
was  of  good  American  blood.  Her  sire,  Cost  Johnson, 
was  by  Boston  out  of  Atalanta  by  Industry  by  Priam. 
First  among  the  produce  of  Arnica  is  the  brown  filly. 
Actinism,  by  imported  Rayon  D'Or. 

Another  famous  mare  of  this  stud  is  Bellegarde,  who 
was  bred  by  the  senior  Mr.  Belmont  and  foaled  in  1890. 
She  is  by  imported  St.  Blaise  out  of  Bella,  who  was  by 
Fiddlesticks   out   of  imported  Bernice,    a   daughter    of 


her  dam  Qui  Vive  to  Blacklock,  Irish  Birdcatcher, 
Whalebone  and  Lottery.  Another  one  of  imported 
Felucca's  daughters,  still  in  the  Nursery  Stud,  is  Feu  Follet, 
who  was  foaled  in  1875.  She  is  a  descendant  of  Lexing- 
ton through  her  famous  sire,  Kingfisher.  Her  career  in 
the  stud  has  been  long  and  important.  In  1879,  she  pro- 
duced the  bay  filly  Madcap,  by  imported  Matador,  and 
since  then  has  missed  only  three  years.  Her  principal 
produce  have  been  Falconer  and  Donna  Solby  imported 
Matador;  St.  Elmo,  Ralph  Black  (Leapyear),  Firefly  and 
Dr.  Garnet  by  imported  The  Ill-Used;  Feu  de  Joie 
(Mamie   B.),   Formosa,    St.    Florian   and   Firebrand   by 


226 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


imported  St.   Blaise,  and   Pettish  and  Fulminate  by  im- 
ported Rayon  D'Or. 

Other  home  bred  matrons  of  this  establishment  are 
Fides  by  imported  The  111-Used  out  of  Fillette;  Flavia 
by  imported  St.  Blaise  out  of  Flavina;  Flying  Fish  by 
Kingfisher  out  of  Florence  M. :  Glory  by  imported  The 
Ili-Used  out  of  Mehallah;  Lady  Margaret  by  imported 
The  Ill-Used  out  of  Lady  Roseberry;  Leopoldina  by 
Prince  Leopold  (Doncaster)  out  of  imported  Leightona ;  St. 
Pauline  by  imported  St.  Blaise  out  of  imported  Patience; 
Semaris  by  imported  St.  Blaise  out  of  Sultana,  and 
Woodvine  by  Magnetiser  out  of  Woodbine. 


one  who  bears  his  name.  By  reason  of  his  succeeding 
to  the  mastership  of  the  Nursery  Stud,  and  by  his  excep- 
tional activity  in  turf  affairs,  the  present  Mr.  August 
Belmont  has  been  somewhat  more  in  the  public  eye 
than  his  brothers.  Nevertheless,  the  Honorable  Perry 
Belmont  and  Mr.  Oliver  H.  P.  Belmont  have  both  taken 
an  active  part  in  gentlemanly  sports.  The  former,  as 
one  of  the  prime  movers  in  the  organization  of  the  Turf 
Club,  at  Newport,  in  1895,  was  associated  with  such 
gentlemen  as  Messrs.  Robert  Goelet,  Frederick  Bronson, 
John  Jacob  Astor  and  others  of  the  same  class.  He  was 
chosen  to  be  one  of  the  first  governors  of  this  club  and 


NURSERY  STUD 


LADY    MARGARET    AND   YEARLING 


The  imported  mares  are  a  royal  lot.  They  include 
Belladonna  by  Hermit  out  of  Bonnie  Doon;  Christmas 
Tree  by  Althotas  (Rosicrucian)  out  of  Merry  Christmas; 
Clover  by  Macaroni  out  of  Verdure;  Decoy  by  Muncaster 
out  of  Ruse;  Frimsall  by  Macaroni  out  of  Evelina;  Kate 
Allen  by  Barcaldine  out  of  Kathenne,  and  Merry  Nellie 
by  Barcaldine  out  of  Gaiety. 

That  spirit,  which  to  such  an  eminent  degree  identi- 
fied the  senior  Mr.  Belmont  with  the  sporting  spirit  of 
his  age,  was  transmitted  to  all  his  sons,  as  well  as  to  the 


has  otherwise  been  active  in  sporting  affiiirs.  Mr. 
Oliver  H.  P.  Belmont  has  been  less  identified  with  racing 
than  with  other  sports,  having  been  most  conspicuous 
as  a  yachtsman.  He  is  a  graduate  from  the  Naval 
Academy,  at  Annapolis,  and  has  seen  active  service  as  a 
lieutenant.  He  has,  however,  maintained  a  deep  inter- 
est in  the  thoroughbred,  having  owned  several  good 
horses.  He  has  also  made  ventures  upon  the  English 
turf.  As  an  all  around  sportsman,  he  is  a  worthy  repre- 
sentative of  his  family. 


227 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


228 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


The  owner  of  the  Silver  Brook  Stud,  Mr.  Lucien  O. 
Appleby,  comes  naturally  by  his  interest  in  racing 
affairs.  His  predilection  for  sport  was  born  in  him, 
since  he  comes  of  an  English  family,  and  no  one  need 
even  be  reminded  of  the  Englishman's  natural  inclina- 
tion toward  sporting  in  its  best  manifestations.  It  is 
natural  to  expect  that  a  man  with  English  blood  in  his 
veins  should  show  an  exceptional  interest  in  the  thor- 
oughbred as  a  matter  of  inherited  national  pride,  if  noth- 
ing more,  and  Mr.  Ap- 
pleby may  be  cited  as 
another  striking  ex- 
ample of  the  truth  of 
this  proposition.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  Apple- 
by were  of  English 
origin.  His  father  and 
his  grandfather  were 
the  first  of  the  family 
to  come  to  this  coun- 
try, and  they  settled 
at  Smithfield,  R.  I., 
where  the  master  of 
the  Silverbrook  Stud 
was  born  April  i6, 
1842. 

Mr.  Appleby's  con- 
nection with  the  turt, 
however,  did  not 
commence  in  his  early 
years.  Otherbusiness 
occupations  engross- 
ed his  attention  and 
his  devotion  to  racing 
affairs  might  never 
have  been  brought 
about  had  it  not  been 
through  the  accident 
of  ill  health.  A  severe 
attack  of  pneumonia 
had  prostrated  him, 
and  his  physician  had 
earnestly  advised  him, 
as  a  measure  toward 
complete  restoration 
to  health,  to  seek 
some  outdoor  occu- 
pation, especially  suggesting  that  nothing  would  be 
more  advantageous  than  an  employment  that  should 
bring  him  more  or  less  into  association  with  horses. 
Mr.  Appleby  had  already  become  interested  in  the  noble 
animal,  principally  as  a  matter  of  recreation  and  of  indul- 
gence from  his  exacting  business  pursuits,  and,  there- 
fore, the  suggestion  of  his  physician  fell  upon  willing 


LUCIEN    O.   APPLEBY 

PROPRIETOR,    THE   SILVER    BROOK    STUD 


ears.  He  immediately  turned  his  attention  in  that  direc- 
tion and  engaged  in  his  new  pursuit  with  all  the  ardor 
that  had  hitherto  characterized  his  application  to  busi- 
ness. Naturally  influenced  by  his  New  England  associ- 
ations, his  fii'st  ventures  in  the  sporting  world  were  in 
connection  with  trotters,  for  as  is  well  known,  the 
trotter  has  always  maintained  his  superiority  over  the 
thoroughbred  in  public  estimation  in  that  section.  Mr. 
Appleby  purchased   several  good  animals  of  this  class 

and  for  three  years, 
from  1862  to  1865, 
devoted  himself  al- 
most exclusively  to 
them.  In  the  last  men- 
tioned year  he  became 
interested  in  the  thor- 
oughbred, with  whom 
he  has  since  been 
identified. 

After  several  years 
of  activity  in  various 
interests  connected 
with  the  running  turf 
he  became  the  owner 
of  the  Silver  Brook 
Stud,  which  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the 
most  successful  ot 
modern  breeding  es- 
tablishments in  the 
North.  The  property 
is  situated  at  Shrews- 
bury, N.  J.,  and  con- 
sists of  some  1 18  acres 
of  land.  The  appoint- 
ments of  the  place  are 
all  of  the  most  mod- 
ern description.  In 
the  stables  there  are 
some  65  box  stalls, 
while  the  paddocks 
are  exceptionally 
roomy  and  supplied 
with  running  water. 
Acquired  by  Mr.  Ap- 
pleby in  1890,  the 
Silver  Brook  property 
has  since  then  been  extensively  improved  and  devel- 
oped, and  as  it  now  stands  is  the  result  of  its  owner's 
long  experience  with  horses  and  his  complete  knowl- 
edge of  the  best  methods  that  have  been  devised  for  the 
care  and  successful  breeding  of  the  thoroughbred. 

Mr.  Appleby  has  a  wide  acquaintance  with  the  lead- 
ing men  of  the  contemporary  turf  and   is  himself  one  of 


229 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


230 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


those  who  are  best  known  to  the  general  public  in  con- 
nection therewith.  His  popularity  with  all  classes  is  un- 
bounded, and  he  possesses,  moreover,  the  reputation  of 
being  an  enthusiastic  sportsman,  which  is  shown  not 
only  by  the  scale  upon  which  his  breeding  interests  at 
Silver  Brook  are  conducted,  but  in  the  record  of  the  ani- 
mals that  have  carried  his  colors  on  the  track  or  that 
now  ornament  his  stud. 

The  horses  he  has  owned  include  such  valuable  per- 
formers as  Forrester,  Jack  of  Hearts,  Turco,  Knight  of 
Ellerslie,  Tristan,  Oneko,  Stockton,  Almy,  Diadem  and 
Carnation,  and  many  others  who  have  all  given  the  best 
account  of  themselves  in  racing.  At  the  head  of  the 
Silver  Brook  Stud  is  Knight  of  Ellerslie  and  Moss  Rose, 
the  sire  and  dam  of  Henry  of  Navarre,  the  acknowledged 
king  of  the  turf,  and  probably  one  of  the  best  horses 
ever  seen  in  the  country,  a  fact  that  invests  Knight  of 
Ellerslie  with  a  remarkable  degree  of  interest  for  all 
admirers  of  the  purest  and  most  perfect  type  of  the 
modern  running  horse.  This  notable  sire  is  a  chest- 
nut of  grand  conformation  and  was  foaled  in  1881. 
His  parentage  was  aristocratic,  he  being  by  Eolus  out  of 
Lizzie  Hazelwood  by  Scathlock.  Eolus  was  the  sire  of 
probably  as  many  high  class  race  horses  as  any  stallion  in 
the  country,  the  number  including  Eole,  Eon,  St.  Saviour, 
Elkwood,  Eurus,  Diablo,  Russell,  Morello,  Eolian  and 
other  equines.  On  the  dam's  side,  too,  the  record  tells  of 
families  that  were  both  speedy  and  productive.  His 
dam  threw  winners,  Charley  Dreux,  Thomasia,  Thorn- 
dale,  Chauncey  and  Unicorn,  while  his  second  dam  was 
the  famous  brood  mare  War  Song,  the  dam  of  Eole, 
Eon,  Eolist,  St.  Saviour,  Eolo  and  others. 

Knight  of  Ellerslie  maintained  the  high  standing  of 
his  descent.  He  won  the  Preakness,  the  Army  and 
Navy,  and  the  Vernal  Stakes,  and  a  number  of  other 
races,  and  ran  second  to  Panique  in  the  Belmont.  As  a 
sire,  however,  he  has  covered  himself  with  glory  through 
having  begotten  such  a  noble  animal  as  Henry  of 
Navarre,  the  winner  of  29  races  out  of  42  starts,  in 
which  he  was  unplaced  on  only  two  occasions,  while 
his  aggregate  winnings  in  four  seasons  footed  up 
$71,015.  It  is  to  be  observed,  however,  that,  overshad- 
owing as  the  fame  of  Henry  of  Navarre  is,  it  should  not 
cause  us  to  overlook  the  other  excellent  horses  whom 
his  worthy  sire  has  produced.  Knight  of  Ellerslie's  get 
include  such  winners  as  Herald,  J.  W.  Brooks,  Whist, 
Agnes  H.,  Ruth  Cleveland,  Hazel,  Knight,  Trump,  Sir 
Alfred,  EUsmere,  Ellerdie  Phaedra,  Knight  of  Honor, 
Silver  Brook,  Knight  of  the  Garter,  Enchanter,  Miss 
Prim,  Nearest,  The  Huguenot,  Sir  Knight,  Motor,  and 
others.  It  may,  indeed,  be  claimed  that  considering  his 
opportunities,  he  has  been  as  successful  a  sire  of  reliable 
animals  as  any  in  America. 

Moss  Rose,  the  dam   of  Henry  of  Navarre,  although 


only  one  of  the  twenty-four  matrons  at  Silver  Brook,  is 
well  entitled  to  the  distinction  she  enjoys  through  the 
fame  of  her  great  son.  She  was  foaled  in  1883  at  the  cel- 
ebrated Nursery  Stud,  and  was  by  imported  The  111- 
Used  out  of  Scarlett,  a  mare  that  on  the  side  of  her  dam 
combined  the  blood  of  imported  Glencoe  with  that  of 
Kentucky  and  his  father,  the  immortal  Lexington. 
Imported  The  lU-Used,  though  perhaps  not  favored  by 
Mr.  Belmont  to  the  same  extent  that  he  favored  others 
among  his  high  grade  stallions,  came  from  the  very  pick 
of  the  Old  World  horses,  being  by  Breadalbane  out  of 
Ellermire,  and  having  for  grandparents  that  remarkable 
sire  Stockwell  and  the  no  less  famous  brood  mare  Blink 
Bonny.  Moss  Rose's  sire,  in  fact,  represents  what  the 
English  turf  has  sagaciously  called  the  "  ready-money 
cross  "  in  its  perfection,  while  on  the  maternal  side  she 
belongs  to  the  family  which  gave  America  its  best 
horses  up  to  the  modern  development  of  scientific 
breeding.  Moss  Rose  also  foaled  Turk  I!.,  a  frequent 
winner,  and  has  produced  several  full  brothers  to  the 
great  Henry  of  Navarre,  of  whom  good  results  may  be 
expected.  The  Huguenot,  foaled  in  1895,  has  shown 
himself  to  be  a  very  high  class  colt. 

Tristan  is  another  stallion  who  is  sustaining  the  repu- 
tation of  the  Silver  Brook  establishment  by  his  achieve- 
ments in  the  stud.  Foaled  in  1885  at  the  Elmendorf  Stud, 
he  was  winner  of  the  Thistle  and  the  Average  Stakes, 
and  the  Metropolitan,  the  Algeria  and  the  Runnymede 
Handicaps.  Winning  in  all  17  races,  being  second  in  21 
and  third  in  8,  his  purses  and  stakes  during  his  brilliant 
career  aggregated  more  than  $32,000.  His  record  of  i 
minute,  ^\%  seconds,  for  ly'a  miles,  carrying  114 
pounds,  made  in  the  Metropolitan  Handicap,  when  he 
defeated  Tenny,  is  still  unbeaten.  Among  the  other 
rivals  whom  he  conquered  in  his  various  races  were 
Prince  Royal,  Tea  Tray,  Eurus,  Ambulance,  Reporter, 
Eric,  Oriflamme,  Torso,  Demuth,  Senorita,  Clarendon, 
Fitzjames,  Diablo,  Sir  Dixon,  Judge  Morrow,  Raceland, 
Los  Angeles,  Inspector  B.,  Tournament  and,  in  addition, 
a  long  list  of  other  horses  of  no  small  reputation. 
Tristan  is  by  imported  Glenelg,  the  sire  of  Firenze,  Los 
Angeles,  Dry  Monopole,  Monitor,  Louisette,  Post  Guard. 
Insolence,  Little  Minch  and  others  of  a  correspondingly 
high  quality. 

Tristan  is  the  sire  of  Governor  Griggs,  Monroe  Doc- 
trine, Trillo  and  others.  The  latter's  get  have  ap- 
peared on  the  track  only  since  1895.  Among  them 
are  Albanian,  winner  of  the  Bouquet  Stakes  at  Morris 
Park  in  1896,  and  several  other  horses  very  well 
regarded.  Tristan  still  has  many  years  of  usefulness 
before  him  in  the  stud,  and  it  will  be  Mr.  Appleby's 
constant  desire  that  the  mares  he  serves  shall  be 
of  a  grade  calculated  to  insure  successful  results  with 
the  product. 


231 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


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THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


As  a  type  of  the  modern  gentleman  devoted  to  high- 
class  sporting  matters,  Mr.  Augustus  Ciason  has  been 
conspicuous  tor  nearly  a  generation.  A  native  of  New 
York  City,  he  has  throughout  his  life  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  business  and  social  affairs  of  the 
metropolis.  Mr.  Ciason  is  descended  Iroin  an  old  Con- 
necticut family,  from  which  Clason's  Point  on  Long  Isl- 
and Sound  took  its  name.  He  was  born  in  New  York, 
May  4,  1845,  i"  the  house  of  his  grandfather,  Mr.  Reu- 
ben Withers.  Being  a  nephew  of  the  late  Mr.  D.  D. 
Withers,  Mr.  Ciason  came  naturally  by  his  interest  in 
thoroughbred  racing. 
His  uncle's  promi- 
nence in  racing  alTairs 
naturally  turned  his 
attention  in  that  di- 
rection, and  even  as 
a  boy  he  began  to 
give  attention  to  the 
performances  of  the 
blood  horse.  While 
little  more  than  a 
youth  he  became  a 
gentleman  rider,  and 
his  early  experiences 
included  a  personal 
participation  in  many 
noteworthy  events 
that  distinguished  the 
turf  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York  during  the 
decade  or  so  that 
immediately  followed 
the  close  of  the  Civil 
War.  One  of  his  par- 
ticular achievements 
in  this  period,  and  one 
that  was  long  remem- 
bered in  local  racing 
circles,  was  the  race 
that  he  won  in  the 
autumn  of  1875  on  Big 
Sandy,  one  of  the  good 
horses  of  that  time. 

The  love  of  the  turf 
that  thus  began  with 

Mr.  Ciason  in  his  early  years  has  never  forsaken 
him.  For  more  than  twenty  years  he  has  been 
one  of  the  prominent  representatives  of  the  gentle- 
men sportsmen  of  New  York,  whose  presence  and 
patronage  exercise  such  a  healthful  influence  on  the 
sport,  and  to  whom  the  contemporaneous  turt  is 
under  such  obligations  of  gratitude  for  its  present  high 
standing.     He   has   been   untiring  in    his   devotion    to 


racing,  and  although  he  has  had  common  experience 
with  all  other  turfmen  in  not  always  seeing  the  hoped-for 
success  crowning  his  efforts,  he  has  never  been  discour- 
aged, nor  has  he  abated  in  the  least  his  energetic  labors. 
The  spirit  that  animated  his  uncle  also  inspires  him,  and 
he  keeps  up  to  the  high  ideal  in  all  racing  affairs  that 
were  fixed  by  that  eminent  turfman.  Believing  that  no 
greater  service  can  be  rendered  to  the  cause  of  racing 
generally  than  by  an  intelligent  and  laborious  attention  to 
the  subject  of  breeding,  he  has  engaged  in  that  pursuit. 
Of  late  he  has  laid  the  substantial  foundation  for  a  breed- 
ing establishment  that 
has  already  had  a  very 
pronounced  influence 
through  several  of  the 
thoroughbreds  that  it 
has  produced,  and 
that  the  owner  is  de- 
termined shall  grow 
in  extent,  character 
and  usefulness. 

For  a  number  of 
years  Mr.  Ciason  was 
interested  in  agricul- 
tural enterprises,  and 
also  gave  attention  to 
the  breeding  of  trot- 
ting stock  and  mules. 
In  these  occupations 
he  was  eminently  suc- 
cessful, but  they  never 
engaged  his  undi- 
vided effort  as  has  the 
breeding'of  thorough- 
breds. To  the  latter 
pursuit  he  has  given 
a  great  deal  of  time, 
not  only  in  the  prac- 
tical management  of 
breeding  affairs,  but 
also  in  the  study  of 
breeding  methods.  At 
the  present  time  the 
Monmouth  Park  Stock 
Farm  at  Long  Branch 
is  foremost  among  his 
racing  interests  and  commands,  exclusively,  what- 
ever of  time  he  can  take  from  purely  commercial 
enterprises.  The  estate  comprises  some  40  acres  of 
pasture  and  arable  soil.  There  are  pleasant  turf 
memories  attached  to  it,  for  it  was  originally  the 
yearling  sales  stable  connected  with  the  Monmouth 
Park  Racing  Association.  Naturally,  it  became  iden- 
tified  with  Mr.    D.    D.    Withers.     As  a   matter  of  fact 


AUGUSTUS   CLASON 
PROPRIETOR,    MONMOUTH    PARK  STOCK   FARM 


235 


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it  was  an  adjunct  to  Mr.  Withers'  other  racing  enter- 
prises. Although  comparatively  small  in  e.xtent,  the 
Monmouth  Park  Stock  Farm  is  thoroughly  well  equipped, 
while  its  proximity  to  New  York  City  is  not  the  least 
important  element  in  its  attractiveness.  Its  stable  is  a 
commodious  structure,  410  feet  long  by  80  feet  wide, 
and  has  104  box  stalls.  In  connection  with  the  building 
there  is  also  an  exercise  track  that  is  a  fraction  over  five- 
eighths  of  a  mile.  The  stable  is  always  well  occupied, 
for  outside  horses  are  taken  to  board,  while  the  fact  that 
Mr.  Clason's  principal  stallion  Pactolus  is  available  to  the 
public  attracts  many  brood  mares  there  during  the  season. 

Pactolus  is  a  brown  horse,  who  was  bred  by  Mr. 
Withers,  and  was  highly  valued  by  him.  He  was  foaled 
in  1889.  His  sire  was  by  the  celebrated  Uncas,  own 
brother  to  Wanderer  by  Lexington.  The  dam  of  Uncas 
was  Coral  by  Vandal,  who  was  the  sire  of  such  noted 
thoroughbreds  as  Chieftain,  Sorcerer,  Laggard,  Dun- 
boyne  and  others.  Uncas  has  one  of  the  fastest  i  j4, 
miles  on  record,  2  minutes,  21^  seconds.  Cadence,  the 
dam  of  Pactolus,  was  also  the  dam  of  Orator,  Jack 
McDonald,  Trill,  Cascade,  and  other  good  ones.  She 
was  by  imported  Macaroon  out  of  imported  Castagnette, 
who  was  also  the  dam  of  Casino  and  others.  Castag- 
nette was  by  Marsyas,  son  of  Orlando  by  Touchstone, 
and  her  dam  was  Cachuca  by  Voltigeur,  who  was 
the  sire  of  imported  Billet,  Vedette,  the  sire  of  Galopin, 
Speculum  and  others.  Further  back  on  the  side  of  his 
dams,  Uncas  traced  to  Ayacanora  by  Birdcatcher;  Poca- 
hontas by  Glencoe,  who  was  the  dam  of  Stockwell, 
Rataplan,  King  Tom  and  others;  one  of  the  most  noted 
and  potent  racing  families  in  the  world  from  which,  in 
the  direct  female  line,  such  horses  as  Sir  Peter,  Tramp, 
Velocipede,  Vermouth,  Glaucus,  Flatcatcher,  Rayon 
D'Or,  Flying  Dutchman,  and  many  other  noted  ones, 
besides  those  already  referred  to,  have  been  descended. 

As  a  race  horse  Pactolus  had  a  first-class  reputation. 
As  a  two-year  old  he  won  the  Red  Bank  Stakes  at  Mon- 
mouth Park,  ^  of  a  mile,  in  i  minute,  16^  seconds, 
beating  a  good  field  of  colts.  He  then  won  the  Free 
Handicap  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park,  ^  of  a  mile,  in  i 
minute,  14  seconds,  upon  a  heavy  track  with  a  good 
field  behind  him.  Then  he  ran  second  in  the  Tyro 
Stakes,  beating  Fremont,  Airplant,  Hell  Gate  and  others, 
and  third  to  Merry  Monarch  and  Victory  in  the  Atlantic 
Stakes  at  Jerome  Park,  ^  of  a  mile,  in  i  minute,  18  sec- 
onds. As  a  three-year  old  he  won  the  Cape  May  Handi- 
cap, i}i  miles,  in  i  minute,  ^4j4  seconds;  the  Septem- 
ber Stakes,  i|4  miles,  and  the  Oriental  Handicap,  i}{ 
miles,  in  2  minutes,  1 1  seconds.  He  always  traveled  in 
good  company  and  in  this  year  defeated  such  first-class 
runners  as  Captain  Brown,  Fremont,  Westchester,  York- 
ville  Belle,  The  Pepper,  Pickpocket,  Lamplighter,  Fide- 
lio  and  Raceland. 


As  a  four-year  old  he  did  not  start,  but  as  a  five-year 
old  he  ran  second  to  Kingston  in  a  ^4  '""e  sweepstakes 
in  I  minute,  17  seconds,  beating  two  others;  won  a 
sweepstakes  ^4  of  a  mile,  in  i  minute,  17  seconds,  beat- 
ing My  Gyps,  Charade  and  three  others,  and  won  a 
purse,  Ji  of  a  mile,  in  i  minute,  33^4  seconds,  over  a 
heavy  track,  beating  four  others.  Since  1895,  he  has 
been  at  the  head  of  the  stud  at  the  Monmouth  Park 
Stock  Farm.  Besides  this  notable  sire  of  runners,  Mr. 
Clason  owns  the  following  brood  mares :  Blackey  by 
Warwick  out  of  Nana;  Golden  Phoebus  by  Bullion  out 
of  Scissors;  White  Label  by  Dry  Monopole  out  of  Ban 
Flag;  Stonenellie  by  Stonehenge  out  of  Nell;  Aria  by 
Ventilator  out  of  Pouch;  Blandona  by  Longfellow  out  of 
Blanche  J.;  Miss  Belmont  by  Prince  Royal  out  of  im- 
ported Heroine;  Heritiere  by  Sensation  out  of  Heiress; 
Nisquanona  by  Macaroni  out  of  War  Paint,  and  Syrinx 
by  Eolus  out  of  Lady  Grace.  The  last  mentioned  mare 
has  just  come  to  the  stud  from  her  racing  career. 

While  Mr.  Clason's  breeding  and  racing  stable  is  not 
large,  it  is  decidedly  select  in  its  composition  and  has 
done  well  on  the  race  course.  It  is  the  owner's  ambi- 
tion that  horses  of  his  own  breeding  shall  make  his 
colors  more  prominent  in  the  near  future  and  in  that  re- 
spect he  is  following  the  tradition  of  his  distinguished 
uncle.  His  string  in  1897  comprised  Leonore,  a  brown 
filly  by  Darebin  out  of  La  Favorita,  Syrinx  by  Eolus  out 
of  Lady  Grace,  a  beautiful  filly  by  Ludwig  out  of  Blan- 
dona, Cassette,  a  brown  filly  by  Uncas  out  of  Castalia, 
and  Alicia  by  Daniel  out  of  Lady  Alice.  Cassette  was 
the  main  dependence  of  the  stable  in  1896  and  again  in 
1897.  In  1896,  she  won  upward  of  $5,000  for  her  owner. 
In  1897  her  best  achievement  was  winning  the  Ford- 
ham  High  Weight  Handicap  for  two-year  olds  and 
upward  at  Morris  Park  in  October,  over  the  Withers 
mile.  She  carried  102  lbs.  and  was  ridden  by  Bergen, 
covering  the  course  in  i  minute,  43  seconds.  The  race 
was  won  driving  by  a  head,  with  Typhoon  II.  second 
and  Thomas  Cat  third. 

A  notable  figure  in  connection  with  Mr.  Clason's 
establishment  is  Mr.  William  H.  Antonidus.  Born  in 
Leedsville,  N.  j.,  in  1865,  he  entered  the  establishment 
of  Mr.  D.  D.  Withers  when  he  was  a  boy  of  eleven 
years  of  age.  There  he  remained  for  sixteen  years,  ad- 
vancing to  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  and  be- 
coming one  of  the  most  valuable  members  of  Mr. 
Withers'  staff.  Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Withers  it 
was  natural  for  him  to  transfer  his  allegiance  to  Mr. 
Clason,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  short  period, 
which  he  spent  with  Col.  Jacob  Ruppert,  Jr.,  and  Mr. 
Waller  Rollins,  he  has  maintained  his  connection  with 
Mr.  Clason  uninterruptedly.  For  five  years  he  has  been 
Mr.  Clason's  trainer  and  in  charge  of  the  breeding  estab- 
lishment. 


237 


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One  of  Kentucky's  most  celebrated  stud  farms  has 
been,  and  now  is,  the  McGrathiana.  It  consisted  orig- 
inally of  a  property  of  nearly  soo  acres,  located  about 
three  miles  from  Lexington  on  the  Newtown  Turnpike. 
Adjoining  the  Nursery  Farm  of  Mr.  August  Belmont,  it 
is  situated  in  what  may  well  be  called  the  heart  of  the 
blue  grass  region.  McGrathiana  was  founded  by  that 
well  known  and  lamented  turfman,  Mr.  Henry  Price 
McGrath,  from  whom  the  place  took  the  name  that  it 
has  retained  even  down  to  the  present  day.  In  the 
early  days  of  the  establishment  such  famous  racers  as 
Aristides,  Tom  Bowling,  Susan  Ann,  Aaron  Pennington, 
Chesapeake,  Calvin,  Leonard,  Thora  and  Passaic  were 
connected  with  it.  There  were  few  better  horses  in  his 
day  than  Tom  Bowling, 
who  beat  everything  in 
his  class,  while  Thora 
was  a  filly  that  has  never 
been  surpassed,  even  if 
equaled,  by  the  fastest 
of  her  sex  in  this  coun- 
try. The  fame  of  Mc- 
Grathiana  spread 
throughout  the  country, 
and  it  assumed  a  place 
in  the  breeding  world 
second  to  none  other 
of  its  kind.  The  grand 
old  mansion  of  the  estate 
with  its  massive  col- 
umns was  a  noted  archi- 
tectural structure,  and 
there  its  owner  delighted 
in  the  open  hand  of  hos- 
pitality. 

After  Mr.  McGrath  had 
passed  away,  the  farm 
was  purchased  by  Mr. 
Milton  Young,  and  from 
being  a  private  breeding 
establishment,  it  became 
a  high  class  public  stud, 

from  whence  some  of  the  most  famous  yearlings  oi 
the  last  decade  of  the  century  have  come  forth.  Mr. 
Young  is  a  native  Kentuckian,  having  been  born  in 
Union  County.  He  began  his  racing  experience  at 
an  early  age,  in  fact  long  before  he  had  passed  out  of 
his  teens,  and  has  risen  from  the  humblest  occupations 
connected  with  the  turf,  until  now  he  is  one  of  its  most 
important  factors  in  this  country.  Before  he  became 
the  owner  of  McGrathiana  he  was  well  known  on  the 
racing  field.  Such  horses  as  Beatitude,  Bancroft,  Boot- 
jack and  others  often  carried  his  blue  and  white  jacket 
to  the  front  in  many  a  hard  fought  contest,  East  and 


MILTON    YOUNG 

PROPRIETOR,    THE    McQRATHIANA   STUD 


West.  As  a  turfman  he  was  pre-eminently  successful 
and  had  the  happy  faculty  of  bringing  out  strong  horses 
at  very  opportune  times.  Many  of  the  fiimous  stakes  of 
the  American  turf  lell  to  him,  and  no  stables  represented 
upon  the  Eastern  courses  were  ever  more  popular  or 
achieved  a  greater  degree  of  merited  success.  In  one 
season  he  won  54  out  of  the  103  races  in  which  his 
stable  contested. 

As  master  of  McGrathiana,  he  not  only  succeeded  in 
maintaining  the  high  reputation  that  the  establishment 
had  acquired  under  his  predecessor,  but  has  even  added 
greater  distinction  to  it.  During  the  few  years  that  he 
has  given  his  attention  to  breeding,  he  has  attained  to  a 
position  in  that  particular  branch  of  turf  business  second 

to   none   other    of    this 
generation.    Nor  has  his 
success    been    achieved 
only  as  a  breeder.     He 
has  been  recognized  as 
one   of  the  leading  and 
most  influential  spirits  in 
the  racing  world  of  to- 
day,    especially    in   the 
South  and   West.     The 
high  esteem  in  which  he 
is  held  by  his  associates 
has      been      repeatedly 
shown   by   his   election 
to  office   in   connection 
with  turf  affairs  and  in 
the  dependence   that   is 
placed    upon   his   judg- 
ment in  the  many  diffi- 
cult questions  that  arise 
in   administration.     For 
several    years    he    was 
president  of  the  Western 
Turf  Congress  and  was 
also  president  of  that  rep- 
resentative racing  organ- 
ization,    the    Kentucky 
Association.   He  has  also 
been  called  upon  to  render  valuable  practical  assistance 
at  racing  meetings  as  presiding  judge  of  the  Cincinnati 
Jockey  Club  meetings  at  Oakley  Park  and  the  meetings 
of  the   Kentucky  Association   at   Louisville.     The  Mc- 
Grathiana farm  now  contains    1,050  acres  of  the   best 
blue  grass  pastures.     The  stables  and  other  accommoda- 
tions for  the  equine  guests  of  the  proprietor  are  of  the 
most  approved  character  and  contain  over 300  box  stalls. 
The  stallions  who  have  stood  at  McGrathiana  have 
included  some  of  the  most  famous  that  have  graced  the 
American  turf     Their  names  make  a  long  and  imposing 
list,  on  which  appear  such   notable  ones  as  Onondaga, 


243 


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THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Stnithmore,  Lamplighter,  Hanover,  Duke  of  Montrose, 
imported  Pirate  of  Penzance,  Sobranje,  Longstreet, 
Potomac,  imported  Rapture  and  many  otiiers.  I'oto- 
mac,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  one  of  the  best  sons  of 
the  great  St.  Blaise,  and  Sobranje  was  by  imported  Mor- 
temer  out  of  Spinaway.  As  famous  as  any  one  in  this 
lot  is  Onondaga,  who  still  stands  in  service,  handed 
down  to  the  present  owner  from  his  former  proprietor. 
Onondaga  has  had  a  sensational  career.  As  a  race  horse 
he  ranked  in  the  first  class,  as  the  sketch  of  his  life, 
which  we  have  elsewhere  given,  clearly  demonstrates. 
During  the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  has  been  afflicted 
with  blindness,  as  was  the  great  Lexington  before  him, 
yet  he  has  maintained  his  usual  spirit  and  gameness.  In 
fact,  he  has  acquired  a  considerable  reputation  for 
viciousness.  At  times  in  his  life  it  has  been  found 
necessary  to  enclose  him  in  stoutly  protected  paddocks, 
while  it  has  been  scarcely  safe  for  any  one  to  approach 
him,  save  his  owner  and  familiar  attendants.  His  suc- 
cess in  the  stud  has  been  not  less  notable  than  his  career 
on  the  race  course,  and  through  his  famous  progeny  he 
has  transmitted  to  contemporaneous  thoroughbreds 
some  of  the  best  qualities  of  his  sire,  imported  Leaming- 
ton, and  other  noted  ancestors.  In  one  year  alone,  1891, 
when  he  headed  the  list  of  winning  sires  at  McGrathiana, 
he  was  represented  by  60  performers,  first  among  whom 
was  Curt  Gunn,  others  being  Busteed,  Ambulance, 
Chimes,  Portlaw,  Oregon,  Once  Again,  Patti  Rosa,  On 
the  Lea,  Orinoco,  L.  J.  Knight  and  others. 

For  several  years  Strathmore,  previous  to  his  death, 
stood  at  the  head  of  the  McGrathiana  stud.  In  a  single 
season  the  son  of  Waverly  leaped  into  prominence  and 
took  a  foremost  place  as  one  of  the  best  sires  of  the 
period.  To  have  two  such  great  colts  as  Strathmeath 
and  Balgowan  in  his  first  season  was  the  making  of  the 
reputation  of  Strathmore,  a  reputation  that  has  steadily 
increased  as  the  years  have  gone  by.  Duke  of  Montrose 
was  for  a  long  time  one  of  the  successful  stallions  of  the 
McGrathiana.  He  was  by  Waverly  out  of  Kelpie  by  im- 
ported Bonnie  Scotland.  His  sire  was  a  son  of  imported 
AustraHan  and  imported  Cicily  Jopson  by  Weatherbit. 
Through  Kelpie  he  traced  to  the  celebrated  Levity 
family,  and  thus  belongs  to  a  family  that  has  produced 
more  winners  than  any  in  the  Stud  Book.  As  a  sire  he 
has  established  a  great  name  for  himself,  being  the  sire 
of  Montrose  (winner  of  the  Kentucky  Derby),  and  other 
important  races;  Linlithgow,  Retrieve,  Promenade, 
Spinalong,  Monterey,  Skedaddle,  Pocahontas,  Howard 
Mann  and  more  than  a  score  of  other  good  ones. 

Imported  Pirate  of  Penzance,  who  was  foaled  in  1882, 
has  long  been  another  of  the  successful  stallions  of  this 
stud.  He  was  the  son  of  imported  Prince  Charlie,  who 
was  by  Blair  Athol  out  of  Eastern  Princess  by  Surplice. 
The  dam  of  Pirate  of  Penzance  was  Plunder  by  Bucca- 


neer. She  was  a  winner  and  the  dam  of  Pillage,  Maid 
Marian,  Warren  Hastings  and  Lord  Clive.  The  dam  of 
Plunder  was  a  sister  to  v^gis  by  Defence,  and  out  of 
Soldier's  Joy  by  The  Colonel,  and  the  pedigree  goes 
back  through  Galatea  by  Amadis,  Paulina  by  Sir  Peter 
and  Pewet  by  Tandem,  to  a  mare  by  Bustler.  Pirate  of 
Penzance  was  a  winner  in  his  two,  three,  four  and  five- 
year  old  forms.  As  a  sire,  he  has  produced  Bandit, 
Pirate  King,  Bob  Carter,  Lucy  Belle,  Dawn,  Penzance, 
Flushing,  Joe  Clark,  Rondo,  Kenstons  and  numerous 
other  good  ones. 

A  first-class  race  horse,  Macduff,  by  imported  Maca- 
roon, son  of  Macaroni  and  Songstress  by  Chanticleer, 
has  also  been  a  successful  sire.  His  dam  was  Jersey 
Lass  by  imported  King  Ernest;  she  was  the  dam  of 
Ayrshire  Lass,  Umilta,  Ellen  H.,  Sapphire  and  others. 
His  grandam  was  Jersey  Belle  by  imported  Australian, 
and  the  dam  of  Favorite,  Macbeth,  Kingcraft  and  others. 
His  great-grandam  was  Aerolite  by  Lexington,  she  being 
also  the  dam  of  Fellowcraft,  Rutherford,  Spendthrift, 
Miser  and  others.  Macduff  was  the  winner  of  the 
Champagne  Stakes  as  a  two-year  old,  and  in  his  three- 
year  old  form  won  three  races,  after  which  he  was 
placed  in  the  stud.  His  get  have  included  Adelbert, 
Macbeth  II.,  who  won  the  Kentucky  Derby ;  Dollikins,  a 
good  stake  winner;  Dundee,  Harrison,  Preakness  Lass, 
Dunbarton,  Ruby  Royal,  Kentucky  Lady,  Charter  Oak 
and  many  others. 

That  excellent  race  horse.  Favor,  was  long  held  in 
high  esteem  by  Mr.  Young.  He  was  a  compact  and 
sturdy  son  of  Pat  Malloy,  and  much  resembled  his  grand- 
sire,  the  immortal  Lexington.  Imported  Woodlands 
was  one  of  the  earlier  inmates  of  the  McGrathiana  Stud. 
He  was  a  good  horse  of  the  typical  English  thorough- 
bred style.  He  gave  to  the  turf  that  clever  racer  Cracks- 
man, and  also  Servitor,  who  was  a  very  good  colt.  He 
was  also  the  sire  of  the  excellent  filly  Innovation.  Mr. 
Young  has  also  had  imported  Simple  Simon,  imported 
Fortissimo,  imported  Pessara,  and  imported  White 
Jacket.  Three  other  good  American  stallions  have  been 
bred  to  his  mares.  First,  there  is  Fonso.who  was  a  first- 
class  race  horse  and  a  winner  of  the  Kentucky  Derby, 
the  Phoenix  Hotel  Stakes,  and  other  important  races. 
The  get  of  Fonso  includes  Ben  Eder,  Appomattox,  Fore- 
runner, Forest  Belle,  Freedom,  Contest,  Prince  Henry 
and  numerous  others.  With  him  has  also  been  Trouba- 
dour, one  of  the  best  horses  that  has  run  in  this  decade, 
the  winner  of  the  Suburban,  Sensation,  Criterion,  St. 
Louis,  St.  Leger,  Ocean  and  Monmouth  Cup,  a  special 
match  with  Miss  Woodford,  and  many  other  races.  As 
a  sire,  he  will  be  remembered  for  such  distinguished  get 
as  La  Cigale,  Daily  America,  Lookout,  Too  Quick,  Port- 
ugal and  others.  The  third  of  this  remarkable  trio  of 
sires  is  George  Kinney,  who  won  the  Flash,  Tennessee, 


245 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Kentucky,  Saratoga,  Hopeful,  July  Withers,  Belmont, 
Jerome,  Lorillard,  Kenner,  Dixie,  Breckenridge,  and 
numerous  other  races.  He  is  the  sire  of  Flyaway,  Lilly 
Kenney,  Greyson,  Blossom,  Jack  Martin,  Crusader, 
Jvletropole,  and  numerous  others. 

The  get  of  the  stallions  who  have  stood  in  the 
McGrathiana  Stud  have  been  pre-eminently  successful. 
The  first  two-year  olds  of  Hanover  came  out  in  1894, 
and  the  winners  from  among  them  reached  the  unprece- 
dented number  of  twenty-one.  That  year  his  get  won 
$65,175,  and  in  1895,  1896  and  1897  he  stood  at  the  head 
of  the  winning  sires,  in  1895,  he  had  fifteen  two-year 
old  winners,  in   1896,  nine,  and  in   1897,  nineteen.     In 

1895,  his  get  won  $106,005;  in  1896,  $84,745,  and  in 
1897,  $116,140.  Strathmore  had  two-year  old  winners 
as  follows:  in  1893,  seven;  in  1894,  six;  in  1895,  twelve; 
in  1896,  ten,  and  in  1897,  fourteen,  in  1893,  his  get  won 
$52,879;  in  1894,  $41,914;  in  1895,  $45,445;  in  1896, 
$52,353;  in  1897,  $33,614.  The  get  of  Onondaga  have 
been  as  eminently  successful  as  those  of  any  other  stal- 
lion in  modern  times.  In  1889,  they  won  $55, 155;  in  1890 
over $51, 000;  in  1892,  $107,500;  in  1893,  $100,054,  and  in 
1894,  $58,079.  Up  to  January,  1898,  they  had  won  over 
$600,000.  The  get  of  the  Duke  of  Montrose  won,  in 
1893,  158,316;   in    1894,  $56,320;    in  1895,  $25,750;    in 

1896,  $18,512,  and  in  1897,  $25,184.  In  1893,  he  had  six 
two-year  old  winners;  in  1894,  five;  in  1895,  six,  andin 
1896,  one.  Lamplighter  made  his  first  season  in  1896, 
and  his  first  yearlings,  who  were  by  Belle  of  the  High- 
lands, Glidaga,  Hair  Belle,  Lida  Stanhope  and  Princess 
Lorraine,  were  ready  for  sale  in  the  season  of  1898.  The 
first  offspring  of  imported  Pirate  of  Penzance  came  out  in 
1893,  when  ten  of  them  were  in  the  winning  two-year 
old  class.  In  1895,  he  had  twelve  two-year  old  winners, 
in  1896,  ten,  and  in  1897  eight.  The  winnings  of  his  get 
amounted  to  $19,980  in  1893,  and  ran  up  to  $40,034  in 
1896,  and  $44,999  in  1897.  In  1895,  the  get  of  Macduff 
won  §19,315;  in  1896,  $8,445,  and  in  1897,  $13,034. 
Early  in  the  season  of  1898  Satsuma  alone  won  $8,000. 

Among  the  many  celebrated  dams  of  the  McGrathiana 
have  been  several  who  have  been  identified  with  the 
establishment,  both  under  the  administration  of  its 
founder  and  also  of  its  present  proprietor,  while  others 
have  only  been  inmates  of  its  stables  during  the  regime 
of  Mr.  Young.  Prominent  among  the  former  have  been 
Maria  by  imported  Bonnie  Scotland,  the  dam  of  Once 
Again  and  of  Ambulance,  both  by  Onondaga,  Patti,  the 
dam  of  Montrose,  Reprieve  and  Promenade;  Perhaps, 
the  dam  of  Dilemma,  Chance,  Doubt  and  Reckon;  Beati- 
tude, the  dam  of  Bootblack  and  Blessing;  Sophronia,  the 
dam  of  Curt  Gunn,  and  Nellie  Booker,  the  dam  of  Ten 
Booker,  Oarsman,  Bootmaker  and  The  Sheriff.  These 
and  many  others  have  passed  away  into  the  heaven  of 
all  good  thoroughbreds.     To-day  their  successors  are  a 


half  hundred  in  number,  all  of  them  of  distinguished 
lineage,  while  many  of  them  have  done  good  service, 
both  on  the  race  course  and  in  the  stud.  A  description 
of  a  tew  of  these  representative  matrons  and  a  setting 
forth  of  their  royal  descent  will  be  found  interesting, 
especially  as  giving  a  good  idea  of  the  general  character 
of  Mr.  Young's  establishment. 

Keepsake,  who  was  by  Onondaga,  is  the  dam  of  Val- 
kyrie and  Toby  Smith.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Kelp, 
who  was  by  imported  Strachino.  Her  dam  was  a  win- 
ner and  the  dam  of  Onaway,  Luella  B.,  Ondawa,  Up- 
ward, Sloe  and  Kempie.  The  dam  of  Kelp  was  Kelpie 
by  imported  Bonnie  Scotland;  she  was  the  dam  of  Ova- 
tion, Overture,  Janet,  Duke  of  Montrose,  Annette,  As- 
trakhan and  Miss  Austine.  The  dam  of  Kelpie  was  a 
sister  to  Ruric  by  imported  Sovereign,  and  the  dam  of 
the  sister  to  Ruric  was  the  famous  Levity  by  imported 
Trustee.  Another  of  the  McGrathiana  matrons  is  Dilem- 
ma by  Onondaga  out  of  Perhaps,  who  was  by  imported 
Australian  and  the  dam  of  Perplex,  Reckon,  Chance, 
Hardly,  Doubt,  Probability  and  others.  The  dam  of 
Perhaps  was  Mishap  by  imported  Knight  of  St.  George 
and  her  grandam  was  Lorette  by  imported  Sovereign. 
Mishap  was  the  dam  of  Crockford,  Misfortune,  Misdeal, 
Sophy  and  others,  while  Lorette  was  a  winner  and  the 
dam  of  Scharette  and  others. 

Flying  Witch  by  Duke  of  Montrose  is  the  dam  of  Eu- 
lalia.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Ten  Witcn  ('lister  to  Car- 
dinal McCloskey),  who  was  by  Ten  Broeck  out  of  Wa- 
terwitch  by  Asteroid.  The  dam  of  Waterwitch  was  im- 
ported Weatherwitch  by  Weatherbit;  she  was  the  dam 
of  Fonso,  Little  Mack,  Weathercock,  Witchcraft  and 
others.  Miss  Baden,  who  has  been  bred  to  Hanover,  is 
a  half  sister  to  Heleva,  who  was  the  dam  of  Pocahontas 
and  Ethelinda,  both  of  whom  have  been  good  winners. 
She  is  by  Baden  Baden;  her  dam  Heva  was  by  imported 
.Mortemer  and  a  winner  and  half-sister  to  the  game 
McWhirter.  The  dam  of  Heva  was  Ontario  by  im- 
ported Bonnie  Scotland.  She  was  a  capital  winner  and 
the  dam  of  such  good  ones  as  Kilburn,  McWhirter, 
Lizzie  McWhirter,  Hercules,  Hypasia,  Rancocas  and 
McKeever. 

Space  will  admit  only  of  the  merest  mention  of  some 
of  the  other  fine  matrons  of  the  McGrathiana  Stud.  The 
list  includes  Philura  by  Jils  Johnson,  out  of  Zelica  by 
Virgil,  her  dam  being  Asia  by  imported  Australian;  Jer- 
sey Girl  by  imported  King  Ernest  out  of  Jersey  Belle  by 
imported  Australian;  imported  King  Cup  by  Kingcraft 
out  of  Nutbeam  by  Lord  of  the  Isles;  Astrakhan  by 
Strathmore  out  of  Kelpie  by  imported  Bonnie  Scotland; 
Vera  by  King  Alfonso  out  of  Veritas  by  Lexington;  Ex- 
pectation by  Hindoo  out  of  Sophronia  by  Ten  Broeck; 
La  Juive  by  imported  Mortemer  out  of  Judith  by  im- 
ported Glenelg,  the  dam  of  Judith  being  Madam  Dudley 


246 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


by  Lexington  out  of  imported  Britannia;  Princess  Lor- 
raine by  Iroquois  out  of  Bric-a-brac  by  imported  Bonnie 
Scotland;  Hxtra  by  Duke  of  Montrose  out  of  Lizzie  S.  by 
Wanderer,  and  descended  from  Leamington,  Lexington, 
Giencoe,  Levity,  Trustee  and  Tranby  and  many  others  of 
early  distinction. 

Thoroughly  practical  in  all  his  ideas,  Mr.  Young  gives 
to  McGrathiana  the  benefit  of  long  experience  and  of 
careful  study  of  thoroughbred  pedigrees  and  capabilities. 
His  clear  judgment  of  the  good  qualities  of  the  horses 
that  come  under  his  eye  has  given  him  unusual  success, 
and  there  are  few  men  in  the  business  who  so  rarely 
make  mistakes  in  their  breeding  operations.  He  is  in  no 
sense  a  theorist,  or  a  believer  in  the  favorable  possibili- 
ties of  chance.  He  studies  everything  carefully,  gives 
the  closest  attention  to  all  the  points,  good  and  bad,  of 
the  horses  that  he  brings  together,  and  is  not  often  at 
fault  in  divining  the  results.  His  motto  has  always 
been  "  To  produce  the  best,  breed  the  best  together," 
and  he  has  adhered  steadfastly  to  this  principle,  which 
may  be  fairly  considered  as  one  of  the  fundamental 
causes  of  his  success.  Sometimes  he  has  apparently 
departed  from  this  rigid  rule,  but,  after  all,  the  departure 
has  been  more  apparent  than  real.  Two  instances  in 
particular  are  cited  as  bearing  upon  this  point. 

Mr.  Young  owned  and  trained  the  mare  Patti.  She 
was  raised  in  Illinois  and  not  broken  until  she  was  two 
years  old,  and  it  was  then  only  with  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty that  she  could  be  shod.  Her  owner  was  afraid  to 
stint  her  to  Onondaga,  for  fear  of  possible  injury  to  that 
valuable  stallion.  So  he  resolved  to  play  for  lower 
stakes  and  bred  the  mare  to  Duke  of  Montrose,  for  which 
horse  he  had  at  that  time  less  regard  than  he  afterward 
acquired  for  him.  The  ultimate  result  of  this  almost 
haphazard  union  was  Retrieve,  Montrose  and  Monterey. 
Here  then  was,  as  Mr.  Young  has  claimed,  a  complete  ex- 
emplification of  the  value  of  his  theory,  for  he  holds  that 
the  union  of  Duke  of  Montrose  and  Patti  was  most  cer- 
tainly an  instance  of  breeding  the  best  together,  even 
though,  at  the  time,  the  good  quality  of  the  Duke  of 
Montrose  may  not  have  been  fully  apparent. 

Another  instance  in  Mr.  Young's  career  still  further 
illustrates  this  point.  For  two  seasons  Flower  of  Meath 
was  bred  to  Onondaga,  but  without  success.  The 
master  of  McGrathiana  was  now  face  to  face  with  the 
possibility  that  the  mare  might  never  be  of  any  value  to 
him  and  he  decided  that  it  was  inadvisable  to  further 
sacrifice. the  services  of  so  valuable  an  animal  as  Onon- 
daga, a  horse  whose  merit  had  by  this  time  become 
known  to  the  racing  world.  With  his  practical  way 
of  looking  at  matters,  he  concluded  to  try  Strathmore 
with  Flower  of  Meath,  since  Strathmore,  notwithstand- 
ing his  good  promise,  was  as  yel  an  unknown  quantity 
and  might  never  be  worth  anything.     The  result  of  this 


union  was  Strathmeath,  one  of  the  very  best  two-year 
olds  of  1890. 

Referring  to  this  experience  on  one  occasion,  Mr. 
Young  said:  "These  two  incidents  only  go  to  prove 
my  theory  that  you  must  breed  the  best  to  the  best  in 
order  to  procure  a  race  horse.  No  man  can  control  or 
change  the  laws  of  nature.  The  shrewdest  and  most 
successful  breeder  in  the  world  was  Lord  Falmouth. 
Look  at  the  results  he  achieved  by  breeding  the  best  to 
the  best;  and  his  method  has  succeeded  fully  as  well  with 
other  breeders  who  followed  his  lead.  1  myself  believe 
in  breeding  for  the  market.  Breeders  cannot  afford  to  ex- 
periment or  theorize;  the  world  doesn't  stop  while  they 
sit  down  to  figure  out  their  theories,  and  they  are  liable 
to  be  left  at  the  post.  If  I  owned  the  Oaks  winner  in 
England  and  also  her  own  sister,  do  you  know  what  I 
should  do  ?  Well,  I  should  breed  the  Oaks  winner  to 
the  Derby  winner,  if  I  could  get  him,  and  sell  the 
sister." 

Several  years  ago  Mr.  Young  was  asked  whether  he 
did  not  believe  that  chance  figures  largely  in  the  pur- 
chasing and  owning  of  thoroughbreds.  There  was  a 
good  deal  of  philosophy  and  more  of  solid  experience  in 
his  answer,  which  probably  holds  as  good  now  as  when 
it  was  given.  His  reply  was,  "  It  does  and  it  does  not, 
and  I  am  going  to  explain  what  I  mean  by  relating  a  lit- 
tle incident  which  dates  as  far  back  as  my  yearling  sale 
of  1889.  You  know  Early  Blossom  was  sold  in  my  lot 
hat  year,  and  when  she  was  led  into  the  ring  I  asked 
Mr.  Easton  to  give  it  out  on  my  authority  that  the  filly 
was  a  confirmed  cribber.  The  consequence  was  that 
she  brought  only  $300,  and  Jim  McCormick  got  her. 
Well,  shortly  after  she  was  cut  down  in  1890,  I  met 
Mr.  McCormick  and  told  him  1  regretted  the  accident, 
adding  that  Early  Blossom  had  certainly  served  him 
well.  'Yes,'  he  said,  '1  only  bought  the  filly  because 
you  had  it  announced  that  she  was  a  cribber,  and 
because  1  have  had  great  success  with  cribbers.'  Now, 
would  you  say  that  Mr.  McCormick  was  favored  only 
by  chance  with  Early  Blossom  ?  What  he  said  was  very 
gratifying,  indeed,  to  me,  for  it  bore  out  my  interpreta- 
tion of  what  the  breeder  and  seller  owes  the  public.  He 
must  leave  nothing  to  be  understood.  Every  defect, 
however  trifling,  should  be  brought  out  before  the  sale 
is  made  or  bidding  has  begun.  Now,  on  the  other 
hand,  in  order  to  show  you  that  there  are  two  sides  to 
every  question,  and  which,  when  joined  together,  make 
but  one  in  reality,  so  far  as  the  honest  seller  is  con- 
cerned, when  Strathmeath  was  put  up  for  sale,  1  got  Mr. 
Easton  to  announce  that  1  would  bet  $5,000  the  colt 
would  win  more  money  than  any  other  sold,  or  to  be 
sold,  that  could  be  named.  So  you  see  that  both  Early 
Blossom  and  Strathmeath  turned  out  very  well  for 
my  announcements." 


247 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


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R    AMERICAN     TURF 


A  veteran  turfman.  Mr.  Samuel  Trowbridge  has  enjoyed 
an  eXLeptionally  wide  experience,  Jieing  a  successful 
owner,  a  trainer  of  I'eputation  and  a  breedei'  of 
thoroughbieds  upon  advanced  modern  principles.  He 
was  born  in  1844.  near  Newport,  Vermillion  County, 
Ind.,  and  fiom  his  earliest  years  was  familiar  with 
horses  and  imbibed  a  knowledge  of  the  two  great 
arts  of  breeding  and  training.  He  had  already  attained 
a  mastery  of  the  subject  when  in  1871  he  formally 
adopted  the  turf  as  the  object  of  his  life  business, 
beginning  with  a  string  of  horses  which  he  had 
carefully  trained  and  which  he  raced  at  the  Western  and 
Southern  tracks,  winning  many  purses  and  stakes.  From 
that  time  forward  he  has  been  prominent  among  the 
owners  of  the  country  and  his  stable  colors,  pink  jacket 
and  cap,  are  emblems  of  many  well  deserved  victories  at 
all  the  great  courses  of  the  country. 

In  reviving  quarter  racing  particularly  he  not  only  made 
a  great  reputation  in  the  turf  world,  but  was  strik- 
ingly successful,  winning  nearly  every  one  in  which  he 
engaged.  Indeed,  he  has  made  some  of  the  greatest 
matches  of  this  character  ever  seen  in  this  country,  either 
as  to  the  amount  of  the  stakes  or  the  quality  of  the  horses 
engaged  in  them.  In  the  class  of  contests  just  referred 
to,  as  well  as  in  his  entire  career  upon  the  turf,  he  has 
been  noted  for  the  boldness  and  magnitude  of  his  oper- 
ations and  his  sportsmanlike  attitude  under  all  circum- 
stances. The  confidence  with  which  he  acts  is,  however, 
based  largely  upon  his  unrivaled  knowledge  of  horses 
and  of  their  preparation.  He  gives  his  own  careful  atten- 
tion to  the  training  of  the  four-footed  favorites  that  bear 
his  colors,  and  the  principal  credit  for  the  performances 
of  the  horses  in  his  stable  that  have  been  victorious  on 
so  many  interesting  occasions  is  unquestionably  due  to 
his  personal  skill  in  directing  their  training.  At  the  same  ■ 
time,  he  has  also  surrounded  himself  with  a  capable  corps 
of  lieutenants,  whose  work  admirably  supplements  the 
effoits  and  excellent  judgment  of  their  employer.  As  a 
breeder  Mr.  Trowbridge  has  been  conspicuously  success- 
ful. To  a  profound  knowledge  of  the  underlying  prin- 
ciples of  breeding  he  adds  a  sagacious  liberality  and  a 
constant  desire  to  improve  his  facilities.  He  has  ever 
been  on  the  lookout  for  available  material  for  his  stud, 
one  of  his  most  notable  purchases  having  been  made  in 
1885,  when  he  secured  the  stallion  Alinade,  which,  with 
the  addition  of  some  choice  brood  mares  of  high  breed- 
ing, raised  his  establishment  to  the  rank  of  one  of  the 
most  important  in  the  North. 

Mr.  Trowbridge's  establishment  at  Belle  Mead,  N.  J., 
is  most  advantageously  situated  in  respect  to  the  spe- 
cially important  primary  requisites  of  climate,  soil  and 
water.  The  stables  are  of  modern  construction  and 
contain  accommodations  for  100  head  of  horses,  while 
all    the    necessary   outbuildings,    the    cottages    for    the 


help,  and  so  on,  are  ample  in  proportions,  and  are  main- 
tained in  perfect  condition.  Truly  scientific  principles  in 
breeding  govern  the  conduct  of  this  stud,  and  many  of  Mr. 
Trowbridge's  methods  are  original  ideas  of  his  own. 
Of  the  noted  animals  which  have  found  their  home  in 
Mr.  Trowbridge's  establishment  the  first  place  must  be 
given  to  the  stallions,  which  include  such  well-known 
sires  as  OKema  by  Reform  out  of  Maggie  B  B  ,and  Dou 
Jose.  From  a  breeder's  standpoint  the  mares  are  all  that 
could  be  desired.  The  list  includes  such  dams  as  imported 
Nightingale,  imported  Cressid,  imported  Ochone,  Juliet 
M,  Hattie  Trowbridge,  Goldie,  Ada  Lambert  (the  dam  of 
Queenie  Trowbridge,  Capulin,  Florence  and  King  Sam), 
Sarah  Hall,  Murt,  Chickory  and  many  others. 

In  the  quality  and  the  performances  of  the  animals  it 
has  foaled,  the  Trowbridge  farm  does  not  yield  to 
many  similar  establishments  in  America.  Only  a  par- 
tial list  can  be  given,  but  it  contains  the  names  of 
horses  that  have  made  their  mark  on  the  history  of  the 
turf.  Among  them  are  dueenie  Trowbridge,  who  as  a 
four-year  old  won  $100,000  for  her  owner  in  one  race, 
and  made  a  record  on  which  any  breeder  might  well  afford 
to  pride  himself.  Others  of  note  which  first  saw  the 
light  here  are  Al  Orth,  Jack  Allen,  dueen  Mab,  Florence, 
Lady  Mary,  King  Sam,  Maudie  Trowbridge,  No  Remark 
and  a  considerable  number  of  other  horses  which  have 
developed  into  satisfactory  winners  and  performers  of 
more  than  ordinary  merit.  At  the  same  time  it  must  be 
noted  that  Mr.  Trowbridge  does  not  belong  to  the  class 
of  horsemen  who  are  satisfied  with  their  possessions. 
On  the  contrary,  he  is  a  close  student  of  the  performance 
of  horses,  the  characteristics  developed  by  various  strains 
and  is  a  judicious  purchaser  of  blooded  stock  from  other 
establishments  for  the  purpose  not  only  of  enriching  his 
breeding  stud,  but  of  reinforcing  his  racing  stable. 

It  has  often  been  said  by  the  numerous  friends  and  ad- 
mirers of  Mr.  Trowbridge  that  everything  he  touches 
turns  to  success.  This  would  indeed  be  the  impression 
derived  from  a  survey  of  his  record  during  the  quarter  of 
a  century  that  he  has  been  identified  with  the  racing 
world  and  the  breeding  of  the  thoroughbred  horse.  In 
fact,  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  brief  space  at  our  com- 
mand restricts  the  account  of  a  career  that  has  been  filled 
with  interesting  and  even  exciting  details.  Mr.  Trow- 
bridge has  been  a  factor  in  American  racing  so  long  and 
has  been  identified  with  events  of  such  importance  in 
this  connection  that  his  full  history  would  give  reniinis- 
cences  of  nearly  all  the  notabilities,  human  and  equine, 
that  our  turf  has  seen  for  nearly  a  generation.  It  can  only 
be  said  here  that  throughout  his  career  he  has  ever 
exhibited  a  conservatism  that  has  been  a  valuable  assist- 
ance in  his  success,  and  that  he  has  always  preserved  his 
position  by  a  strict  adherence  to  legitimate  methods,  while 
his  integrity  has  been  ever  proverbial. 


249 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


250 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


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251 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


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252 


IR     AMERICAN     TURF 


Cominii'  from  a  Wl'sIciii  lamily  Uiat  lor  scvLTal  gen- 
erations   has    been    conspicuously  identified  witii    race 
iiorses,  Mr.  H.  Eugene  Leigh  lias  been   one  of  tlie  most 
notable  figures  upon  tiie  turf  in  recent  years.     He  was 
born  at  Taylorsville,  Ciiristian  County,   ill.,  August  25, 
i860.     Central  and  Southern  Illinois   has   always   been 
noted  as  a  great  horse  section   of  the  country  and   has 
held  an  interest  in  racing  from  the  time  of  its  earliest 
settlement.     It   is    near   enough   to    Kentucky  to   have 
early  felt  the  turf  influence  emanating  from  that  home  of 
the  thoroughbred.  Qiiar- 
ter  racing  was  one  of  the 
common  forms  of  sport 
thereabouts,    and   for   a 
generation  or  more  was 
quite    as    popular  as  it 
ever  was  in   the  South 
in  the  old  colonial  days. 
Speedy    animals,    espe- 
cially  trained   for    such 
short  contests,  were  held 
in  high  favor,  and  races 
between    them    were    a 
favorite    local    pastime. 
Everybody  indulged   in 
these  sports,  and  it  was 
the  height  of  the  ambi- 
tion of  every  youngster, 
as  soon  as  he  was  able 
to  maintain  his  seat  on  a 
horse,  to  have  a  mount. 

Before  he  had  fully 
entered  his  teens,  Mr. 
Leigh  had  achieved  a 
substantial  reputation  as 
a  rider.  He  had  a  nat- 
ural gift  for  horses  and 
from  his  constant  asso- 
ciation with  them  ac- 
quired a  knowledge 
more  full  and  more  re- 
liable than  it  is  the  for- 
tune of  many  men  to 
have  even  through  a 
long  lifetime.  At  an  age 
when  most  boys  are  studying  their  primers  he  made  his 
first  start  in  trading  horses,  and  when  he  was  only 
twelve  years  of  age,  such  was  the  confidence  placed  in 
his  ability  and  good  judgment  that  his  father,  who  was 
an  extensive  dealer,  sent  him  all  the  way  from  Illinois 
to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  with  a  string  of  horses  to  sell.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  he  was  fully  successful  in  executing 
this  commission. 

In  1873,  when  he  was  only  thirteen  vears  of  age,  Mr. 


H.    EUGENE    LEIGH 


Leigh  entered  upon  his  racing  experience.  He  started 
at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  being  engaged  as  exercise  boy 
for  Mr.  William  Emmet,  and  the  experience  gained  in 
this  and  similar  positions  that  he  occupied  for  a  year  or 
two  undoubtedly  gave  him  a  substantial  foundation  for 
his  future  great  success.  With  Mr.  Emmet's  stable  he 
remained  for  a  single  year  and  then  went  out  as  an  exer- 
cise boy  and  jockey  for  Mr.  Daniel  De  Camp,  a  famous 
old  quarter  horse  man  in  Illinois.  The  youngster  had 
become  quite  well  known  by  this  time  and  already  had 

a  large  personal  follow- 
ing among  the  frequen- 
ters of  the  race  courses 
in  that  section.  The 
first  thoroughbred  that 
he  ever  rode  was  Hark- 
away  by  Enquirer,  a 
horse  that  was  owned 
by  Mr.  De  Camp  and 
run  at  country  fairs  in 
the  West  and  North- 
west. Harkaway  was 
then  three  years  old  and 
with  him  Leigh  won 
many  races.  He  also 
rode  Gilstar  by  Gilroy  to 
many  a  successful  finish. 
As  a  light  weight  jockey, 
he  could  not  long  keep 
his  place  for  he  soon  be- 
gan to  take  on  too  much 
flesh.  So  he  was  obliged 
to  separate  from  Mr.  De 
Camp  in  1878  and  went 
into  the  business  of 
training,  in  which  he 
was  successful  from  the 
outset,  although  he  was 
then  only  eighteen  years 
of  age.  He  joined  the 
staff  of  Mr.  Isaac  Staples, 
at  Stillwater,  Minn.,  in 
1879,  and  for  him  han- 
dled several  horses  of 
good  reputation,  like 
Governor  Neptune,  Athelestane  and  Florence  Payne. 

The  stable  of  Mr.  Staples  was  then  considered  the 
best  in  that  part  of  the  country,  and  during  the  four 
years  that  he  was  with  that  owner  Mr.  Leigh  met  with 
good  success.  About  1884,  he  joined  the  staff  of  Colonel 
W.  S.  King,  of  Minneapolis,  and  began  to  appear  on  the 
big  tracks.  Among  his  other  exploits  was  taking  La 
Belle  N'.,  the  dam  of  La  Joya,  to  Chicago.  Afterwards  he 
had  charge  of  the  horses   belonging  to  Colonel   R.  C. 


253 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


254 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Pate,  the  St.  Louis  rac- 
ing man,  in  wiiose  string 
were  Monogram,  Conl^- 
lin,  Clay  Pate,  King 
Kyrle,  Editor  and  nu- 
merous otlier  good  ones. 
Several  of  the  horses  in 
this  string  were  of  stake 
calibre,  and  with  them 
he  was  successful  in 
winning  some  notable 
races.  Clay  Pate  carried 
off  the  American  Stallion 
Stakes  in  1885,  and  Mon- 
ogram won  the  Cincin- 
nati Hotel  Handicap  the 
same  year,  in  1885,  with 
Editor,  at  Latonia,  Mr. 
Leighwon  the  Springbok 

Stakes  and  the  Falsetto  Stakes,  beating  Troubadour. 
In  1887,  Mr.  Leigh  began  business  for  himself, 
coming  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had  worked  quite 
long  enough  for  others.  He  started  in  with  two 
good  mares,  La  Belle  N.  by  Reform  and  Alemeda 
by  Springbok.  Meeting  with  fair  success,  he  was 
soon  able  to  buy  such  horses  as  Avery,  Rambler, 
Lucy  Johnston,  Bankrupt  and  Quotation  and  won 
numerous  races  with  them.  Rambler,  who  was  then 
a  two-year  old,  was  the  horse  that,  more  than  any 
other,  established  the  foundation  for  his  future  suc- 
cess. In  his  first  year  he  came  East,  but  did  not 
find  himself  strong  enough,  and  therefore  returned 
to  the  West,  where  he  generally  met  with  success. 
For  several  years  his  racing  was  principally  in 
Chicago  and  New  Orleans.  In  1889,  he  united  with 
Mr.  George  Hankins,  and  the  combination  had 
one  of  the   most  formidable   strings   that  had  ever 


been  got  together.  They  had  Santalene,  Wheeler 
T.,  Little  Minch,  Huntress,  Terra  Cotta,  Egmont, 
Orderly,  Jacobin,  Macbeth  II.,  Robespierre,  Lela 
May,  Rambler,  Bankrupt,  Quotation,  Martin  Rus- 
sell, Joe  Blackburn,  Lucy  Johnston,  Kaloolah, 
Duke  of  the  Highlands  and  Pessara.  With  these 
horses  the  aggregation  swept  everything  before  it 
in  the  West.  Robespierre  won  for  them  ihe 
Tennessee  Derby  at  Memphis,  the  Cumberland 
prize  at  Nashville,  and  ran  second  to  Riley  in  the 
Kentucky  Derby.  Pessara  won  the  Breeders' 
Futurity  and  other  stakes.  Huntress  carried  off 
the  Kentucky  Ja.  k  Pot  Stakes. 

Coming  East  the  firm   cut  a  considerable  figure 
in  racing  on  the  metropolitan  tracks,  and  finally, 
in  the   fall    of   1889,   dissolved    partnership.      Mr. 
Leigh  retained  Rambler   and  several  of  the  year- 
''  lings  that  the  firm  had 

owned.  In  the  bunch 
were  Pedestrian,  Ir- 
regular, Azrael,  Gam- 
bler and  Arrowgrass, 
the  latter  being  the  dam 
of  the  famous  sprinter, 
Zanone.  With  this 
new  stable,  Mr.  Leigh 
started  out  for  himself. 
He  established  his  stable 
principally  at  Gutten- 
berg,  where  he  raced 
for  several  winters, 
Rambler,  Inferno, 
Gambler,  Ma  Belle,  Az- 
rael, Caledonia  and 
Eleanor,  being  his  most 
important    performers. 


BEN     BRUSH 


255 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


He  had  some  stirring  experiences,  especially  at  Guttenberg 
and  Sheepshead  Bay,  and  infused  tiie  Eastern  turf  with 
a  liveliness  such  as  it  had  not  known  for  many  years 
before. 

For  the  next  two  years  Mr.  Leigh  devoted  himself 
entirely  to  the  East,  dividing  his  time  between  Brighton 
Beach,  Buffalo  and  Guttenberg.  His  stable  rapidly 
became  one  of  the  most  famous  in  the  country  and  was 
phenomenally  successful.  The  biggest  year  that  he 
ever  had  was  in  the  winter  of  '91-92,  when  his  horses 
won  100  races  at  Guttenberg.  In  the  fall  of  1892,  he 
bought  Clifford,  then  a  two-year  old,  but  the  subse- 
quently fiimous  horse  was  successful  in  winning  only  a 
single  race  for  him  that  year.  in  1893,  his  stable 
included  Clifford,  Pedestrian,  Ducat,  Ferrier,  Ma  Belle, 
Rambler,  Chant,  Lazzarone,  La  Belle,  Handspun  and 
Urania.  This  year  he  transferred  his  operations  from 
the  East  to  the  West,  and  his  string  won  in  stakes  and 
purses  fully  $100,000.  Clifford  carried  off  the  Phoenix 
Hotel  States,  the  Latonia  Prize,  and  one  other  fixed 
event  at  the  Kenton  County  track. 

From  Latonia,  Clifford  was  taken  to  Chicago  to  run 
for  the  $50,000  World's  Fair  Derby.  The  story  of  that 
race  has  often  been  told  and  has  not  yet  been  forgotten. 
For  nearly  two  hours  Starter  Pettingill  kept  the  horses 
at  the  post  before  he  let  them  off,  and  as  a  result  Clifford 
was  so  worn  out  before  the  flag  was  dropped  that  he 
only  succeeded  in  running  third.  A  few  weeks  later, 
■however,  he  had  his  revenge  when  he  met  the  Derby 
winner.  Boundless,  at  the  Hawthorne  course.  Although 
the  son  of  Bramble  had  up  122  pounds,  while  Boundless 
carried  only  98  pounds,  the  former  was  easily  successful. 
During  this  Hawthorne  meeting  Clifford  made  a  brilliant 
record  for  himself  Started  fourteen  times,  he  won  1 3 
races,  including  the  famous  sweepstakes,  in  which  he 
defeated  Lamplighter  and  Yo  Tambien.  Thirteen  stakes 
were  run  at  the  Hawthorne  meeting  and  the  Leigh 
Stable  captured  9  out  of  the  10  in  which  it  had  entries. 

The  following  year  Mr.  Leigh  had  a  great  season  both 
East  and  West.  His  stable  included  the  horses  that  he 
had  in  the  previous  year  as  already  enumerated,  in  the 
fall  of  that  year,  however,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  give 
up  racing  and  sold  out  complete  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  his 
2}  horses,  bringing  him  the  sum  of  $80,900,  Clifford 
sellingfor  $25,000  and  Ducat  $10,000.  In  this  sale  went 
Lazzarone,  who  the  following  year  won  the  Subur- 
ban. In  the  spring  of  1895,  Mr.  Leigh  formed  a- 
partnership  with  Mr.  Edward  Brown,  and  the  firm 
owned  Ben  Brush,  who  won  many  of  the  great  stakes 
of  the  West,  earning  for  his  owners  $14,000.  They  sold 
the  colt  the  same  year  to  Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer  for  $18,000, 
and  in  1897  he  was  successful  in  the  Suburban,  the 
second  Leigh  horse  to  win  that  event. 

Beginning  with   1895,  Mr.  Leigh  devoted   much  time 


to  breeding  at  his  La  Belle  Stud,  located  about  seven 
miles  from  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  Fayette  County,  on  the 
Louisville  and  Nashville  Railroad.  The  estate  consists  of 
467  acres  of  the  best  land  to  be  found  anywhere  in  Ken- 
tucky. It  is  well  watered  and  the  pasturage  is  perfect. 
Mr.  Leigh  improved  the  place  with  all  modern  con- 
veniences for  the  perfect  breeding  of  thoroughbreds,  and 
there  are  no  establishments  in  the  country  that  are 
better  equipped,  even  though  some  are  larger  in  extent. 
La  Belle  Stud  has  accommodations  for  200  horses  and 
its  outfit  consists  of  twenty-five  different  stables,  resi- 
dences and  other  buildings.  At  the  head  of  the  stud 
has  stood  Bramble  by  imported  Bonnie  Scotland  out  of 
Ivy  Leaf  by  imported  Australian,  the  sire  of  Rambler, 
Clifford  and  Ben  Brush.  Bramble  has  not  had  many 
rivals  as  a  sire.  With  him  have  stood  Woodbine  and 
Forester,  son  of  imported  The  lU-Used. 

The  La  Belle  matrons  make  a  distinguished  company. 
All  of  them  have  been  winners,  or  the  dams  of  winners. 
They  include  Arrowgrass,  the  dam  of  Zanone;  Boabdilla, 
the  dam  of  Carnage  and  Yours  Truly;  Forethought,  the 
dam  of  Fischer  and  Provident;  Lady  Wayward,  the  dam 
of  Carlsbad;  Lady  Ballard,  the  dam  of  Lady  Looram; 
North  Anna,  the  dam  of  George  F.  Smith;  Libbie  L. ,  the 
dam  of  Arrezzo;  Perhaps,  the  dam  of  Reckon;  Cale- 
donia, Daisy  Woodruff,  La  Belle,  Ma  Belle  and  a  score 
of  others.  Some  notable  horses  have  been  bred  at  La 
Belle,  and  the  success  of  the  establishment  has  demon- 
strated Mr.  Leigh's  peculiar  fitness  for  that  business. 
His  life  with  thoroughbreds,  from  the  time  that  he  began 
his  racing  career  as  a  mere  youngster,  has  give  him  an 
expert  knowledge  of  the  animals  such  as  is  possessed  by 
but  very  few  other  men.  He,  himself,  is  very  frank  to 
say  that  he  believes  that  he  would  be  a  rank  failure 
should  he  try  any  other  pursuit.  Racing  and  breeding 
is  his  business,  born  in  him,  as  it  were,  since  all  the 
members  of  his  family  were  in  some  way  connected 
with  horses. 

It  was  scarcely  to  be  expected,  however,  that  Mr. 
Leigh  should  be  contented  to  confine  himself  to  his 
breeding  establishment,  notwithstanding  the  attractions 
that  he  found  in  that  pursuit.  His  success  as  an  owner 
has  been  of  a  character  as  to  make  it  well  nigh  impossible 
for  him  to  forego  that  indulgence.  He  is,  therefore,  still 
to  be  found  upon  the  turf  with  a  large  and  excellent 
stable.  The  performers  that  he  has  had  recently  in  train- 
ing include  over  twenty,  principally  two-year  olds.  He 
has  in  this  string  the  three-year  olds  Fixed  Star  by 
Amphion  out  of  Starlight,  and  Pacemaker  by  Kantaka 
out  of  Debut.  His  two-year  olds  include  nine  colts  and 
fillies  by  Kantaka;  two  Bramble  fillies;  several  colts  by 
King  Alfonso,  Bersan  and  Perblaze;  fillies  by  Hanover, 
Iroquois,  Kingston,  Devotee  and  Perblaze,  and  a  chest- 
nut gelding  by  St.  George. 


256 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


WILLIAM    EASTON 

PRESIDENT  AND  AUCTIONEER,   THE   EASTON  COMPANY 


257 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


The  system  of  gre;it  public  sales  of  thoroughbred 
stock  that  has  originated  within  a  few  years  past,  has 
already  proved  to  be  a  most  important  instrument  in 
bringing  about  a  desired  and  necessary  improvement  in 
these  matters.  Public  sales  that  not  long  ago  were  en- 
tirely unknown  have  now  attained  the  importance  of 
great  public  functions  and  attract  the  attention  of  the  en- 
tire American  people.  The  advantages  derived  from 
the  present  system  are  too  obvious  to  call  for  extended 
consideration  in  this  connection.  It  would  not  be  doing 
justice  to  the  subject,  however,  or  to  those  who  have 
been  instrumental  in  instituting  the  present  methods,  if 
we  should  neglect  to  point  out  the  very  great  influence 
that  these  sales  have  had  in  bringing  about  the  increased 
prosperity  of  the  business  of  thoroughbred  breeding  that 
has  already  become  such  a  pronounced  feature  of  the 
turf  history  of  the  closing  years  of  the  century.  The 
close  connection  between  the  breeding  establishments 
and  these  public  sales  of  their  stock  is  of  vastly  more  im- 
portance than  is  sometimes  recognized. 

That  thereby  the  market  has  been  greatly  developed 
and  improved,  and,  therefore,  the  business  made  more 
profitable  and  placed  upon  a  more  stable  foundation, 
cannot  for  a  moment  be  doubted.  This,  however, 
while  it  is  the  primary  benefit  derived  from  the  new  or- 
der of  things  by  those  especially  interested,  is  not  the 
only  advantage  accruing  therefrom.  Not  alone  do  the 
breeding  establishments  see  their  profits  increased  as  a 
result  of  the  higher  prices  which,  thanks  to  this  system, 
they  are  now  able  to  obtain.  Other  advantages  accrue, 
also.  The  entire  racing  public  is  brought  closer  to- 
gether, and  business  relations  are  established  and  re- 
newed between  the  horsemen  of  different  sections,  who 
are  thus  enabled,  more  than  ever,  to  take  council  of  each 
other  and  derive  advantage  from  intimate  association. 
Finally,  but  in  no  manner  least  in  importance,  these 
events  have  tended  to  attract  that  large  class  of  people 
of  wealth  and  leisure  whose  support  and  active  partici- 
pation as  owners  of  thoroughbred  horseflesh  are  im- 
peratively necessary  in  order  to  insure  the  prosperity 
of  the  turf. 

In  this  notable  and  important  development  of  one 
branch  of  turf  affairs  no  man  has  had  more  active  and 
influential  part  than  Mr.  William  Easton,  President  of  the 
Easton  Company.  Accorded  the  distinction  of  being  a 
foremost  representative  of  his  profession,  Mr.  Easton  is 
also  universally  credited  with  having  elevated  the 
auctioneering  of  high-class  animals  to  the  rank  of  a  fine 
art.  The  pre-eminent  reputation  that  he  has  attained 
arises  not  merely  from  the  fact  that  his  qualifications  for 
the  profession  which  he  adorns  are  of  a  special  and  re- 
markable character,  but  also  results  from  the  possession 
by  him  of  general  business  talent  of  the  highest  charac- 
ter that  would  undoubtedly  make  him  successful  in  any 


pursuit  that  he  might  have  been  inclined  to  follow. 
Added  to  this  is  the  special  qualification  that  he  has  of 
possessing  a  knowledge  of  the  horse  as  the  legitimate 
I'esult  of  life-long  study  and  experience. 

Mr.  Easton  comes  of  an  ancient  family  of  the  West  of 
England.  The  original  form  of  the  family  name,  as  set 
down  in  the  old  records,  is  Aeshton,  meaning  ash-tree, 
and  an  ash-tree  is  the  family  crest.  Records  of  the 
family  preserved  in  the  British  Museum  show  that  it  ex- 
isted as  far  back  as  the  year  481.  Some  of  Mr.  Easton's 
ancestors  came  to  this  country  in  early  colonial  days. 
One  of  them  served  with  General  Washington  during 
the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  was  afterward  attorney- 
general  of  one  of  the  New  England  States.  Another  was 
Governor  of  Rhode  Island,  and  after  another  one,  who 
settled  in  Pennsylvania,  the  town  of  Easton  in  that  State 
was  named.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Easton  was  the 
confidential  agent  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  for  many 
years  before  the  battle  of  Waterloo  and  subsequent  to 
that  event.  On  his  mother's  side  Mr.  Easton  has  rela- 
tionship to  Chief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chase,  and  is  also 
connected  with  the  Seymours,  Bonds  and  other  well- 
known  families  of  central  and  southern  New  York. 

Born  in  Geneseo,  Livingston  County,  N.  Y.,  October 
8,  1846,  Mr.  Easton  was  sent  to  England  to  be  edu- 
cated, and  studied  at  a  famous  school  at  Clifton.  He  also 
received  instruction  from  a  private  tutor,  who  prepared 
him  for  the  examinations  required  for  admission  as  an 
officer  into  the  British  cavalry  service.  He  was  ambi- 
tious to  enter  upon  military  life,  but  family  reasons  ulti- 
mately induced  him  to  abandon  this  intention  of  becom- 
ing a  soldier.  Turning  his  attention  to  the  pro- 
fession of  law,  he  applied  himself  to  that  study 
for  the  customary  five  years,  part  of  this  time 
being  passed  in  the  office  of  one  of  the  leading 
legal  firms  of  London.  After  that  he  entered  and 
took  chambers  in  the  Middle  Temple,  this  step  being 
preparatory  to  his  admission  to  the  bar,  the  recognized 
highest  professional  pursuit  in  England.  Circumstances 
made  it  necessary  for  him  to  reconsider  his  purpose  of 
entet^ing  upon  the  practice  of  the  legal  profession,  and 
while  a  good  lawyer  may  thus  have  been  lost,  the  busi- 
ness world  gained  an  important  addition.  He  married 
a  lady  whose  family  has  been  for  over  two  centuries 
resident  at  that  great  historic  centre  of  racing  and  thor- 
oughbred horse  interests,  Newmarket,  her  father  having 
been  a  magistrate  for  Cambridgeshire  and  Suffolk, 
and  a  Lord  Lieutenant  of  the  county.  Immediately  after 
his  marriage  Mr.  Easton  determined  to  come  to  the 
United  States,  and  this  was  the  turning  point  of  his 
whole  career. 

From  his  earliest  youth  the  chief  inclinations  of  Mr. 
Easton  were  for  horses  and  outdoor  sports  of  all  kinds. 
As  a  young  man   he  was  noted  as  a  good   all  around 


259 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


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THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


athlete,  and  he  also  had  an  exceptionally  high  reputation 
as  a  cross  country  rider,  having  frequently  ridden  over 
some  of  the  most  famous  steeplechase  courses  of  the 
old  country.  As  an  owner  of  horses  his  experiences 
were  both  considerable  and  successful,  and  he  has  long 
been  known  as  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  turfmen  of 
this  generation.  Both  in  England  and  in  the  United 
States  he  has  been  prominent  on  the  race  course,  his 
colors  being  white  and  blue  hoops,  with  red  cap. 
Among  the  horses  which  have  at  various  times  repre- 
sented him  on  the  track,  the  one  who  achieved  the 
greatest  fame  was  probably  imported  Sweet  Home,  who, 
after  she  was  retired  from  the  turf,  became  especially 
well  known  as  the  dam  of  Major  Domo  and  of  other 
horses  of  high  reputation.  Blue  Lodge,  Mrs.  Chubbs, 
imported  Astoria,  imported  The  Fop,  imported  Golden 
Dawn,  and  imported  Bassetlaw,  are  other  distinguished 
performers  that  have  successfully  carried  his  colors  on 
many  race  courses. 

He  has  also  been  greatly  interested  in  importing. 
From  time  to  time  he  has  brought  into  the  United  States 
many  of  the  most  noted  English  stallions  and  brood 
mares,  who,  in  breeding  establishments,  have  made  a 
deep  impression  through  their  sons  and  daughters  upon 
racing  in  this  country.  Some  notable  commissions  to 
purchase  thoroughbreds  abroad  have  been  entrusted  to 
him  by  leading  American  turf  men.  Thus  he  gave  to 
the  late  Mr.  August  Belmont  and  to  Mr.  James  R.  Keene, 
as  well  as  to  others,  the  benefit  of  his  sound  knowledge 
of  thoroughbreds,  especially  in  England.  The  breeding 
establishments  of  Mr.  Belmont  and  Mr.  Keene  were 
greatly  enriched  by  the  brood  mares  that  he  selected  for 
them  on  his  special  trip  to  England  in  their  interests. 
His  purchases  for  Mr.  Keene,  for  example,  amounted  to 
some  f  100,000. 

In  1879,  when  the  American  Horse  Exchange  was 
established  by  a  corporation  of  wealthy  New  Yorkers, 
Mr.  Easton  became  the  managing  director  and  auction- 
eer. After  several  years  of  successful  business  with 
that  establishment  he  severed  his  connection  with  it  and 
founded  the  National  Horse  and  Cattle  Exchange,  with 
paddocks  at  Hunt's  Point.  Subsequently  he  formed 
Tattersall's  of  New  York  (Limited),  which  concern  in 
the  course  of  time  absorbed  the  National  Horse  and 
Cattle  Exchange,  and  the  well  known  business  of  Brass- 
field  &  Co.,  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  as  well  as  that  of  Emery 
&  Fasig,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Of  this  organization  Mr. 
Easton  was  manager  and  auctioneer  from  1890  until  1894. 
Resigning  this  position  in  the  latter  year  he  again  became 
connected  with  the  American  Horse  Exchange,  but,  in 
1895,  made  a  more  decided  departure  when  he  organ- 
ized The  Easton  Company,  of  which  he  is  now  President 
and  auctioneer.  The  offices  of  this  company  are  in  New 
York   City,  while   its    extensive    sale   paddocks   are   at 


Sheepshead  Bay,  Long  Island,  desirably  located  directly 
opposite  the  main  entrance  to  the  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club  track.  The  whole  establishment  is  altogether 
modern  in  conception  and  detail.  In  fact,  it  displays  to 
the  fullest  extent  those  original  ideas  as  to  the  handling 
of  consignments  and  the  favorable  exhibition  of  horses 
which  has  been  a  leading  element  in  Mr.  Easton's  suc- 
cess, and  on  account  of  which  the  foremost  breeders 
of  the  country  so  generally  entrust  their  stock  to  his 
care  for  sale.  All  consignments  made  to  the  Faston 
Company  are  under  the  care  of  thoroughly  reliable  horse- 
men, and  unremitting  pains  are  taken  to  preserve  and  to 
improve  the  condition  of  stock  before  it  is  brought  to 
the  block,  thereby  adding  greatly  to  its  salable  value. 

In  his  professional  capacity  Mr.  Easton  has  taken  a 
leading  part  in  some  of  the  most  notable  business  trans- 
actions that  have  ever  occurred  in  the  racing  history  of 
the  United  States.  As  an  auctioneer  he  has  a  masterly 
knowledge  of  the  points  of  a  horse,  which  he  never  fails 
to  properly  set  forth.  His  memory  is  remarkable,  and  his 
personal  acquaintance  with  turfmen,  breeders  and  busi- 
ness men  is  of  the  widest  description.  Added  to  this  he 
enjoys  the  advantage  of  a  wonderfully  musical  voice  and 
a  manner  that  puts  him  into  friendly  relations  with  his 
audience.  Some  of  the  prices  obtained  at  sales  where  he 
has  officiated  have  never  been  equaled.  Such  examples 
as  those  of  St.  Blaise  for  $100,000;  King  Thomas,  $38,- 
000;  Bolero,  $35,000;  Hastings,  $37,000;  Rayon  D'Or, 
$33,000;  Galore,  $30,000;  Requital,  $26,000,  Viola,  dam 
of  Victory,  $20  500;  imported  Candlemas,  $15,000;  im- 
ported Order,  $26,000,  and  Victorine,  $10,000,  during 
some  of  the  worst  periods  of  racing,  speak  for  themselves. 
The  sale  of  St.  Blaise  will  long  be  remembered.  The  auc- 
tioneer then  faced  one  of  the  most  notable  gatherings  of 
turfmen,  owners,  breeders,  lawyers,  bankers,  brokers, 
merchants,  millionaires  and  professional  men  ever 
brought  together  for  such  a  purpose  in  America,  and  the 
bidding,  which  began  at  $25,000,  was  almost  abruptly 
brought  to  a  close  by  Mr.  Charles  Reed  offering  $100,000. 
It  is,  however,  not  merely  in  these  sensational  incidents 
that  Mr.  Easton's  skill  and  knowledge  are  displayed. 
The  same  attention  to  detail  of  every  kind  that  can 
enhance  the  value  of  the  subjects  is  displayed  where 
ordinary  stock  is  entrusted  to  his  charge,  and  it  has  been 
said  that  he  can  obtain  a  far  higher  average  price  than- 
any  auctioneer  in  the  country. 

Mr.  Easton  is  a  man  of  original  ideas.  His  career  has 
been  an  exhibition  of  pluck  and  determination  even 
when  the  condition  of  turf  affairs  has  been  most  dis- 
couraging. His  opinion  is  that  New  York  is  the  best 
place  for  sales  of  thoroughbreds,  and  he  has  suggested 
to  the  breeding  interest  the  importance  of  selling  all 
yearlings  in  two  great  sales  to  be  held  in  the  metropolis 
each  spring  and  autumn. 


261 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


FRANCIS    M.    WARE 

TREASURER,   MANAGING    DIRECTOR    AND   AUCTIONEER,    THE   AMERICAN    HORSE    EXCHANGE,   LIMITED 


262 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


When  the  Amencnn  Horse  Exchange  was  incorporated 
in  1879,  the  facilities  that  then  existed  for  disposing  of 
high  class  horses  in  the  United  States  were  of  a  some- 
what primitive  description.  The  private  bargaining, 
the  occasional  isolated  sales  of  racing  stables,  or  the  prod- 
duct  of  stock  farms  afforded  only  an  inadequate  means 
of  distribution.  In  considering  the  situation,  those  who 
were  especially  interested  recognized  that  the  concentra- 
tion of  this  business,  which  seemed  to  be  imperative, 
could  hardly  be  accomplished  if  it  should  be  left  to 
purely  private  enterprise.  Everybody  conceded  the 
force  of  this  proposition.  All  consideration  of  the  sub- 
ject started  with  the  vital  proposition  that  it  was  imper- 
atively necessary  that  any  organization  which  could 
reasonably  hope  to  secure  the  patronage  of  owners  of 
horses  and  the  leading  breeders  in  the  business  of  dis- 
posing of  their  animals  and  at  the  same  time  invite  the 
confidence  of  the  public  in  making  purchases,  must  be 
in  the  hands  of  people  of  the  highest  standing. 

The  situation  was  peculiar.  There  was  an  abiding 
distrust  in  the  minds  of  everybody  of  the  ordinary  horse 
dealers,  who  had  hitherto  possessed  a  monopoly  of  the 
business.  The  demand  for  reform  in  horse  selling 
methods,  as  well  as  the  necessity  for  more  thorough 
and  comprehensive  arrangements  than  had  hitherto  ob- 
tained, seemed  to  remove  at  once  any  possibility  of  per- 
mitting the  business  to  remain  longer  in  the  hands  of 
private  individuals,  some  of  whom,  it  was  well  known, 
were  scarcely  of  a  responsible  character.  Any  other  at- 
tempt than  that  proposed  of  enlisting  the  co-operation 
of  the  substantial  men  of  the  community  would 
be,  it  was  felt,  no  better  than  leaving  the  business  to 
continue  a  matter  of  private  bargaining,  or  intrusting  its 
large  and  growing  interests  to  ordinary  horse  dealers.- 
With  the  growth  of  the  business  side  of  racing  and 
breeding  that  had  already  began  to  exhibit  itself  in  all 
parts  of  the  country,  capital  on  a  large  scale  was  impera- 
tively requisite,  not  only  to  insure  the  success  of  the  en- 
terprise that  was  contemplated,  but  also  to  inspire  in  the 
minds  of  both  sellers  and  buyers,  that  confidence  which 
must  always  be  a  chief  element  in  the  usefulness  of  any 
concern  which  should  undertake  to  supply  the  want  in 
question. 

At  this  juncture  several  gentlemen  of  the  highest  social 
standing  in  New  York,  who  were  more  or  less  interested 
in  horseflesh,  took  the  matter  under  serious  considera- 
tion. After  mature  deliberation  they  concluded  to  em- 
bark in  the  enterprise,  wholly  influenced  by  their  desire 
to  advance  the  interests  of  a  business  that  appealed  to  all 
classes  in  the  community.  In  1879,  the  American  Horse 
Exchange  was  incorporated,  an  organization  that  in  its 
almost  twenty  years  of  existence  has  done  an  impor- 
tant work  in  raising  the  standard  of  horseflesh  in  the 
whole  country  and  in  bringing  the  breeding  of  thorough- 


breds and  other  high  grade  animals  to  a  position  where 
it  is  now  recognized  as  one  of  the  substantial  and  prof- 
itable industries  of  the  United  States  The  role  of  incor- 
porators of  the  Exchange  included  the  names  of  such 
gentlemen  as  Messrs.  William  K.  Vanderbilt,  Freder- 
ick W.  Vanderbilt,  August  Belmont,  Jr.,  Frederick 
Bronson,  the  Hon.  George  Peabody  Wetmore,  Colonel 
William  Jay,  and  others  equally  well  known  in  the  social 
and  financial  world.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the 
identification  of  gentlemen  of  such  standing  with  the 
enterprise  placed  it  upon  substantial  footing  at  the  out- 
set, and  fully  established  it  in  the  confidence  of  breeders, 
owners  and  the  general  public. 

Under  such  eminently  favorable  auspices  the  American 
Exchange  was  established  and  soon  became  a  power  in 
the  particular  field  that  it  occupied.  The  enterprise  and 
wisdom  of  those  who  were  the  guiding  spirit  of  the  new 
organization  was  promptly  shown  by  the  erection  for  its 
headquarters  and  place  for  sales  of  the  spacious  building 
that  covered  the  block  between  Broadway  and  Seventh 
Avenue  and  Fiftieth  and  Fifty-first  Streets.  For  more 
than  a  decade  and  a  half  this  building  was  the  centre 
of  some  of  the  most  important  sales  movements  in 
New  York.  In  the  course  of  time  it  became  a  most 
influential  factor  in  stimulating  breeding  in  all  parts  of 
the  country  and  in  meeting  the  needs  of  prospective 
buyers  of  horses.  In  June,  1896,  the  original  building  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  This  was  promptly  replaced  by  a  new 
and  imposing  structure.the  perfection  of  whose  equipment 
in  every  detail,  no  less  than  its  accessibility,  render  it  a 
truly  ideal  place  for  holding  sales  of  high  grade  stock. 

Long  ago  the  American  Horse  Exchange  became  an 
established  institution,  not  only  of  New  York,  but  of  the 
entire  country  as  well.  Breeders  from  all  sections,  pro- 
fessional horsemen,  and,  in  fact,  all  classes  interested  in 
horseflesh,  have  fully  recognized  the  well  nigh  invalu- 
able facilities  that  it  offers  for  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  incorporated.  The  associations  connected  with  the 
place  are  of  a  very  notable  character,  and  its  history 
would  be  in  a  sense  a  large  part  of  the  history  of  one  of 
the  most  important  sides  of  the  horse  business  in  the 
United  States.  Some  of  the  most  notable  transactions 
that  have  ever  taken  place  in  connection  with  horses 
have  been  witnessed  within  its  walls.  It  is,  however, 
perhaps  sufficient  to  say  that  it  has  become  to  the 
horse  world  in  this  country  what  the  celebrated  Tatter- 
sails  of  England  is  to  the  English  turf. 

Not  alone  has  the  Exchange  been  of  service  to  breed- 
ers of  the  thoroughbred  racing  horse.  Its  facilities  have 
contributed  much  to  advance  the  interests  of  breeders  of 
fancy  stock,  of  the  high  quality  that  is  now  so  much  in 
demand  for  purposes  of  pleasure.  As  the  annual  horse 
shows  held  in  New  York  have  partaken  more  and  more 
of  the  character  of  a  national  fete  of  the  world  of  wealth 


263 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


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THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


and  fashion  in  the  United  States,  the  ensuing  sales  of 
stock  that  has  been  exhibited  at  the  great  gatherings 
have  been  mote  than  ordinary  attractions.  These,  almost 
without  exception,  have  been  held  at  the  American 
Horse  Exchange.  The  hackney  and  the  modern  high 
stepper,  while  far  removed  from  the  thoroughbred,  are, 
nevertheless,  infinitely  above  the  ordinary  class  of 
equines,  and  it  is  through  familiarity  with  them  that 
many  of  the  present  leading  owners  on  the  turf  have  ob- 
tained their  tlrst  start  toward  a  racing  career.  The 
trotter  has  also  a  special  department  in  the  business  of 
the  Exchange  and  the  largest  sales  of  that  variety  of  the 
horse  occur  East  and  West  under  its  direction. 

The  management  of  the  American  Horse  Exchange  has 
performed  a  great  work.  The  public  has  been  enabled  to 
tind  the  kind  of  animals  it  wants  with  a  minimum  of 
trouble,  and  our  breeders  confidently  rely  upon  obtaining 
the  highest  possible  prices  for  their  offerings.  The  facili- 
ties for  intending  purchasers  are  of  the  best  description 
and,  with  the  high  plan  on  which  the  Exchange  is  con- 
ducted, attract  the  best  class  of  purchasers  to  be  found  at 
any  horse  mart  of  the  world.  Facilities  for  keeping  and 
exhibiting  consignments  are  of  the  best,  and  nearly  every 
breeder  of  consequence  in  the  country  has  sooner  or  later 
entrusted  his  produce  to  its  hands  for  sale.  Auction 
sales  are  held  with  great  frequency  East  and  West,  and 
the  Exchange  also  holds  sales  at  the  tracks.  It  also 
purposes  to  erect  large  sales  paddocks,  offering  to  its 
consignors  the  choice  of  the  city  arena  or  of  the  paddocks. 
A  feature  of  its  business  is  its  foreign  connection.  It 
inaugurated  in  1S97.  the  shipping  of  yearlings  to  England 
for  disposal,  with  a  consignment  of  some  forty  head 
from  one  of  America's  leading  thoroughbred  nurseries. 

The  officers  of  the  American  Horse  Exchange  are:  Mr. 
W.  K.  Vanderbilt,  President;  Mr.  E.  L.  Winthrop,  Jr., 
Secretary,  and  Mr.  F.  M.  Ware,  Treasurer,  Managing 
Director  and  Auctioneer.  Although  a  native  of  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  where  he  was  born  Feb.  3,  1859,  '^r. 
Ware's  early  days  were  passed  near  Pimlico,  Md.,  then 
one  of  the  great  centres  of  racing  in  the  United  States. 
There  he  was  in  consequence  thrown  into  the  society  of 
some  of  the  most  notable  horsemen  of  those  days  and 
imbibed  a  love  for  the  sport  that  has  never  deserted  him, 
while  he  also  laid  the  foundation  of  a  sound  knowledge 
of  all  that  concerns  the  thoroughbred.  As  a  mere  lad  he 
became  known  as  a  skilful  and  fearless  gentleman  jockey, 
and  when  only  sixteen  years  of  age  rode  at  Pimlico,  as 
well  as  at  Boston  and  Newport,  R.  1.,  his  mounts  being 
both  on  the  flat  and  in  hurdle  races. 

At  the  age  of  seventeen,  Mr.  Ware  returned  to  Boston 
and  entered  Harvard  University,  from  which  institution 
he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1879.  While  pursuing  his 
studies  at  Harvard  he  had,  however,  retained  his  inter- 
ests in  horses,  and  in  his  leisure  moments  bought  and 

265 


sold  them  to  some  extent,  his  judgment  regarding  ani- 
mals and  his  knowledge  of  values  in  that  connection  be- 
ing unusually  accurate.  When  his  college  course  was 
completed  he  regularly  went  into  the  business  of  dealing 
in  horses  in  Boston,  and  was  thus  very  largely  instru- 
mental in  increasing  the  taste  for  sport  and  improving 
the  class  of  horses  owned  in  that  city.  While  thus  en- 
gaged he  rode  frequently  in  events  mainly  of  a  semi- 
public  character.  In  1886,  however,  he  was  in  Chey- 
enne, Wyoming,  and  took  a  leading  part  in  a  meet 
there,  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  wealthy  ranchmen 
and  horse  breeders  of  that  district,  with  many  of  whom 
he  had  business  relations.  The  principal  event  was  a 
race  for  the  Cheyenne  Club  Cup,  valued  at  $1,500,  in 
which  there  were  no  less  than  seventeen  starters  repre- 
senting the  pick  of  the  horses  from  all  over  that  portion 
of  the  West,  making  it  one  of  the  most  important  events 
that  had  occurred  in' that  section.  The  distance  was  i}( 
miles,  and  Mr.  Ware,  riding  Climax,  won  the  race  after 
an  exciting  struggle  in  very  fast  time. 

While  in  business  in  Boston,  Mr.  Ware  for  several 
years  campaigned  horses  at  the  fairs  held  throughout 
Massachusetts,  Maine,  New  Hampshire  and  the  various 
British  Provinces.  In  1891  and  1892,  he  was  interested 
in  a  string  of  which  Parolina  and  Lucre  were  the  prin- 
cipal members,  and  raced  them  at  the  Guttenberg  and 
Gloucester  tracks  with  considerable  success.  He  has  a 
wide  acquaintance  among  the  notable  horsemen  and 
breeders  of  the  country,  and  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
men  in  his  own  specialty,  or,  indeed,  in  the  whole 
turf  field.  At  the  same  time  he  has  frequently  been 
called  upon  to  act  in  an  official  capacity  at  various  race 
meetings,  particularly  in  New  England,  where  the 
meets  are  to  a  large  extent  society  functions  rather  than 
public  gatherings  and  where  he  is  widely  known 
among  the  best  class  of  people.  He  has  thus  officiated 
as  starter  at  the  Country  Club  races,  held  at  Brookline, 
Mass.,  and  also  at  the  Newport,  R.  I.,  races,  which  are 
attended  by  the  very  elite  of  society.  In  later  years  he  has 
been  starter  at  the  Parkway  track,  Brooklyn,  during  the 
meetings  of  runners  held  there;  at  the  first  meeting  at 
Providence,  R.  I. ;  at  the  Franklin  Park  meeting,  Boston, 
and  at  other  places.  Another  of  his  official  posts  has 
been  that  of  secretary  of  the  Steeplechase  Hunt  and  Pony 
Racing  Association,  a  body  of  considerable  importance 
in  connection  with  a  branch  of  sport  that  is  receiving 
increased  public  attention,  and  for  two  years  he  was  of- 
ficial starter  of  that  association.  For  the  past  four  years 
he  has  made  New  York  City  his  permanent  headquarters 
and  has  been  identified  with  the  American  Horse  Ex- 
change. In  this  corporation  the  duties  of  his  post  as 
treasurer,  managing  director  and  auctioneer,  are  of  a 
nature  that  he  is  eminently  qualified  to  fill,  by  reason  of 
experience,  business  ability  and  personal  popularity. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


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266 


OWNERS 

AND 

TRAINERS 


OWNERS   AND   TRAINERS 

Southern  Gentlemen  Early  Prominent  on  the  Turf — The  Washingtons,  Hamptons,  and  Other 
Historic  Racing  Families— Distinguished  Old  Time  Turfmen  of  the 
North — Some  Modern  Horsemen. 


*IME  and  space  would  both  fail  if  an  attempt 
should  be  made  to  enumerate  in  any  complete 
sense  the  names  of  all  the  gentlemen  of  distinc- 
?  tion  who  have  been  connected  with  the  Ameri- 
can turf  as  owners  and  trainers  since  the  practical  begin- 
ning of  the  sport  in  a  systematic  manner  in  the  middle  of 
the  eighteenth  century.  As  has  already  been  pointed 
out  in  these  pages,  the  list  includes  the  names  of  those 
who  have  been  prominent  in  every  walk  in  society  and 
who  have  been  influential  in  contributing  to  the  upbuild- 
ing and  in  advancing  the  welfare  of  this  ' '  sport  of  kings. 
It  is  quite  true  that  the  sentiment  of  certain  sections  of 
the  country  has  always  frowned  upon  racing,  while  often 
even  in  those  localities  which  have  been  most  devoted  to 
the  interests  of  the  thoroughbred  the  sport  has  fallen 
somewhat  into  disfavor  on  account  of  adverse  conditions. 
Nevertheless,  on  the  whole,  for  a  century  and  a  half  it 
has  stood  high  in  the  estimation  of  the  best  classes  in 
the  community,  and  has  developed  into  an  important  and 
wholesome  national  institution. 

Going  back  to  Revolutionary  days,  we  find  that  just 
before  that  great  struggle  of  the  colonies  with  the  mother 
country  the  American  turf  was  practically  in  the  hands 
of  wealthy  gentlemen,  chiefly  planters,  in  the  Southern 
States,  whose  names  will  forever  emblazon  its  annals. 
With  the  achievement  of  independence  the  same  gentle- 
men again  turned  their  attention  to  racing,  which  natur- 
ally had  been  ignored  during  the  time  when  men's  minds 
were  engrossed  with  the  superior  demands  of  patriotism. 
In  the  post-Revolutionary  times  governors,  councillors, 
legislators  and  gentlemen  of  wealth  devoted  themselves 
again  to  the  fullest  extent  to  the  enjoyments  of  the  turf. 
In  Maryland,  as  colony  and  State,  racing  took  the  lead  as 
an  indulgence  of  the  aristocratic  and  wealthy  classes,  and 
the  first  gentlemen  of  the  land  there,  as  well  as  in  the 
neighboring  States  of  Virginia  and  South  Carolina,  owned 
and  ran  their  own  race  horses.  Among  these  early  turf- 
men were  the  two  Governors  Ogle,  father  and  son,  the 
two  Colonels  Lloyd,  the  younger  being  at  one  time  Gov- 
ernor, and  Governors  Sharpe,  Wright,  Ridgely,  Sprigg 
and  others,  also  of  Maryland. 

In  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  after, 
every  succeeding  Governor  of  the  State  seemed  to  con- 
sider it  part  of  his  official  duty  to  maintain  a  racing  stable 
and  to  be  represented  in  all  the  turf  events  of  the  day. 


Governor  Benjamin  Ogle,  as  we  have  already  seen,  was 
a  large  importer  of  thoroughbreds,  and  succeeding  gov- 
ernors emulated  him  in  this  respect.  Governor  Ridgely 
was  especially  distinguished  as  being  the  owner  of  the 
famous  horse  Tuckahoe,  that  ran  in  the  early  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  Governor  Sprigg  is  in  turf  annals 
better  known  as  the  owner  of  Partnership  than  as  the 
Governor  of  his  State.  In  Virginia,  before  the  Revolu- 
tion, Colonel  Byrd,  of  Westover;  Colonel  Tayloe,  of 
Mount  Airy;  Colonel  Thornton,  of  Northumberland,  and 
their  associates  were  leaders  of  the  turf.  In  the  next 
generation  came  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  Colonel  Sheldon, 
Colonel  Hoomes  and  Messrs.  Hoskins,  Moseby,  Worms- 
ley  and  others. 

The  list  of  the  turfmen  of  the  early  part  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  is  a  brilliant  one.  It  includes  the  names 
of  hundreds  of  eminent  citizens,  several  of  whom  have 
already  been  considered,  while  we  must  add  to  the  list 
General  Wade  Hampton  and  his  son,  Colonel  Wade 
Hampton,  Colonel  William  Washington,  General  Wynn, 
General  Davie,  General  McPherson,  General  Spottis- 
woode.  General  Andrew  Jackson,  Colonel  Taylor,  Cap- 
tain Harrison,  Colonel  Bond,  Colonel  Singleton,  the  two 
Baylors,  Dr.  Thornton  and  a  host  of  others,  all  good 
men  and  true.  General  Coles,  General  William  Jones 
and  Messrs.  James  De  Lancey,  C.  R.  Van  Rantz,  Town- 
send  Cox  and  others,  of  New  York,  were  also  contem- 
porary. South  of  the  James  River,  in  Virginia,  were 
Messrs.  Wilkes,  the  Honorable  John  Randolph  and  others, 
while  north  of  the  James,  as  appears  from  the  entries  to 
the  great  Sterling  Sweepstakes  at  Fredericksburg,  in 
1803,  were  Colonel  Miles  Selden  and  Messrs.  John 
Hoomes,  Alexander  Spottiswoode,  Thomas  Goode,  Law- 
rence Washington,  Lawrence  Butler,  Charles  Stuart, 
William  Herndon,  Turner  Dixon,  William  Randolph, 
John  Armistead,  Edward  Carter,  William  T.  Alexander, 
William  Wood,  Benjamin  Grymes,  James  Smock,  James 
Verell  and  William  B.  Hamlin,  all  of  them  distinguished 
names  in  that  period  and  afterward.  The  sweepstakes 
on  this  occasion  were  won  by  Colonel  Selden  with  La- 
vinia  by  Diomed. 

The  following  year  Colonel  Tayloe,  in  a  sweepstakes, 
beat  Lavinia  and  Amanda  with  Topgallant,  and  won  the 
great  sweepstakes  at  Fredericksburg  with  Caroline. 
Maid  of  the  Oaks  appeared  in  this  for  her  first  race,  and 


269 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


bolted,  losing  the  only  race  that  she  ever  lost  in  Virginia. 
She  was  one  of  the  most  talked  of  horses  of  the  time, 
and  her  contretemps  on  this  particular  occasion  was  the 
gossip  of  the  stables  for  many  long  weeks  and  months 
thereafter.  The  gentlemen  whose  names  have  already 
been  given,  with  scores  of  others  that  might  be  worthily 
added  to  the  list,  were  conspicuous  in  the  old  time  history 
of  running  in  America.  It  is  important  and  agreeable  to 
recall  their  memories  and  to  accord  a  just  tribute  to  the 
value  of  their  labors  in  the  infancy  of  the  sport  when 
they  guided  its  councils  and  gave  their  money  to  advance 
its  interests,  with  no  expectation  of  return.  Too  much 
emphasis  cannot  be  laid  upon  the  importance  of  the  part 
played  during  this  formative  period  by  these  early  turf 
patrons,  and  it  would  be  an  agreeable  task  to  fill  pages 
with  recollections  of  them  and  their  times. 

It  may  seem  almost  invidious  to  single  out  particular 
individuals  for  special  reference  from  among  the  scores 
and  hundreds  who  were  equally  enthusiastic  in  their 
attention  to  affairs  of  the  early  turf.  But  it  cannot 
escape  notice  that  sporting  activity  in  the  early  part  of 
the  century  was  largely  concentrated  in  and  about  Vir- 
ginia, Maryland  and  the  District  of  Columbia.  The  early 
turf  history  of  the  City  of  Washington  was  particularly 
brilliant,  since  affairs  of  government  called  to  the  Federal 
capital  the  leading  men  from  all  parts  of  the  country, 
few  of  whom  had  not  gained  a  knowledge  of.  and  a 
passion  for,  the  race  course  in  their  own  homes  and 
brought  that  predilection  for  sport  with  them.  One  of 
the  most  prominent  of  these  earlier  followers  of  the  turf 
in  Washington  was  the  Honorable  Gabriel  Duvall,  the 
accomplished  Justice  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court, 
who  was  a  Revolutionary  patriot  and  a  contemporary  of 
George  Washington  and  a  lawyer  and  jurist  of  the  high- 
est social  and  professional  reputation.  To  the  end  of  an 
exceedingly  long  life  Judge  Duvall  was  a  prime  sup- 
porter of  the  turf,  and  was  noted  for  the  accuracy  of  his 
remembrance  concerning  turf  matters,  including  the 
placing  of  the  contesting  horses  in  all  the  remarkable 
races  that  had  occurred  in  this  country  back  to  a  period 
long  prior  to  the  Revolution.  Judge  Duvall,  who  was 
appointed  to  the  Supreme  Court  by  President  Madison, 
retained  his  vigor  long  after  he  had  retired  from  office. 
It  is  said  that  even  when  he  had  attained  to  old  age  he 
continued  the  habit  of  riding  on  horseback  from  his  resi- 
dence to  the  race  course  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington, 
a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  witnessing  the  races  and  then 
returning  home  in  the  saddle. 

An  amusing  story  was  told  concerning  Judge  Duvall 
-that  is  well  worth  repeating,  even  though  it  has  no  direct 
connection  with  the  turf.  When  he  was  a  member  of 
Congress  at  the  time  that  the  first  Congresses  sat  in  Phil- 
adelphia, he  boarded  with  a  friend  and  fellow  Congress- 
man named  Giles,   in  the  house  of  a  landlady  whose 


daughter  had  long  passed  the  age  of  maturity  without 
having  a  chance  to  give  up  a  life  of  single  blessedness. 
This  maiden  lady,  who  added  garrulousness  to  the  attrac- 
tions of  uncertain  age,  was  naturally  a  subject  of  more 
or  less  comment  by  those  who  sat  at  her  mother's  table, 
and  the  two  Congressmen  had  much  sport  at  her  expense 
in  the  privacy  of  personal  conversation.  Years  later, 
when  the  former  Congressional  chums  met  in  Washing- 
ton, where  one  was  Comptroller  of  the  Treasury,  under 
President  Madison,  and  the  other  had  become  one  of  the 
most  influential  members  of  the  United  States  Senate, 
Giles,  in  recalling  memories  of  the  days  that  they  had 
spent  together  in  Philadelphia,  inquired  of  Duvall,  "By 
the  way,  what  do  you  suppose  has  ever  become  of  that 

damned  cackling  old   maid,  Jenny  G ?"     He  was  a 

little  disconcerted  when  Judge  Duvall  turned  to  him  and 
said,  in  the  most  stately  and  courtly  manner,  "She  is 
Mrs.  Duvall,  sir." 

Other  leading  men  identified  with  early  racing  in 
Washington  were  of  similar  calibre,  socially  and  politi- 
cally, to  Judge  Duvall.  The  racing  meetings  held  there 
were  always  distinguished  by  the  presence  and  approba- 
tion of  the  Presidents  of  the  United  States,  from  Jeffer- 
son down  to  Van  Buren,  and  by  members  of  the  Cab- 
inets, Senators,  Representatives,  judges  and  other  officials 
of  the  Government,  almost  without  exception.  John 
Quincy  Adams,  of  Puritan  origin  though  he  was,  did 
not  disguise  his  admiration  for  the  thoroughbred  horse 
and  his  delight  at  seeing  the  noble  animal  extend  himself 
in  trials  of  speed.  Upon  one  occasion,  while  he  was 
occupying  the  highest  office  within  the  gift  of  the  nation, 
he  walked  out  to  the  race  course  from  the  Presidential 
mansion  and  then  democratically  trudged  back  again  at 
the  end  of  the  day's  sport.  President  Andrew  Jackson, 
who  had  distinction  as  a  breeder  and  owner  of  race  horses 
before  he  came  to  Washington,  continued  to  maintain 
his  interest  in  the  sport  even  after  he  became  President. 
It  was  not  infrequent  for  him  in  those  days  to  enter  a 
horse  from  his  own  establishment,  the  name  of  his  pri- 
vate secretary.  Major  Donaldson,  being  used  for  the  occa- 
sion as  a  concession  to  the  prejudices  of  those  who  might 
think  it  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States  to  race  horses  in  his  own  name.  From  the  gossip 
of  the  capital  in  this  early  period  it  is  also  a  matter  of 
record  that  Old  Hickory  was  much  disappointed  because 
his  horse  was  defeated  in  one  of  these  races  by  imported 
Langford,  a  horse  belonging  to  Commodore  Robert  F. 
Stockton,  the  defeat  giving  him  more  concern  even  than 
some  of  his  political  troubles. 

Conspicuous  in  the  turf  annals  of  the  South  on  the 
revival  of  racing  after  the  Revolution  were  General 
Wade  Hampton  and  Colonel  William  Washington. 
Both  gentlemen  were  natives  of  Virginia,  but  removed 
to  South  Carolina  after  the  war.     With  Colonel  William 


270 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Allston  they  went  at  once  to  a  place  at  the  head  of  the 
turf  of  South  Carolina.  In  1786,  and  afterward.  Colonel 
Washington  won  the  principal  racing  events  with  Ranger, 
who  was,  however,  beaten  in  1788  by  Comet,  sonietimes 
started  by  Colonel  Allston  and  sometimes  by  General 
Hampton.  For  several  years  these  gentlemen.  General 
Sumter,  the  two  McPhersons  and  Messrs.  Fenwick, 
Moultrie,  Irving,  Lynch,  Burne,  Ashe  and  Richardson 
contended  with  each  other,  running  their  horses  on  the 
Newmarket  Course  until  the  establishment  of  the  Wash- 
ington Course  in  17Q2.  A  few  years  later  Colonel  Wash- 
ington's Shark  and  Colonel  McPherson's  Commerce 
became  very  celebrated  for  their  brilliant  victories,  the 
former  acquiring  the  highest  distinction.  Comet  held 
his  position  firmly  until  he  was  beaten  in  1800  by  Maria. 
dam  of  Lady  Lightfoot.  Maria  was  bred  by  Colonel  John 
Tayloe,  of  Virginia,  for  the  express  purpose  of  defeating 
Comet.  In  this  match  she  was  started  in  the  name  of 
General  Hampton,  who  at  that  meeting  had  the  unique 
distinction  of  winning  all  the  purses.  Shark  was  a  son 
of  the  imported  horse  of  the  same  name,  his  dam  being 
by  Flimnap.  His  performances  established  the  purity  of 
his  blood.  He  was  buried  with  distinguished  honors  at 
the  Jamesville  Race  Course,  in  Clarendon,  near  the  coun- 
try-seat of  Colonel  James  B.  Richardson,  and  a  marble 
slab,  with  suitable  inscription,  was  erected  over  the  spot 
where  his  remains  were  deposited. 

For  two  generations  the  name  of  Hampton  was  iden- 
tified with  the  most  brilliant  episodes  of  the  early  Amer- 
ican turf.  The  senior  of  the  house,  General  Wade 
Hampton,  was  a  representative  of  one  of  the  oldest 
colonial  families  of  Virginia.  With  several  of  his  broth- 
ers he  served  in  the  Revolutionary  Army,  first  under  Gen- 
eral Sumter,  and  afterward  himself  in  charge  of  a  brigade, 
and  was  also  a  general  in  the  War  of  1 812.  He  became 
eminently  distinguished  in  both  wars,  and  also  took  a 
leading  part  in  the  partisan  controversies  of  his  native 
State.  Upon  the  revival  of  racing  in  South  Carolina  after 
the  Revolution,  having  removed  to  that  State,  he  was  for 
many  years  one  of  the  most  distinguished  breeders  and 
turfmen  in  America,  and  that  at  a  time  when  the  turf 
was  at  the  height  of  its  popularity  from  New  York  to 
New  Orleans.  In  the  course  of  his  career  he  trained  and 
ran  Mogul,  Lath,  Hazzard,  Patriot,  Harpoon,  Maria,  Rat- 
tle, Lady  Bull,  Highlander,  Arabella,  Dungannon,  Mer- 
chant, Omar,  Caroline  and  others  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion. Ugly,  a  very  fortunate  horse,  bred  by  General 
Sumter,  was  usually  run  by  General  Hampton,  and  was 
a  good  four-miler.  On  one  occasion  after  he  had  made 
a  capital  race.  Judge  Huger,  as  he  stood  in  the  crowd 
looking  at  him,  remarked,  "Who  would  have  expected 
such  a  performance  from  such  an  unpromising  looking 
animal!"  General  Hampton,  overhearing  the  observa- 
tion, replied,  with  characteristic  quickness  and   perhaps 


a  little  display  of  pique,  "  Perhaps,  sir,  you  do  not  know 
who  trained  him." 

Colonel  Wade  Hampton,  of  South  Carolina,  son  of 
General  Wade  Hampton,  rivaled  his  father  in  his  enthu- 
siasm for  the  turf  and  in  the  value  of  his  services  to  the 
institution  to  which  he  devoted  much  time,  money  and 
intelligent  labor.  The  period  of  his  activity  extended 
over  the  second  quarter  of  the  century,  down  nearly  to 
the  opening  of  the  Civil  War.  His  life  and  that  of  his 
father,  therefore,  together  covered  the  best  part  of  the 
first  century  of  racing  in  the  United  States.  Colonel 
Hampton  was  born  in  1791  and  died  in  i8s8.  He  re- 
ceived a  princely  fortune  from  his  father,  from  whom  he 
also  inherited  surpassing  shrewdness  and  sound  judg- 
ment in  horses.  The  stable  of  Colonel  Hampton  com- 
prised comparatively  few  horses,  but  he  was  a  prominent 
figure  on  the  turf  from  the  time  that  he  first  started 
horses  in  his  own  name  in  183s  until  the  time  of  his 
death.  Exclusive  of  his  winning  races  at  mile  heats,  his 
stable  was  successful  in  thirteen  races  at  four-mile  heats, 
twelve  at  three-mile  heats,  and  as  many  more  at  two- 
mile  heats. 

Several  of  the  best  horses  that  he  started  were  Lath, 
Gadsden,  Bay  Maria,  Charlotte  Russe,  Monarch,  Emily, 
Kitty  Heath,  Kate  Seyton,  Fanny,  Margaret  Wood  and 
Herald,  besides  others,  as  Argyle  and  The  Queen,  that 
were  not  trained  in  his  own  stable.  He  was  eminently 
successful,  not  only  as  a  breeder  of  fine  blood  stock,  but 
also  in  his  importations.  In  183s,  he  imported  Monarch, 
bred  at  Hampton  Court,  by  King  William  of  England. 
At  the  same  time  he  brought  over  six  other  horses;  in 
1836,  The  Queen  and  three  others;  in  1837,  Sovereign 
and  five  others,  and  in  1838,  Delphine,  the  dam  of 
Monarch.  Captain  William  A.  Stewart  was  Colonel 
Hampton's  favorite  trainer,  while  he  employed  as  jock- 
eys Willis,  Craig,  Welch  and  Gilpatrick.  The  racing 
memoranda  of  the  South  Carolina  Jockey  Club  spoke  of 
Colonel  Hampton  enthusiastically  as  "  The  impersonation 
of  Carolina  chivalry,  the  embodied  spirit  of  Carolina 
blood  and  Carolina  honor,  one  that  may  be  looked  upon 
as  the  main  contributor  in  our  State  for  many  seasons  to 
the  legitimate  end  of  racing,  the  improvement  of  our 
breed  of  horses."  Frank  Forrester,  in  his  Field  Sports 
of  the  United  States,  and  British  Provinces  of  North 
America,  referred  to  him  as  "the  first  sportsman  of  the 
land." 

The  name  of  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  of  Mount  Airy,  Va., 
was  a  name  to  conjure  by  in  the  early  years  of  the  Amer- 
ican turf.  He  has  been  frequently  referred  to  as, 
"Among  the  most  brilliant  ornaments  of  the  turf  in 
those  days  of  Auld  Lang  Syne."  Contemporary  with 
Hampton,  Washington,  Allston  and  others,  he  has  often 
been  placed  at  the  head  of  the  lists  of  "  the  most  distin- 
guished breeders  and  turfmen  of  America. ' '     After  nearly 


271 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


twenty  years  of  active  connection  witii  the  turf  he  retired 
in  1810.  For  nearly  half  a  century  descendants  of  his 
stud  at  Mount  Airy  were  the  best  race  horses  in  the 
country.  He  bred  Sir  Archy  and  his  half-brother,  He- 
phestion,  by  Buzzard,  Gallatin  by  Bedford,  and  the  re- 
nowned brood  mares  Alvilina,  Peggy  and  Nancy  Air. 
American  Eclipse,  through  Duroc,  was  descended  from 
his  Gray  Diomed  by  Medley.  For  years  he  was  the 
champion  of  Virginia  opposed  to  General  Ridgely,  who 
was  at  the  head  of  the  turf  in  Maryland.  These  two 
turfmen  encountered  each  other  with  varied  success  in 
Annapolis,  Baltimore  and  near  Washington.  From  1804 
to  i8oq.  General  Ridgley  was  successful  in  winning  most 
of  the  Jockey  Club  races  in  Maryland  and  near  Washing- 
ton City,  his  stable  at  that  time  being  particularly  strong, 
consisting  of  Post  Boy,  Oscar  and  Maid  of  the  Oaks. 

Colonel  Tayloe's  advent  upon  the  turf  was  with  a  few 
horses  that  came  to  him  by  inheritance  descended  from 
his  father's  famous  race  horse  Yorick.  He  soon  took  a 
decided  lead  with  Belair,  Calypso,  Gray  Diomed,  Virago, 
Maria  and  Leviathan,  all  of  whom  were  among  the  best 
race  horses  in  the  country  in  the  last  decade  of  the  last 
century.  After  the  century  post  had  been  turned  he 
continued  his  triumphs  with  Gallatin,  Cupbearer,  Nancy 
Air,  Topgallant,  Peacemaker  and  others.  He  also  ran 
Dragon  with  distinguished  success,  but  after  1807  grad- 
ually retired  from  the  turf,  which  he  quit  entirely  after 
his  victories  with  Lady  Lightfoot  and  Revenge  in  181 5-16. 

The  name  of  Major  Thomas  Doswell  recalls  bright 
memories  of  the  palmiest  days  of  racing  in  the  United 
States.  When  he  died  in  1870,  a  connecting  link  between 
the  present  and  the  earliest  generation  of  the  American 
turf  was  broken.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred upon  his  estate,  Bullfield,  in  Virginia,  he  was  in 
the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age,  having  been  born  in 
Newmarket,  Hanover  County,  in  17Q2.  His  turf  career 
commenced  in  1824,  and  the  first  race  horses  that  he 
owned  were  John  Swedon,  Sir  John  and  Sylvester.  With 
Sir  John  he  won  several  races,  the  most  notable  being 
a  three-mile  heat  in  which  he  beat  Colonel  Richard 
Graves'  Red  Lyon.  An  interesting  story  concerning  this 
race  was  one  of  the  yarns  that  old  turfmen  used  to  de- 
light in  telling.  The  boy  who  was  selected  to  ride  Sir 
John  was  taken  off  the  day  before  because  there  were 
suspicions  that  he  intended  to  throw  the  race.  A  colored 
man  forty  years  old  was  selected  for  the  mount,  and,  in 
order  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  case,  in  one  night 
reduced  his  weight  fourteen  pounds,  and  the  next  day 
went  in  and  won  easily  in  two  heats.  In  182s,  Major 
Doswell's  horse  Liberator,  by  Director,  won  an  important 
four-mile  race.  During  the  ensuing  five  years  the  Major 
was  not  prominent  on  the  turf,  but  in  1830,  he  came  out 
with  several  good  horses,  including  John  Brown  by  Sir 
Charles  out  of  Sally  Brown,    and  Sally  Hornet  by  Sir 


Charles  out  of  a  dam  by  Hornet.  Subsequently  he  added 
to  his  stable  Bayard  by  Carolinian  out  of  an  imported 
Bedford  dam,  and  Pamunkyout  of  Atalanta  by  Sir  Harry. 
With  Bayard  and  Sally  Hornet  he  was  very  successful, 
winning  several  good  races  in  two  and  three-mile  heats. 

From  that  time  on,  until  he  retired  from  the  turf,  leav- 
ing to  his  son,  Thomas  W.  Doswell,  the  celebrated  stable 
that  he  built  up,  he  was  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
and  most  admirable  figures  among  the  turfmen  of  the 
South.  An  account  of  the  horses  that  he  ran  and  the 
races  in  which  he  participated  and  in  most  of  which  he 
was  successful,  would  be  little  short  of  a  full  account  of 
the  American  turf  for  fully  thirty  years  after  1850.  Be- 
tween 1830  and  1840,  he  had  in  his  stable  Pizarro  by 
Alfred  out  of  Eliza  Horton;  Moscow  by  Tariff  out  of  a 
Spread  Eagle  dam ;  Camden,  Martha  Bickerton,  Dandy, 
Joe  Tank,  Oriflamme,  a  showy  chestnut  horse  by  Mon- 
sieur Tonson  out  of  a  dam  by  Sir  Hal,  and  other  good 
ones.  In  the  ensuing  ten  years  he  was  the  owner  of  Hard 
Cider,  Seven  Up,  Emily  Thomas,  Sarah  Washington, 
Oriflamme,  Tom  Payne,  Maria  Shelton,  Martha  Bickerton 
and  others.  Sarah  Washington  was  counted  one  of  the 
best  horses  of  her  day,  and  had  to  her  credit  many  good 
races  at  two,  three  and  four-mile  heats,  beating  such 
opponents  as  Andrewetta,  Lady  Clifden,  Hector  Bell  and 
others.  In  the  stud  she  produced  Oratrix,  Inspector, 
Escape,  Sue  Washington,  Slasher,  Fanny  Washington 
and  others.  Later  additions  to  Major  Doswell's  string  in 
the  same  decade  were  Orator,  Passenger,  Thirteen  of 
Trumps,  Mary  Mason,  Tom  Walker,  Nina,  etc. 

In  i8s6.  Major  Doswell  brought  out  Sue  Washington, 
who  immediately  began  to  win  good  races  for  him,  and 
in  1847  he  brought  out  Slasher,  who  won  all  the  races  in 
which  he  was  entered  in  his  first  season,  his  winnings 
for  the  year  amounting  to  $15,200.  In  i8ss,  the  Doswell 
Stables  were  augmented  by  the  birth  of  Planet,  Fanny 
Washington  and  Lucy  Haxall,  all  three  of  whom  were 
by  Revenue,  out  of  Nina,  Sarah  Washington  and  Virginia 
Payne,  respectively.  These  three  horses  were  among 
the  most  successful  of  their  day,  defeating  all  the  great 
cracks  upon  the  Southern  courses  and  frequently  breaking 
records.  A  year  before  the  Civil  War  opened  the  Dos- 
well Stables  held  Planet,  Fanny  Washington,  Nicholas  I. 
and  Exchequer  for  their  main  dependence,  while  many 
others  of  lesser  distinction  were  their  stable  companions. 
This  was  the  last  year  of  Major  Doswell's  active  partici- 
pation  in  turf  affairs,  and  it  may  be  fairly  said  of  him 
that  he  left  the  turf  in  a  blaze  of  glory.  His  four  great 
horses  swept  nearly  the  whole  field  before  them  in  that 
season  of  i860.  Planet  beginning  by  winning  four-mile 
heats  at  New  Orleans,  while  Fanny  Washington  at  the 
same  meeting  won  the  Club  Purse,  three-mile  heats,  and 
the  Club  Purse,  four-mile  heats,  defeating  in  the  formei- 
Godiva,  La  Variete  and  Uncle  Jeff,  and  in  the  latter  La 


272 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Variete,  Hndorser  and  John  C.  Breckinridge.  At  other 
nieetings  Fannv  Washington,  irena  and  Hxchequer  car- 
ried the  Doswell  colors  to  victory,  while  Rosa  Bonhill 
and  other  members  of  the  stable  also  contiibuted  their 
part  to  its  success. 

As  a  devoted  follower  of  the  turf,  a  talented  lawyer 
and  an  able  man  of  public  affairs,  there  were  few  South- 
erners of  the  antebellum  days  who  were  more  influen- 
tial, or  whose  lives  were  more  tilled  with  activity  in 
every  good  cause  that  interested  his  fellow  citizens  than 
Colonel  Bailie  Peyton.  For  more  than  threescore  and  ten 
years  he  was  thoroughly  identified  with  the  public  and 
social  life  of  Tennessee,  being  a  native  of  Sumner  County, 
in  that  State,  and  dying  there  in  1878.  Tennessee  was 
almost  a  wilderness  when  he  was  born,  and  he  grew  up 
to  be  one  of  the  most  energetic,  courageous,  and  honest 
pioneers  of  his  day.  Before  he  had  attained  his  majority 
he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law,  and,  being  an  impres- 
sive and  forcible  speaker,  as  well  as  a  hard  student,  rap- 
idly went  into  the  front  rank  of  his  profession.  He  was 
a  typical  Southerner,  with  easy  and  pleasant  manners, 
full  of  dash  and  energy,  and  thoroughly  companionable 
withal.  In  1833,  he  was  elected  by  his  fellow  citizens 
to  a  seat  in  the  national  House  of  Representatives.  His 
career  in  that  body  was  not  long,  and  was  remarkable 
chiefly  for  his  unswerving  opposition  to  President 
Andrew  Jackson  upon  many  of  the  political  issues  of 
the  time.  General  Jackson  was  then  all  powerful  in 
Tennessee,  and  Colonel  Peyton's  opposition,  honest  and 
courageous  though  it  was,  resulted  in  his  retirement  to 
private  life.  Nevertheless,  he  continued  to  be  a  warm 
personal  friend  of  General  Jackson,  and  the  closest  social 
relations  existed  between  them. 

Removing  to  New  Orleans  in  1836,  Colonel  Peyton 
practiced  his  profession  and  afterward  became  District 
Attorney.  During  the  Mexican  War  he  served  as  an  aide 
on  the  staff  of  General  Zachary  Taylor.  In  1849,  he  was 
appointed  United  States  Minister  to  Chili,  and  upon  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  office  settled  in  San  Francisco 
for  a  short  time,  but  returned  to  Tennessee  in  1856. 
During  the  Civil  War  he  was  an  outspoken  Union  man, 
when  it  cost  something  to  take  that  stand  in  the  border 
States.  One  of  his  sons  was  killed  while  serving  in  the 
Confederate  Army,  and  he  himself  was  arrested  and  im- 
prisoned by  Union  authorities,  who  mistrusted  his  patrio- 
tism. Nevertheless,  he  never  for  a  moment  yielded  in 
his  devotion  to  the  Union  cause.  After  the  war  was 
over  he  was  twice  a  member  of  the  State  Senate,  and  in 
the  last  few  years  of  his  life  lived  the  retired  life  of  a 
Southern  gentleman  upon  his  plantation. 

From  early  manhood  Colonel  Peyton  was  devoted  to 
outdoor  sports,  particularly  those  of  the  turf.  He  was 
absorbingly  interested  in  the  thoroughbred,  and  was  as 
well  informed  as  any  man  in   Kentucky  upon  that  sub- 


ject. Engaged  in  breeding  to  some  extent,  although  not 
as  extensively  as  some  of  his  contemporaries,  he  had  a 
small  stable,  and  delighted  in  exploiting  some  of  the 
choicest  specimens  in  blood,  form  and  constitution  that 
his  native  State  ever  had  to  offer.  Among  the  horses 
that  he  owned  at  different  times  were  Maria  Shepherd, 
Atalanta,  Black  Maria,  Trifle  and  other  good  racers.  After 
they  had  retired  from  the  turf,  he  bred  Muggins,  dam 
Fanny  McAlister;  Cost  Johnson,  General  Rousseau  and 
Chickamauga.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  owned 
Romping  Girl,  Panama,  Summer  Rose  and  other  mares, 
yearlings  and  weanlings.  The  turf  of  Tennessee  and  of 
the  country  was  richer  by  the  attention  that  he  gave  to  it 
and  bv  the  high  standard  of  integrity  and  honesty  by 
which  it  was  his  constant  struggle  to  have  it  measured. 

Among  the  leaders  of  the  turf  in  Virginia  in  the  eight- 
eenth century  the  princely  Colonel  William  Byrd,  of 
Westover,  on  the  James  River,  must  be  frequently  re- 
ferred to  by  the  chronicler  of  the  events  of  that  period. 
He  received  and  profited  by  the  best  education  that  could 
be  had  in  England,  being  sent  to  that  country  to  study, 
as  became  his  position  as  the  son  of  one  of  the  wealthiest 
families  of  the  colony.  In  the  mother  country  he  devel- 
oped his  tastes  for  literature  and  refined  living  and 
returned  home  enthusiastically  devoted  to  English  sports 
and  habits  of  life.  At  Westover,  which  was  one  of  the 
substantial  colonial  homes  of  Virginia,  he  had  his  racing 
stud,  one  of  the  finest  libraries  in  the  country  and  valu- 
able works  of  art.  He  expended  money  generously  in 
support  of  the  turf,  and  no  man  of  his  day  had  more 
influence  in  the  racing  matters  that  pertained  to  the  life 
of  the  period. 

An  interesting  anecdote  is  told  of  Colonel  Byrd  that 
illustrates  his  character  and  is  a  revelation  of  his  wealth. 
When  quite  a  young  man  at  a  club  house  in  London  he 
met  the  Duke  of  Bolton,  whose  offer  to  bet  ;^io,ooo  on 
the  turn  of  a  certain  card,  not  being  taken  by  the  noble- 
men and  others  of  their  set,  was  modestly  accepted  by 
him.  When  the  cards  were  turned  Mr.  Byrd  proved  to 
be  the  winner.  Without  a  word  further  the  play  went 
on  until  the  adjournment  to  supper.  The  Duke  then 
approached  the  young  Virginian  with  the  remark,  "  I 
owe  you,  sir,  ^10,000;  but  as  you  are  a  stranger  to  me 
I  must  inform  you  of  a  rule  here  that  we  must  know  the 
winner  is  able  to  pay,  in  case  of  his  loss."  "Avery 
proper  rule,"  replied  Mr.  Byrd,  "and  1  will  refer  your 
grace  to  my  banker."  He  handed  a  note  for  the  banker 
to  the  Duke  with  the  single  inquiry:  "  Would  you  honor 
my  check  in  favor  of  the  Duke  of  Bolton  for  ^10,000?" 
Upon  being  applied  to,  the  banker  promptly  answered, 
"  Not  only  for  ^10,000,  but  for  ten  times  the  amount." 
The  responsibility  of  Mr.  Byrd  thus  being  fully  estab- 
lished beyond  cavil,  the  Duke  of  course  paid  the  money. 
It  is  said  that  Mr.  Byrd  shortly  thereafter  left  England  for 
■273 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


a  tour  on  the  Continent,  and  never  again  touched  a  card 
while  in  Europe.  But  the  sporting  incident  remained 
with  him  throughout  life. 

By  general  consent  Colonel  William  R.  Johnson,  of 
Virginia,  heads  the  list  of  distinguished  turfmen  of  the 
glorious  days  of  the  thirties.  He  was  called  "  the  Napo- 
leon of  the  turf."  Trained  from  childhood  with  his 
father's  horses,  especially  with  that  famous  mare  by 
Medley  whose  progeny  the  son  ran  with  great  success, 
in  1801,  he  won  the  great  Fairfield  Stakes  with  True  Blue, 
and  from  181 5  onward  was  first  by  the  post  in  many 
noted  races  with  his  horses  Vanity  and  Reality.  His 
accession  to  the  head  of  the  turf  dated  from  1809  with 
Sir  Archy.  The  following  year  he  won  the  great  twenty- 
mile  race  at  Fairfield,  four-mile  heats,  with  Maria,  beat- 
ing Sir  Alfred  and  Duroc.  During  his  brilliant  career  he 
maintained  his  ascendancy  with  Boston,  Blue  Dick,  Sir 
Hal,  Slender,  Bonnets  O'Blue,  Medley,  Sally  Walker, 
Andrew,  Trifle,  Atalanta,  Lady  Clifden  and  Lorgnette, 
winning  hundreds  of  victories  with  these  and  other 
horses,  whose  names  were  household  words  in  that 
period.  Of  later  date  in  Maryland,  among  others  who 
were  particularly  conspicuous  were  Messrs.  Bowie  & 
Hall,  who  bred,  trained  and  ran  their  own  horses  to  a 
greater  extent  than  had  been  for  many  years  customary 
in  that  old  State.  They  owned  several  brood  mares, 
well  infused  with  Oscar  blood,  and  other  representatives 
of  the  best  equine  families  of  the  South. 

Mr.  Samuel  Purdy,  who  rode  American  Eclipse  to  vic- 
tory in  the  race  with  Henry  on  the  Union  Course,  Long 
Island,  in  1823,  was  an  architect  and  an  alderman  of 
New  York,  and  made  his  name  famous  forever  in  the 
annals  of  the  American  turf.  He  was  a  gentleman  rider, 
and  known  throughout  the  country  as  an  expert  judge  of 
horseflesh  and  a  trainer  of  marked  ability.  He  died  in 
1836,  and  his  remains  rest  in  the  old  St.  Paul's  church- 
yard at  Fulton  Street  and  Broadway,  New  York.  The 
vault  is  covered  by  a  granite  slab,  supported  by  four 
small  granite  pedestals.  There  is  a  marble  slab  beneath 
the  granite  one,  but  the  ravages  of  time  have  almost 
obliterated  the  inscription.  On  one  side  is  the  inscrip- 
tion: "  Samuel  Purdy,  born  May  14,  177s.  Died  Decem- 
ber 3,  1836,"  and  on  the  other  side,  "Sarah,  wife  of 
Samuel,  born  August  18,  178^,  died  November  13, 
1 813."  Beneath  the  slab  is  also  this  inscription:  "  This 
tomb  is  erected  to  their  memory  by  their  affectionate 
children." 

A  son  of  Mr.  Samuel  Purdy,  Mr.  John  F.  Purdy,  was 
also  distinguished  among  New  Yorkers  by  his  connection 
with  the  turf,  which  lasted  for  nearly  three-quarters  of  a 
century.  He  was  a  noted  gentleman  rider  and  driver  in 
his  day,  and  devoted  the  greater  part  of  his  life  to  breed- 
ing and  racing.  When  he  died,  in  1897,  he  had  outlived 
most  of  his  associates  in  that  famous  group  of  sportsmen 


that  included  Messrs.  August  Belmont,  the  elder,  Leonard 
W.  Jerome,  William  R.  Travers,  Daniel  D.  Withers, 
Judge  Alonzo  C.  Monson,  M.  H.  Sanford,  John  Hunter 
and  Francis  Morris,  father  of  Mr.  John  A.  Morris.  These 
were  the  men  who  founded  the  American  Jockey  Club 
and  did  so  much  to  advance  the  interests  and  preserve 
the  dignity  of  the  American  turf.  Only  Mr.  John  Hunter 
and  Judge  Monson,  President  of  the  Knickerbocker  Club, 
survived  Mr.  Purdy. 

Mr.  John  F.  Purdy  was  born  in  New  York  October  14, 
1 8 10.  In  1843,  he  married  Miss  Virginia  Teackle,  also  of 
New  York.  They  had  five  children— Mrs.  George  S. 
Nicholas,  Mrs.  Dudley  B.  Fuller,  Mrs.  Murray  Livingston, 
Lucia  W.  Purdy  and  A.  Belmont  Purdy.  Mr.  Purdy  was 
a  stock  broker  until  18S7,  when  he  founded  the  wine 
house  of  Purdy  &  Nicholas.  When  Jerome  Park  was 
opened,  on  Tuesday,  September  2=,,  1866,  he  was  one  of 
the  race  stewards,  his  associates  being  Messrs.  W.  B. 
Duncan,  Paul  S.  Forbes,  A.  Keene  Richards  and  E. 
Boudinot  Colt,  with  Mr.  John  B.  Irving  as  secretary. 
He  was  at  one  time  a  partner  with  Mr.  D.  D.  Withers  in 
racing,  and  afterward  had  a  stable  of  his  own.  The  best 
known  horses  of  the  Purdy  &  Withers  stable  were 
Vespucius,  who  beat  Glenelg  for  the  Annual '  Sweep- 
stakes, and  Tasmania,  who  once  won  the  Ladies'  Stakes 
at  Jerome  Park.  Mr.  Purdy  also  owned  the  famous 
Kentucky  as  a  two-year  old.  Although  he  lived  to  the 
age  of  eighty-eight,  he  never  had  a  serious  attack  of 
illness.  His  friendship  with  Mr.  August  Belmont  led  to 
his  acting  as  second  in  the  duel  which  Mr.  Belmont 
fought  with  the  Honorable  William  Hayward,  of  South 
Carolina,  early  in  the  forties. 

The  most  notable  event  in  Mr.  Purdy 's  career  on  the 
turf  occurred  in  1850,  when  he  drove  his  trotting  mare, 
Kate,  100  miles  inside  of  ten  hours  on  a  wager.  At  this 
time  it  was  the  custom  for  sportsmen  who  owned  trot- 
ters to  race  them  in  matches  on  the  road  from  town  to 
town.  Mr.  Purdy  had  a  brush  on  the  road,  and,  coming 
out  ahead,  had  a  discussion  with  his  opponent  about  the 
going  qualities  of  Kate.  The  result  was  the  100-mile 
match  for  $1,000.  The  match  was  a  private  one,  and 
nothing  was  said  about  it  except  to  the  friends  of  the 
principals.  As  the  race  was  in  progress  all  day  the  news 
of  it  got  abroad,  and  an  immense  crowd  went  to  see. 
Kate  was  then  ten  years  old  and  won.  Mr.  Purdy  had 
hired  a  professional  driver,  but  he  began  the  race  by 
driving  himself,  and  then  became  so  interested  that  he 
continued  to  drive  her  to  the  end.  He  was  utterly  ex- 
hausted after  the  race,  but  the  mare  suffered  no  bad 
effects.     She  lived  till  she  was  thirty-six  years  old. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  turfmen  of  the  last  gener- 
ation was  Mr.  John  C.  Stevens,  of  New  York  and 
Hoboken,  distinguished  alike  for  his  genius,  enterprise, 
wealth  and  public  spirit.     He  was  one  of  the  challengers 


274 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


on  behalf  of  Fclipse  in  that  famoLis  race  with  Henry  in 
182^,  when  Hciipse  I'epresented  tile  North  and  Henry  the 
South.  I'revioLis  to  that  time  he  had  already  become 
deeply  interested  in  the  tnrf,  and  dining  his  life  brought 
out  a  great  number  of  winners,  not  only  running  horses 
bred  by  himself,  but  being  also  a  patron  of  other  breed- 
ers of  blood  stock.  As  early  as  1824  he  won  a  $s,ooo 
match  with  Tom  Piper,  and  was  also  successful  with 
Ladv  Jackson.  At  a  later  day,  with  Black  Maria,  he  car- 
ried everything  before  him.  At  one  time  he  owned  the 
renowned  Medoc,  which  he  sold  for  $10,000  to  Colonel 
Abe  Buford,  of  Kentucky.  He  won  the  great  $44,000 
stakes  with  Fordharn  and  the  $is,ooo  stakes  with 
Dosoris.  He  also  owned  Zela,  a  superb  filly,  who  won 
several  races  in  the  North  and  afterward  was  sent  to 
Alabama,  where  she  won  three  consecutive  races  at  four- 
mile  heats.  After  running  Fanny  Wyatt  and  several 
other  blood  horses  for  a  year  or  two,  he  relinquished  the 
turf  and  turned  his  attention  to  yachting,  becoming  dis- 
tinguished in  that  branch  of  sport  as  the  tirst  Commodore 
of  the  New  York  Yacht  Club  and  the  commander  of  the 
yacht  America  in  the  celebrated  race  off  the  isle  of  Wight 
in  1 8s I,  which  resulted  in  bringing  to  this  country 
the  celebrated  America  Cup  that  has  since  been  the 
cause  of  contention  between  American  and  English 
yachtsmen. 

Mr.  Stevens  was  either  president  or  vice-president  of 
the  New  York  Jockey  Club  for  a  period  of  twenty-one 
years,  finally  declining  re-election  on  the  ground  that 
he  had  served  his  time  out.  He  had  an  extensive  train- 
ing stable  on  Long  Island,  where  he  employed  the  two 
trainers,  William  Baxter  and  Isaac  Van  Leer,  the 
latter  becoming  subsequently  the  trainer  of  Peytona  and 
others  for  Mr.  Kirkman,  of  Alabama.  Each  of  these 
trainers  had  a  separate  string.  Outside  of  the  first 
course,  his  private  training  ground,  Mr.  Stevens  laid  out 
another  course  of  turf.  As  every  horse  left  the  stable 
for  exercise,  trial  or  public  race,  Mr.  Stevens  made  it  an 
inflexible  rule  that  the  animal  should  be  led  over  a  large 
platform  scales  and  its  weight  accurately  ascertained  and 
recorded.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  his  horse.  Black 
Maria,  lost  over  100  pounds  in  her  great  four-mile  race. 
For  many  years  Mr.  Stevens,  with  Messrs.  Livingston, 
King,  Coster  and  two  or  three  others,  was  recognized  as 
standing  at  the  head  of  the  turf  in  the  North. 

It  was  the  particular  distinction  of  Mr.  M.  H.  Sanford 
that  he  was  the  second  American  to  take  a  string  of 
thoroughbreds  across  the  Atlantic  and  challenge  the  Eng- 
lish horses  upon  their  own  ground.  He  had  an  interest- 
ing experience  in  connection  with  the  English  turf,  but 
his  enterprise  was  of  more  abundant  value  in  connection 
with  racing  in  this  country  than  it  was  abroad.  A  native 
of  Massachusetts,  he  belonged  to  one  of  the  oldest  fam- 
ilies in  that  State,  that  traced  its  lineage  to  earliest  colonial 


times.  Early  in  life  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits 
and  soon  became  a  man  of  great  wealth.  His  connec- 
tion with  the  turf  did  not  commence,  however,  until 
about  the  time  of  the  opening  of  Jerome  Park,  in  1866, 
when  he  had  passed  middle  age.  He  was  associated 
with  Mr.  Leonard  W.  Jerome  in  the  organization  of  the 
American  Jockey  Club,  and  took  an  energetic  and  useful 
part  in  the  good  work  to  which  that  organization  de- 
voted itself. 

Providing  himself  with  a  good  string,  he  made  his 
debut  upon  the  turf  in  1867  with  Loadstone,  Ear  Ring, 
La  Polka  and  others,  and  captured  the  Jockey  Club  Handi- 
cap, the  Westchester  Cup,  the  Nursery  Stakes  and  other 
valuable  purses.  His  success  stimulated  his  ardor  for 
the  new  pursuit  upon  which  he  had  entered,  and  forth- 
with he  made  arrangements  to  go  into  breeding  and  run- 
ning upon  a  large  scale.  His  establishment  at  Preakness, 
N.  J.,  soon  became  one  of  the  most  famous  in  the  coun- 
try. He  engaged  Anthony  Taylor  as  trainer  and  en- 
tered upon  a  long  and  successful  career.  One  of  the 
most  famous  jockeys  of  the  sixties,  William  Hay- 
ward,  first  appeared  under  Mr.  Sanford's  management, 
riding  Loadstone  to  victory  for  the  first  Westchester 
Cup.  Two  years  later  he  was  successful  with  Lancaster 
at  Saratoga,  with  Hayward  up.  Next  he  won  with 
Niagara  and  Madam  Dudley,  and  then  with  Preakness, 
who  was  one  of  the  greatest  stallions  and  one  of  the 
greatest  racers  of  that  day.  With  Preakness  he  won  the 
great  Dinner  Party  Stakes  at  Baltimore  in  1870,  and  the 
Westchester  Cup  at  Jerome  Park  in  1871.  His  great 
favorite,  however,  was  unquestionably  Monarchist,  who 
eclipsed  some  of  the  first  horses  of  the  time,  and  when 
Monarchist  defeated  Harry  Bassett  at  Jerome  Park  in 
1872,  his  opponent  being  considered  at  that  time  incom- 
parably the  best  horse  on  the  American  turf,  Mr.  Sanford 
felt  that  the  money  and  time  that  he  had  expended  for 
years  past  was  returned  to  him  many  fold. 

From  187s  to  1881,  Mr.  Sanford  was  engaged  in  his 
memorable  campaign  in  England,  but  his  success  there 
was  not  what  he  had  hoped  for,  nor  at  all  what  would 
have  been  a  fair  reward  for  his  enterprise  and  the  merit 
of  the  horses  that  he  took  with  him.  Probably,  had  not 
failing  health  compelled  him  to  return  home,  he  might 
have  remained  longer  in  that  field  and  achieved  greater 
success.  He  did  not  maintain  further  active  connection 
with  the  turf  even  in  this  country,  and  died  only  two 
years  later,  in  1883.  He  was  considered  one  of  the  most 
liberal  buyers  of  thoroughbreds  that  the  turf  ever  knew. 
He  paid  $7,000  for  a  yearling,  brother  to  Asteroid,  and 
made  a  losing  bargain  of  it.  For  Preakness  he  paid 
$2,000,  but  the  great  Monarchist  cost  him  only  $1,900. 
That  was  in  the  day,  however,  when,  as  compared  with 
the  present,  there  was  only  a  comparatively  moderate 
demand  for  blood  colts.     It  is  said  of  him  that  he  desired 


275 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


to  take  Ten  Bioeck  to  England,  and  offered  to  give 
$2S,ooo  for  that  champion. 

From  the  old  Bathgate  family  of  New  York,  one  of 
the  oldest  families  established  in  Westchester  County, 
came  several  patrons  of  the  turf,  whose  careers  extended 
from  early  in  the  present  century  nearly  to  its  close.  The 
Bathgates  were  originally  from  Scotland,  and  representa- 
tives of  the  family  for  several  generations  were  leaders 
in  all  efforts  to  promote  racing  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York.  Perhaps  the  best  remembered  member  of  this 
family  was  Mr.  Charles  W.  Bathgate,  who  was  born  in 
West  Farms  in  1824,  near  the  site  of  Morris  Park,  and 
died  in  i8qi.  He  was  the  son  of  a  wealthy  farmer  and 
mill  owner,  who  was  also  one  of  the  leading  turfmen  in 
the  United  States  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  century.  The 
elder  Bathgate  owned  the  celebrated  mare  Maid  of  the 
Oaks,  from  whom  Sensation,  Onondaga,  Girofle,  Glen- 
more,  Tenny  and  other  cracks  were  descended.  For 
several  years  American  Eclipse  stood  at  his  estate,  and 
so  did  Barefoot,  the  winner  of  the  Doncaster  St.  Leger, 
in  1823.  Medoc,  one  of  the  best  American  thorough- 
breds of  the  generation  just  passed,  was  bred  by  him. 
Dr.  James  Bathgate  and  Mr.  Alexander  Bathgate,  neph- 
ews of  the  elder  Bathgate,  were  also  prominent  turf- 
men. They  imported  Mango,  who  won  the  St.  Leger  in 
1837,  and  owned  and  run  other  good  horses,  keeping  up 
a  racing  stable  until  about  i860.  They  were  afterward 
known  as  owners  of  the  celebrated  trotting  stallion, 
Toronto  Chief. 

It  was  natural  that  with  such  associations  and  such 
nherited  taste  for  the  turf  Mr.  Charles  W.  Bathgate 
should,  from  an  early  period  in  his  life,  become  inter- 
ested in  the  thoroughbred.  He  was  a  comparatively 
young  man,  and  had  not  attained  to  particular  distinction 
in  racing  matters  when  the  decadence  of  the  turf  in  i8so, 
owing  to  dishonorable  practices  of  many  who  were  con- 
nected with  it,  set  in  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  and 
for  a  short  time  he  was  interested  in  the  trotter,  owning 
the  stallion  New  Jersey  and  other  good  horses  of  that 
class.  When  racing  was  revived  in  the  years  immedi- 
ately following  the  Civil  War,  he  was  one  of  the  earliest 
to  take  up  with  the  old  sport,  and  was  active  in  all  meas- 
ures for  placing  it  upon  substantial  footing  and  holding 
it  to  an  honorable  career.  Jerome  Park  was  built  upon 
part  of  his  ancestral  acres  in  Fordham,  which  he  had  sold 
to  Mr.  Leonard  W.  Jerome.  He  also  became  an  owner, 
his  colors  being  all  green,  and  subsequently  was  a  part- 
ner for  a  short  time  with  Mr.  Jerome  in  the  Jerome  Park 
Home  Stables,  from  which  Clara,  Clarita,  Fleetwing, 
Red  Wing,  General  Yorke,  De  Courcy  and  other  cracks 
came  out  to  do  good  service  on  the  course. 

It  was  well  said  of  Mr.  Bathgate  by  one  who  knew 
him  intimately  that  although,  "as  an  actual  owner,  he 
was    never    prominent,    his    influence    on   great   racing 


stables  and  race  courses  was  greater  than  that  of  any 
other  man  of  his  time;  he  might  not  be  inaptly  termed 
'  the  Warwick  of  the  turf.'  "  He  was  the  agent  of  Mr. 
Jerome  when  that  gentleman  started  upon  his  racing 
career  in  1866,  and  was  also  an  adviser  to  Mr.  Pierre 
Lorillard  some  six  or  seven  years  later  when  Mr.  Lorillard 
determined  to  go  into  racing.  More  than  twenty  years 
after,  Mr.  James  R.  Keene  availed  himself  of  Mr.  Bath- 
gate's long  and  wide  experience  and  good  judgment. 
At  that  time  the  Lorillards  were  carrying  everything 
before  them,  and  the  success  of  their  stable  was  assum- 
ing such  proportions  that  some  one  remarked  that  if 
the  Lorillards  could  not  be  stopped  in  their  career  there 
would  soon  be  an  end  to  racing  upon  the  courses  about 
New  York.  Mr.  Keene  entered  upon  the  field  at  this 
juncture,  and,  upon  the  advice  of  Mr.  Bathgate,  pur- 
chased the  colt  Spendthrift,  who  had  a  great  reputation 
in  the  West,  but  had  never  been  seen  in  other  parts  of 
the  country.  Brought  to  New  York,  he  accomplished 
the  ends  that  were  aimed  at,  beating  the  Lorillard  horses, 
Harold  and  Monitor,  for  the  Belmont  Stakes,  and  giving 
an  added  interest  to  the  three-year  old  racing  of  that 
year.  In  1881,  Mr.  Bathgate  went  to  England,  where  he 
took  charge  of  Mr.  Keene 's  stable  and  was  identified 
with  those  victories  of  Foxhall  and  other  horses,  which 
were  a  source  of  such  gratification  to  every  patriotic 
American  and  every  follower  of  the  turf  on  this  side  of 
the  Atlantic.  It  was  the  judgment  of  Mr.  Bathgate  that 
led  to  the  selection  of  the  picturesque  site  for  Morris 
Park,  and  he  had  much  to  do  with  superintending  the 
construction  of  that  magnificent  race  course. 

For  three  generations  the  name  of  Morris  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  affairs  of  the  turf,  and  its  all- 
scarlet,  the  famous  Barbarity  colors,  that  took  their  name 
from  the  grand  old  brood  mare,  whose  offspring.  Ruth- 
less, Relentless,  Remorseless,  Regardless  and  others,  so 
worthily  carried  the  gay  jacket  to  victory,  has  been  a  fea- 
ture of  turf  life  that  will  not  soon  be  forgotten  by  any  who 
follow  the  track.  The  first  of  the  family  to  engage  in  rac- 
ing was  Mr.  Francis  Morris,  one  of  that  generation  of 
sportsmen  who  joined  in  the  revival  of  racing  in  the  early 
sixties  by  founding  the  American  Jockey  Club  and  open- 
ing Jerome  Park.  He  owned  several  of  the  best  horses 
known  to  the  turf  even  before  the  Civil  War,  and  was 
the  financial  backer  of  the  string  that  Mr.  Richard  Ten 
Broeck  took  to  England  in  1857,  thus  being  an  essential 
factor  in  one  of  the  most  important  enterprises  ever 
known  in  the  history  of  the  American  turf.  Mr.  Morris 
came  of  good  old  English  stock,  his  grandfather,  John 
Morris,  being  chaplain  to  the  Duke  of  Bedford  in  1748. 
His  father,  William  P.  Morris,  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1820,  and,  settling  at  Throgg's  Neck,  owned  one  of 
the  handsomest  country-seats  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
York. 


276 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Kven  lifforo  the  death  of  Mr.  Francis  Morris,  an  event 
that  occurred  in  1886,  his  son,  Mr.  John  A.  Morris,  had 
followed  iiis  fatlier's  example  in  becoming  identified 
with  the  turf.  He  bore  a  hand  in  founding  the  American 
Jockey  Club,  and  for  several  years,  at  Jerome  Park, 
handled  the  starter's  flag.  When  he  was  only  twenty 
years  of  age,  having  been  born  in  i8^b,  he  went  to 
Europe  with  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  in  the  racing  enterprise  that 
his  father  was  backing,  and  had  a  broad  and  valuable 
experience  in  connection  with  English  and  French  racing, 
gaining  much  information  concerning  thoi'oughbreds  and 
track  management  across  the  Atlantic  that  was  of  great 
use  to  him  in  the  future.  In  business  enterprises  he  ac- 
cumulated a  large  fortune,  and  in  1889,  he  started  a 
stable,  not  having  engaged  in  racing  extensively  before 
that  time.  His  bold  and  well-judged  purchases  of 
choicely  bred  animals  and  extensive  investments  in 
breeding  enterprises  soon  made  him  a  conspicuous  figure 
among  the  turfmen  of  his  period.  His  racing  establish- 
ment was  for  many  years  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Wynd- 
ham  Walden,  and  among  his  best  horses  were  Britannic, 
Cayuga,  Russell,  Mars,  Correction,  Ambulance,  Chatham 
and  St.  Florian.  The  magnificent  Morris  Park  that  bears 
his  name  is  an  enduring  monument  to  his  devoted  and 
far-sighted  interest  in  racing.  Mr.  Morris  died  in  1895, 
and  his  sons,  Messrs.  Alfred  H.  and  David  H.  Morris, 
succeeded  to  the  racing  interests  of  the  family  in  the 
third  generation. 

The  names  of  all  the  distinguished  turfmen  of  the 
South  would  fill  a  volume,  but  some  of  them  shine  with 
particular  splendor.  No  one  of  his  generation  was  more 
admired  than  Colonel  E.  M.  Blackburn,  of  Kentucky. 
Colonel  Blackburn's  parents  were  among  the  very  first 
settlers  in  the  Blue  Grass  State,  and  he  was  one  of  the 
first  children  born  in  Woodford  County.  Throughout 
his  lifetime  he  was  interested  in  horses,  and  for  more 
than  half  a  century  was  conspicuous  in  all  the  turf  activ- 
ities of  the  United  States.  He  was  the  owner  of  those 
famous  champions,  American  Eclipse  and  Grey  Eagle, 
the  heroes  of  some  of  the  greatest  equine  struggles  that 
the  American  turf  has  ever  known. 

Colonel  Blackburn  devoted  himself  exclusively  to  farm- 
ing operations  and  to  the  raising  of  thoroughbreds,  and, 
save  in  racing,  was  not  identified  with  public  affairs.  He 
enjoyed  the  intimate  acquaintance  of  many  of  the  famous 
statesmen  and  public  men  of  his  day,  and  never  was 
happier  than  when  entertaining  them  under  his  roof  and 
descanting  upon  the  superior  merits  of  his  horses.  A 
pleasant  incident  is  related  of  him  as  showing  his  faith 
in  the  thoroughbreds  that  he  owned  and  his  composure 
and  readiness  of  wit  in  emergencies.  Upon  the  occasion 
in  question,  he  was  entertaining  the  great  statesman, 
Henry  Clay,  and  other  gentlemen,  and,  as  was  usual 
with  him,  had  been  praising  in  the  most  extravagant 

277 


manner  the  various  horses  that  were  then  under  his 
charge.  American  Eclipse  was  still  regarded  as  one  of 
the  greatest  of  American  horses,  and  his  famous  race 
with  Henry  had  by  no  means  passed  out  of  remem- 
brance. Colonel  Blackburn  then  had  American  Eclipse 
in  his  stable,  and  Mr.  Clay,  thinking  to  corner  him,  asked 
him  what  he  could  say  new  of  that  great  thoroughbred. 
For  a  moment  the  Colonel  seemed  nonplussed;  then, 
rising  to  his  feet  and  lifting  his  glass,  he  said  in  the  most 
courtly  manner,  "  Eclipse,  among  horses,  as  Henry  Clay 
among  men,"  and  everybody  conceded  that  the  tables 
had  been  cleverly  turned  upon  Kentucky's  beloved  son. 
Colonel  Blackburn  lived  until  1867. 

Among  the  early  turfmen  and  breeders  of  Virginia, 
the  Honorable  John  M.  Botts  occupied  a  conspicuous 
position.  He  was  active  in  political  affairs  and  fre- 
quently held  office  by  the  gift  of  his  fellow  citizens.  At 
the  same  time  he  was  an  extensive  breeder  of  thorough- 
breds, a  frequenter  of  the  race  course,  and  gave  intelli- 
gent consideration  to  the  development  of  the  race  horse 
and  to  all  questions  relating  to  affairs  of  the  turf.  Col- 
onel David  McDaniel,  whose  name  occurs  so  frequently 
on  the  pages  of  the  early  history  of  the  American  turf, 
was  an  intimate  friend  of  Mr.  Botts,  but  both  of  them 
believing  most  unreservedly  in  the  supreme  quality  of 
the  horses  respectively  bred  by  them,  there  were  fre- 
quently times  when  the  natural  rivalries  engendered  by 
the  race  course  would  strain  their  friendship  to  the  point 
of  breaking.  In  a  certain  race  at  Petersburgh,  'Va. ,  Mr. 
Botts  had  entered  a  young  mare  that  already  possessed  a 
record  and  was  held  in  high  favor.  Everybody,  includ- 
ing the  owner,  believed  that  she  was  a  sure  winner  on 
this  occasion,  and  she  was  allowed  to  carry  over-weight 
in  order  to  enhance  the  glory  of  her  victory.  But  the 
best  laid  plans  oft  go  awry.  Colonel  McDaniel  had  an 
unknown  filly  engaged  in  the  same  stake,  and  during 
the  progress  of  the  race  chaffed  Mr.  Botts  on  his  over- 
confidence.  His  manner  so  exasperated  his  former 
friend  that  the  latter  seriously  quarreled  with  him,  and 
when  Colonel  McDaniel's  filly  won  the  race,  his  chagrin 
was  so  deep  that  he  refused  to  be  reconciled. 

The  conspicuous  part  that  was  played  by  Mr.  Richard 
Ten  Broeck  in  American  turf  affairs  previous  to  the  time 
of  the  Civil  War,  and  especially  his  invasion  of  England, 
has  fixed  his  name  firmly  upon  the  pages  of  American 
turf  history.  During  his  long  and  active  career  he  owned 
some  of  the  best  horses  that  were  ever  stripped  on  the 
course,  and  was  as  successful  as  most  men  of  his  day. 
He  created  a  genuine  surprise  when  he  went  to  England 
in  i8s6,  and  the  English  turfmen  scarcely  knew  how  to 
take  him.  He  was  criticised  severely  in  many  quarters, 
was  subjected  to  much  unjust  suspicion,  and  dropped 
considerable  money  into  the  pockets  of  the  English  bet- 
ters.    His  experience  abroad  was  not  altogether  happy; 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


but  it  is  doubtful  if,  aside  from  liis  laci<  of  success  with 
tlie  iiorses  tiiat  be  took  over,  he  ever  realized  that  he  was 
not  having  a  pleasant  time.  Mr.  Ten  Broeck  was  a 
native  of  New  York  State,  where  he  was  born  early  in 
the  century.  As  his  name  clearly  indicates,  he  was  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  old  Dutch  pioneers.  In  1829, 
he  was  sent  to  West  Point  and  studied  there  for  several 
years,  but  did  not  remain  long  enough  to  graduate. 
Among  his  fellow  students  were  Generals  Lee  and 
Magruder,  of  Virginia,  and  General  Emory,  of  Maryland. 
He  accumulated  a  considerable  property  as  a  result  of  his 
long  connection  with  the  turf,  and  in  the  latter  years  of 
his  life  settled  in  California,  where  he  met  with  mis- 
fortunes that  bore  heavily  upon  him. 

Few  turfmen  in  this  generation  have  been  more  con- 
spicuous or  more  deserving  of  recognition  for  their 
abundant  services  to  the  cause  of  racing  than  the  two 
brothers,  Messrs.  Pierre  and  George  L.  Lorillard.  Both 
of  them  bore  an  important  part  in  the  revival  of  Ameri- 
can racing  in  the  early  seventies,  and  for  a  time  they 
rivaled  each  other  in  the  brilliant  success  of  their  respect- 
ive stables.  In  later  years  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  attained 
to  greater  fame  through  his  success  on  the  English  turf. 
His  career  began  in  1871,  and  has  continued  almost  with- 
out interruption  down  to  the  closing  years  of  the  cen- 
tury. He  first  purchased  two  English  mares,  Girasol  and 
Blue  Stocking,  from  Sir  Joseph  Hawley,  and,  bringing 
them  to  this  country,  bred  from  the  former  Saxon,  the 
winner  of  the  August  Stakes  at  Monmouth  Park  in  1872 
and  of  the  Belmont  Stakes  in  1874. 

The  first  horse  that  Mr.  Lorillard  ran  was  Free  Lance, 
in  187^.  At  that  time  his  colors  were  scarlet,  with  blue 
cap.  The  following  year  he  changed  to  cherry  and 
black,  which  shortly  became  one  of  the  most  famous 
colors  ever  known  to  the  American  turf.  In  the  Saxon 
year  he  had  also  Attila,  James  A.  and  others,  and  in  sub- 
sequent years  ran  such  famous  racers  as  Parole,  Faithless, 
Merciless,  Barricade,  Idalia,  Bombast,  Perfection,  Zoo 
Zoo,  Spartan,  Pique,  Uncas,  Duke  of  Montrose,  Pizzaro, 
Drake  Carter,  Pontiac,  Wanda,  Dewdrop  and  many 
others  scarcely  less  distinguished.  His  splendid  cam- 
paign in  England  in  1879  and  subsequent  years  with 
Iroquois,  Parole  and  others  has  been  fully  described  in 
another  chapter  in  this  volume.  It  constitutes  one  of  the 
proudest  pages  in  the  history  of  the  American  turf. 
During  his  lifetime  Mr.  Lorillard  has  been  one  of  the  best 
patrons  that  the  breeders  of  the  United  States  have  ever 
had.  He  paid  large  prices  for  promising  yearlings,  and 
after  he  began  to  breed  for  himself  procured  the  best 
brood  mares  and  stallions  that  money  could  buy. 

Rivaling  his  brother  of  the  Rancocas  Stable  in  all  that 
goes  to  make  distinction  upon  the  turf,  Mr.  George  L. 
Lorillard,  proprietor  of  the  Westbrooke  Farm,  was  one 
of  those  turfmen  whose  memory  it  is  the  pride  of  all 


who  knew  him  to  fondly  cherish.  His  colors  were  seen 
at  all  the  important  race  meetings,  and  so  frequently  at 
one  time  did  they  come  in  at  the  head  of  the  field  that  it 
was  jocularly  remarked  that  the  Northern  turf  must  have 
been  created  for  the  special  benefit  of  the  Lorillards. 
The  names  of  some  of  the  most  noted  horses  of  this 
quarter  of  a  century  were  identified  with  Westbrooke. 
Tom  Ochiltree,  for  whom  Mr.  Lorillard  paid  $7,500  when 
he  was  three  years  old,  stood  there,  and  Ambush,  Loit- 
erer, Harold  and  other  famous  ones  were  trained  on  its 
track.  Monitor,  son  of  Glenelg  and  Minx,  was  perhaps 
the  most  famous  member  of  the  stable.  Second  only  to 
Monitor  were  such  cracks  as  Trafalgar,  Volusia,  Reveller, 
Roisterer,  Thackeray,  Glideaway,  Hawthorne,  Mentor, 
Louisette,  Hopeful,  Emulation,  Economy,  Triton,  Sur- 
prise, King  Arthur,  Velure,  Souci,  Dahlia,  Ferida,  Idalia, 
Grenada,  Greenland,  Aella,  Memento  and  other  winners. 
Spinaway  came  from  Westbrooke  to  carry  the  blue  and 
orange  to  success  in  the  Juvenile,  the  Foam,  the  Hopeful 
and  the  July  Stakes  and  to  win  the  title  of  the  American 
Crucifix. 

Identified  with  miscellaneous  sporting  affairs  in  the 
South  during  the  second  quarter  of  the  century,  Mr. 
Henry  Price  McGrath  was  afterward  known  as  one  of 
the  most  popular  and  enterprising  turfmen  of  the  coun- 
try. A  native  Kentuckian,  he  was  born  in  1814,  and 
while  a  youth  participated  in  the  high  play  and  outdoor 
sports  that  were  then  the  dominant  characteristics  of  life 
in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  He  was  uniformly  successful 
as  a  plunger,  and  was  one  of  the  nerviest  betting  men  of 
that  time  and  section.  Removing  to  New  Orleans,  he 
continued  his  career  in  sporting  circles,  and  soon  after 
began  to  own  and  run  race  horses.  After  a  short  turn 
in  California  at  the  time  of  the  gold  excitement  he  re- 
turned to  New  Orleans  and  entered  more  vigorously  than 
ever  into  the  racing  business.  Captain  Beard  by  York- 
shire out  of  a  Glencoe  mare,  was  the  first  horse  of  prom- 
inence that  he  owned.  Others  in  his  string  were  En- 
dorser, and  Black  Snake  by  Albion  out  of  a  Leviathan 
mare.  Black  Snake  afterward  became  famous  as  Lucy 
Fowler  and  as  the  dam  of  R.  B.  Connelly,  Tom  Bowling, 
Aaron  Pennington  and  Calvin.  During  the  early  sixties 
Mr.  McGrath  was  in  the  North,  where  he  was  associated 
with  Mr.  John  Morrissey.  After  the  war  he  established 
the  McGrathiana  Stud,  near  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  bred 
some  celebrated  horses,  among  them  being  Blarney 
Stone,  Tipperary,  Tom  Bowling,  Captain  Beard,  Susan 
Ann,  Aristides,  Chesapeake,  Jury  and  Leonard. 

Mr.  John  Hunter,  who  was  for  many  years  a  partner 
of  Mr.  William  R.  Travers  and  a  leading  spirit  in  the  field 
of  Northern  racing  immediately  after  the  war,  belonged 
to  the  famous  Westchester  County  contingent.  As  a 
breeder  and  owner  none  of  his  time  surpassed  him  in 
influence,  and  in  that  great  day  of  American  racing  he 


278 


THE     y\MERICAN    TURF 


ALEXANDER    J.    CASSATT 


278 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


SAMUEL    S.    HOWLAND 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


was  foremost  in  upholding  the  colors  of  the  North.  The 
breeding  establishment  that,  in  conjunction  with  Mr. 
Travers,  he  maintained  at  Pelham,  was  one  of  the  most 
valuable  factors  in  developing  the  thoroughbred  of  the 
period  that  then  existed  north  of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line. 
In  1887,  Mr.  Hunter  succeeded  the  Honorable  August 
Belmont  as  president  of  the  American  Jockey  Club. 

The  history  of  the  turf  and  the  history  of  Woodford 
County.  Kentucky,  are  indissolubly  bound  together.  If 
the  roster  of  pioneer  turfmen  had  not  held  the  names  of 
Buford,  Blackburn,  Harper,  Alexander,  Swigert,  Kinkead 
and  Ford,  and  if  they  and  others  of  secondary  stand- 
ing had  not  played  their  parts  on  the  breeding  farm  and 
at  the  race  track,  the  annalists  of  the  American  turf 
would  have  a  different  story  to  tell.  These  men  raced 
horses  in  the  days  when  thoroughbreds  were  run  for 
glory  and  bookmaking  had  not  been  invented.  No  one 
of  these  Kentuckians  was  more  illustrious  than  "  Uncle  " 
John  Harper,  who  died  in  1873,  and  who  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  the  great  thoroughbred  nursery  at  Nantura 
Farm  many  years  ago.  The  Harper  family  had  been 
identified  with  Woodford  County  for  over  one  hundred 
years.  The  records  show  that  in  1795  Jacob  Harper,  Sr., 
father  of  Mr.  John  Harper,  purchased  the  estate  that 
has  since  remained  in  the  possession  of  the  fam.ily. 
Originally  it  embraced  760  acres  of  land,  and  the  name, 
Nantura,  given  to  it  in  modern  times,  was  from  the 
great  race  and  brood  mare  who  bore  the  name,  the  dam 
of  Longfellow. 

"  Uncle  "  John  Harper  was  a  noted  character  in  many 
ways.  He  was  reputed  to  be  worth  fully  a  quarter  of  a 
million  dollars;  but,  nevertheless,  he  lived  in  the  most 
democratic  fashion.  When  traveling  he  slept  with  his 
horses,  and  was  as  attached  to  them  as  a  father  to  his 
children.  He  owned  and  raced  many  horses,  but  his 
career  was  crowned,  toward  the  close  of  his  life,  by 
Longfellow,  who  was  foaled  in  1867.  Although  he  was 
very  skilful  in  breeding  horses,  he  was  deficient  in  liter- 
ary culture,  and  often  found  it  harder  work  to  name  his 
colts  than  to  train  them  for  racing.  A  good  story  is  told 
of  him  in  this  connection.  At  one  time  he  was  in  des- 
perate straits  over  the  question  of  naming  in  a  suitable 
manner  two  of  his  yearlings.  After  struggling  with  the 
problem  for  many  days  he  gave  up  beaten  and  called  in 
his  friend.  Dr.  Weldon.  Said  Dr.  Weldon,  when  the 
situation  was  explained  to  him : 

"  Let  us  see.  Some  famous  horses  have  borne  names 
that  begin  with  L.  There's  Loadstone,  Lecomte^  and 
Lexington  himself,  you  know.  Why  not,  for  luck,  pick 
names  out  of  the  L's  for  these  little  ones.?  Now  there's 
the  name  of  one  of  America's  great  poets,  Longfellow. 
That's  a  good  name.  Suppose  we  call  the  Nantura  colt 
Longfellow.  Now  you  want  a  good  name  for  Fanny 
Holton's  colt.     Well,  let  me  see.     We  must  have  an- 


other L.  What  do  you  say  to  Lyttleton?  He  was  a 
great  lawyer  and  jurist,  you  know.  '  Coke  upon  Lyttle- 
ton '  is  a  standard  legal  work,  and  his  name  would 
appeal  to  the  legal  fraternity.     Call  him  Lyttleton." 

So  the  colts  were  named  Longfellow  and  Lyttleton, 
and  their  owner  seemed  mightily  pleased.  But,  after 
all,  the  keen  appreciation  of  the  literary  character  of 
the  two  names  soon  left  "  Uncle  John,"  and  he  either 
forgot  the  significance  of  the  names  and  their  origin,  or 
else  decided  fully  to  ignore  it.  And  so  it  came  about 
that,  not  long  after,  when  he  was  asked  to  exhibit  his 
colts  upon  one  occasion,  he  introduced  them  in  this 
wise:  "That's  Longfellow.  We  call  him  Longfellow 
because  he's  long  and  big.  T'other  colt's  Little  'un. 
We  call  him  that  because  he's  kind  0'  little." 

Another  famous  member  of  the  Harper  family,  who 
shared  with  "  Uncle  John  "  the  turf  distinction  that  per- 
tained to  the  name,  was  Mr.  Frank  B.  Harper,  a  nephew 
of  the  elder  Harper.  For  many  long  years  uncle  and 
nephew  were  intimately  associated  in  the  management 
of  Nantura  Farm  and  in  racing  with  one  of  the  famous 
strings  of  thoroughbreds  a  generation  ago.  A  man  of 
large  means,  Mr.  Harper  never  married,  but  devoted  him- 
self throughout  life  to  his  beloved  thoroughbreds.  His 
favorite  horse  was  probably  Ten  Broeck,  whom  he  raised 
from  the  time  that  thai  famous  animal  was  a  suckling 
:olt.  Mr.  Harper  has  always  held  that  horses  are  not  a 
bit  faster  to-day  than  they  were  twenty  years  ago,  but 
that  the  difference  is  all  in  the  track.  He  has  never  been 
brought  to  believe  that  any  of  the  records  of  Ten  Broeck 
could  be  surpassed  by  the  modern  horses  if  all  ran  on 
the  same  tracks.  Mr.  Harper  maintained  his  active  con- 
nection with  the  turf  until  he  was  nearly  seventy  years 
of  age,  his  life  and  that  of  his  uncle  covering  fully  a  cen- 
tury of  American  turf  history.  It  is  a  somewhat  singular 
fact  that,  notwithstanding  his  long  and  active  turf  career, 
he  never  bet  on  one  of  his  horses  in  his  life.  Old  turf- 
men will  not  soon  forget  his  famous  and  oft-repeated 
injunction  to  his  jockeys,  to  run  his  horses  from  "  eend 
to  eend,"  an  order  that  was  a  fair  index  of  his  character. 

One's  pen  might  run  on  indefinitely  recording  pleasant 
recollections  of  the  great  turfmen  who,  in  the  past,  con- 
tributed so  much  to  the  development  of  the  American 
thoroughbred  and  to  the  popularizing  of  American  rac- 
ing, and  who  have  long  since  passed  away  leaving  only 
the  result  of  their  able  and  disinterested  efforts  as  an 
enduring  monument.  Some  of  them,  as  we  have  seen, 
have  come  down  even  to  the  present  era  and  their  names 
are  connected  with  those  of  their  successors,  who  are 
still  prominent  and  active  in  every  good  measure  that 
contributes  to  the  welfare  of  the  turf.  As  difficult  as  it 
has  been  to  enumerate  even  a  tithe  of  the  names  of  those 
who  gave  the  American  turf  its  standing  in  previous 
generations,  an  even  more  herculean  task  would  be  that 


279 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


of  attempting  to  comprehensively  record  the  shining 
lights  of  the  turf  of  to-day.  Many  of  these  gentlemen 
have  already  been  referred  to  and  their  connections  with 
the  turf  more  or  less  fully  recorded  on  other  pages  of 
this  volume,  whereon  the  accounts  of  great  racing  events, 
famous  thoroughbreds,  notable  breeding  establishments 
and  racing  associations  have  been  presented.  A  repeti- 
tion of  their  names  here  is  not  demanded,  since  thoughts 
of  them  must  be  present  in  the  minds  of  every  one  at 
all  interested  in  turf  affairs. 

But  there  still  remain  scores,  nay,  hundreds  of  others, 
equally  good  and  true  turfmen  and  as  earnestly  devoted 
to  the  cause  of  racing  as  any  to  whom  attention  has  been 
heretofore  specifically  called.  No  record  of  the  American 
turf  of  the  present  day  can  in  any  wise  be  complete 
without  some  account  of  their  participation  in  it.  Their 
labors  are  an  important  part  of  its  history.  The  brief 
consideration  that  only  can  be  given  to  them  in  this  con- 
nection will,  however  inadequate  it  may  appear,  as  a 
comprehensive  presentation  of  their  activity,  be  at  least 
sufficient  to  indicate  in  a  measure  the  character  of  the 
racing  men  of  this  period  and  the  incalculable  value  of 
the  services  that  they  have  rendered  in  promoting  the 
sport  and  in  elevating  the  American  turf  to  an  even 
higher  position  than  it  has  ever  before  occupied. 

Without  desiring  to  institute  any  invidious  distinctions, 
it  is  only  fair  to  say  that  no  race  meeting  would  be  com- 
plete without  the  presence  of  Mr.  William  C.  Daly,  or,  as 
he  is  familiarly  known,  "Father  Bill."  Mr.  Daly  was 
born  in  Ireland  in  1849,  and  came  of  a  racing  family  on 
both  sides.  He  was  brought  to  this  country  when  he 
was  only  eight  years  of  age,  and  as  a  boy  lived  in  South 
Windsor,  Conn.  After  he  had  served  an  apprenticeship 
as  a  machinist  he  began  trading  in  horses,  and  at  the 
early  age  of  seventeen  made  his  start  on  the  turf  with 
the  thoroughbred  mare,  Lorina.  Since  that  time,  a 
period  of  nearly  a  third  of  a  century,  he  has  enjoyed 
wonderful  success  on  the  turf.  A  list  of  the  horses  that 
he  has  handled  would  be  exceptional  in  extent  and  char- 
acter. In  his  stable  have  been  such  good  ones  as  Civil 
Service,  Fidelio,  Florence  M.,  Bolero  and  others.  At  the 
present  time  he  has  in  his  string  Rifler,  Arabian,  Her 
Own,  Mahony,  Father  Bill,  Kitty  Daly,  Eileen  D.,  First 
Fruit,  Merlin,  Tinkler,  General  Maceo,  Hartford  Hotel 
and  a  half-dozen  promising  youngsters  by  Magnetizer, 
Badge,  Uncas  and  Fiddlesticks. 

The  reputation  of  Mr.  William  Duke,  Jr.,  as  a  turfman 
is  not  confined  to  the  United  States.  His  career  in  this 
country  has  been  eminently  interesting,  and  he  has  been 
among  the  number  of  those  Americans  who,  in  modern 
times,  have  invaded  the  English  turf.  Born  in  Wellsville, 
N.  Y.,  in  i8=i7,  ^^-  Duke  has  been  identified  with  horse- 
flesh and  racing  from  his  boyhood,  his  early  experience 
being  with  trotters.     Since  1887,  he  has  given  the  run- 


ning turf  his  attention,  being  first  a  silent  partner  with 
J.  J.  McCafferty  and  Enoch  Wishard.  The  combination 
owned  such  well-known  performers  as  Helen  Nichols, 
Hugh  Penny,  Wishard  and  Queenie  Trowbridge,  all  of 
whom  made  excellent  records.  Subsequently  Mr.  Duke, 
in  association  with  Mr.  Wishard,  organized  the  firm  of 
Duke  &  Wishard,  which  has  since  raced  with  abundant 
success.  They  took  a  good  string  of  horses  to  England 
in  189s,  and  won  many  important  races  there,  their  stable 
including  Mac  Briggs,  Wishard,  George  Ketchum  and 
Helen  Nichols. 

The  career  of  Mr.  Enoch  Wishard  has  been  largely 
coincident  with  that  of  his  partner,  Mr.  William  Duke, 
Jr.  Mr.  Wishard  was  born  in  Indianapolis  in  1865,  and, 
like  many  other  noted  turfmen,  was  first  interested  in 
the  trotting  horse.  He  entered  the  ranks  of  trainers 
of  thoroughbreds  by  taking  charge  of  the  stable  of  the 
well-known  Western  owners,  Scroggan  Brothers,  and  he 
is  now  considered  one  of  the  best  and  most  careful  train- 
ers in  this  country.  His  success  is  the  result  of  careful 
study  and  the  most  unceasing  care,  and  he  gives  his 
undivided  personal  attention  to  the  animals  in  his  stable. 
The  success  of  the  English  campaign  of  the  firm  was  in 
no  small  measure  due  to  Mr.  Wishard 's  skill  in  bringing 
their  horses  to  the  post  in  good  condition.  Messrs. 
Duke  &  Wishard  have  now  in  their  stable  George  H. 
Ketcham,  Highhoe,  Babieca,  H.  Davis,  Healey,  Stamina" 
and  Doremus,  the  two  first  named  by  Himyar  and  the 
others  by  Farandole,  Greenland,  Devotee  (or  Greenland), 
Great  Tom  and  Luke  Blackburn. 

Among  the  greatest  horses  this  country  ever  possessed 
have  been  Bramble,  Rhadamanthus,  Hindoo,  Luke  Black- 
burn, Miss  Woodford,  Potomac,  Raceland,  Tremont  and 
many  others,  all  of  whom  at  some  time  during  their 
career  received  their  training  under  the  hands  of  Mr. 
James  G.  Rowe,  or  "  Jimmy  "  Rowe,  as  he  is  popularly 
known.  Few,  if  any,  trainers  have  ever  had  a  wider 
experience,  or  a  more  brilliantly  successful  career  than 
Mr.  Rowe.  He  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1857,  and  for 
thirty  years  has  been  prominently  identified  with  the 
turf.  He  was  first  engaged  with  Colonel  David  Mc- 
Daniel,  when  that  turfman  was  at  the  head  of  the 
famous  McDaniel  Confederacy.  In  1872,  he  had  his  first 
mount  when  he  rode  the  high  class  colt,  Joe  Daniels,  to 
victory,  and  the  following  year  he  repeated  his  success 
on  Springbok.  His  career  in  the  saddle  was  of  short 
duration,  however,  for  he  grew  too  fast;  but  he  rode 
such  famous  horses  as  Harry  Bassett,  Tubman,  Katie 
Pease  and  others.  Then  he  engaged  in  training.  Hav- 
ing charge  first  of  the  stable  of  Davis  Brothers,  he  was 
afterward  in  charge  of  Dwyer  Brothers'  string,  was  three 
years  with  the  late  Honorable  August  Belmont,  and  also 
served  acceptably  for  four  years  as  a  starter.     Since  1895, 


he  has  been  engaged  in  training.    He  has  had  the  handling 


280.. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURE 


WILLIAM    C.    WHITNEY 


280 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


SYDNEY    PAGET 


280 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


of  tlic  Biookdalc  horses  of  Colonel  I  hompson.  and  of 
that  gentleman's  siiccessoi's,  Messi's.  L.  S.  and  W.  P. 
Thonipson.  He  is  also  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
James  G.  Rowe  &  Co.,  which  has  in  training  for  1898 
these  promising  two-year  olds:  Lumen  and  Tendresse, 
both  by  Kinglike;  juventas  and  Current,  both  by  Juvenal; 
Imitation,  by  Rey  del  Rey;  Morning,  by  Long  Taw,  and 
Opera  Glass,  by  St.  Blaise. 

Had  Mr.  David  T.  Pulsifer  done  nothing  more  for  the 
American  turf  than  to  discover  and  run  the  great  Tenny, 
his  name  would  be  forever  cherished  by  all  lovers  of  the 
thoroughbred  and  of  good  racing.  Mr.  Pulsifer  is  one 
of  the  gentlemen  who  have  given  dignity  to  the  Ameri- 
can turf.  A  native  of  Massachusetts,  where  he  was 
born  in  1892,  he  had  an  early  experience  in  the  West  and 
in  Northern  New  York  in  the  trotting  field.  It  was  not 
until  later,  however,  that  he  became  connected  with  the 
turf,  when  he  owned  and  ran  Punster,  Gunner  and  Sir 
Joseph.  In  later  years  his  stable  included  such  well- 
known  horses  as  Grimalda,  Rapine,  Housatonic,  Brother 
Dam  and  Drum  Major.  The  wonderful  career  of  Tenny, 
who,  as  a  yearling,  was  so  unpromising  that  it  seemed 
scarcely  worth  while  to  train  him,  eventually  gave  to  his 
owner  a  national  reputation  and  a  fortune,  and  Mr. 
Pulsifier  has  never  ceased  to  feel  a  justifiable  pride  in  his 
wonderful  ''swayback." 

Born  in  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  in  i860,  Mr.  John  E.  Madden, 
one  of  the  most  prominent  owners  and  trainers  of  to- 
day, drove  and  won  races  before  he  had  reached  the  age 
of  sixteen.  He  was  eventually  one  of  the  largest  buyers 
of  high  priced  trotters  in  the  United  States,  among 
horses  of  this  class  that  he  owned  being  Robert  McGreg- 
or, Suisun,  Rachel  and  Bel  Verra.  The  first  thorough- 
bred that  he  possessed  was  Castaway  II.,  who,  after  he 
had  passed  out  of  Mr.  Madden's  possession,  won  the 
Brooklyn  Handicap.  Some  of  the  principal  horses  that 
have  been  connected  with  Mr.  Madden's  stable  have  been 
Applause,  Harry  Reed,  Dundee,  Coquette,  Lollie  Easton 
and  Handspun.  He  also  owned  Hamburg  and  Howland, 
two  of  the  best  two-year  olds  ever  seen  in  this  country. 
Hamburg  he  sold  to  Mr.  Marcus  Daly.  In  his  stable  in 
1898  are  Howland,  Chelsea,  Baritaria,  Duoro,  Plaudit, 
Benares,  Dissembler,  Great  Bend,  Desperado,  David  Gar- 
rick  and  many  others.  Plaudit  is  a  double  Derby  win- 
ner, having  taken  both  the  Kentucky  Derby  and  the 
Oakley  Derby  in  1898,  and  in  this  connection  it  is  inter- 
esting to  recall  that  another  one  of  Mr.  Madden's  horses, 
Kingman,  was  also  a  double  Derby  winner. 

Combining  in  his  person  the  active  work  of  owner, 
trainer  and  jockey,  Mr.  John  J.  McCafferty  has  long  held 
a  prominent  place  in  American  racing.  He  is  a  native  of 
Texas,  where  he  was  born  in  i860,  and  his  first  experi- 
ence in  life  was  as  a  ranchman  on  the  'Western  plains, 
and  with  his  brother,  Mr.  A.  T.  McCafferty,  he  was  part 


proprietor  of  the  Sycamore  Ranch  for  the  raising  of 
hoi'ses.  He  took  the  first  steps  toward  his  racing  career 
by  riding  thoroughbred  horses  at  local  meetings.  Finally 
he  turned  his  attention  entirely  to  the  American  thor- 
oughbred, and  since  1889,  when  he  made  his  debut  at 
the  leading  racing  centres,  he  has  been  one  of  the  fore- 
most owners  in  this  country.  In  1893,  he  owned  forty- 
two  thoroughbreds,  one  of  the  largest  stables  in  the 
country.  Only  a  few  of  the  great  horses  that  he  has 
owned  can  be  mentioned  here.  Among  them  have  been 
Helen  Nichols,  Applegate,  Hugh  Penny,  Nero,  Aloha, 
Fred  Taral,  Bo  Peep,  Lady  Mary,  Arbuckle,  'Winged  Foot, 
Abuse  and  Don  Bias.  His  stable  for  1898  consists  of 
Burch,  Gotham,  Lexington  Pirate,  Mt.  'Washington,  and 
these  two-year  olds,  Effie  Ainslie,  Himtine,  Gold  Mine, 
Mrs.  Jimmy  and  Knickerbocker. 

Mr.  David  Gideon,  who  is  a  native  of  New  York,  hav- 
ing been  born  in  1847,  made  his  first  venture  as  an  owner 
in  1879,  when  he  secured  two  well-known  jumpers, 
Bertha  and  Judith.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
John  Daly,  and  the  firm  name  of  Gideon  &  Daly  became 
as  prominent  and  their  stable  as  powerful  as  any  upon 
the  turf.  Among  the  horses  that  have  been  run  under 
the  colors  of  Gideon  &  Daly  were  Highland  Fling,  Spar- 
tan, llluminary.  His  Highness,  Requital,  The  Butterflies, 
Ramapo,  Waltzer,  Hazlet  and  many  others.  The  Futur- 
ity Stakes  were  carried  off  three  times  for  the  Messrs. 
Gideon  &  Daly,  by  His  Highness,  Requital  and  The  But- 
terflies, respectively,  while  Ramapo  won  the  Suburban 
for  them.  The  Ramapo  Stud  Farm  of  the  firm  at  Holm- 
del,  N.  J.,  has  long  been  one  of  the  best  establishments 
of  its  kind  in  the  North. 

Mr.  'Walter  B.  Jennings  is  another  example  of  the 
gentlemen  who  have  turned  from  prosperous  mercantile 
pursuits  to  the  turf  and  have  there  achieved  success. 
The  first  horses  that  he  owned  and  raced  were  Allog  and 
Bingen,  and  with  them  he  won  many  races  on  the  "West- 
ern tracks.  In  1882,  he  brought  his  stable  to  the  East, 
in  his  string  at  that  time  being  Ruth,  Mattie  K.  and 
several  others.  Since  1884,  he  has  raced  permanently  at 
the  great  tracks  in  the  East,  and  among  his  noted  horses 
have  been  Ten  Strike  and  Bonnie  Lee.  He  is  now 
engaged  in  breeding  as  well  as  racing.  The  firm  of  W. 
B.  Jennings  &  Co.,  of  which  he  is  the  senior  member, 
has  in  training  Miss  Lynah,  Tripping,  Trolley,  Woodford 
Filly,  Ping,  Glorian,  Brier  Sweet,  Maxello  and  these  two- 
year  olds,  Lavator  by  Salvator,  Speedmas  by  Candelmas, 
Mossbrae  by  'Watercress,  Sombre  by  Midlothian. 

As  tne  owner  of  Dr.  Hasbrouck,  who  was  on  the  turf 
for  four  years  and  won  41  out  of  the  88  races  in  which 
he  was  started,  Mr.  'W.  M.  Barrick  is  not  likely  soon  to 
be  forgotten  in  the  annals  of  the  American  turf.  Mr. 
Barrick,  who  is  not  only  an  owner,  but  is  also  the  trainer 
of  his  own  horses,  has  in  his  stable  several  tried  thor- 


281 


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oughbreds:  Curacoa  by  Top  Gallant  out  of  Wauculla, 
Maurice  by  Rayon  d'Or  out  of  Maurine,  and  Sun  Up  by 
Buchanan  out  of  Sunlight.  His  two-year  olds  are  High- 
land Prince  by  Badge  out  of  Queen  of  the  Clans,  George 
Simons  by  Simple  Simon  out  of  Armida,  Oakwood  Belle 
by  Fonso  out  of  Janette,  Zoroaster  by  Rayon  d'Or  out  of 
Astoria,  and  Felician  by  Rayon  d'Or  out  of  Felicia. 

Born  in  Kildare,  Ireland,  in  1839,  Mr.  'William  Jen- 
nings, now  a  famous  breeder,  owner  and  trainer,  entered 
upon  his  duties  as  an  exercise  boy  in  a  stable  in  Ireland 
when  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  Eventually  he  became 
a  trainer  in  the  same  stable,  under  the  direction  of  his 
employer,  Mr.  'William  Disnay,  and  afterward  became 
part  proprietor  of  a  stable.  About  1864,  he  came  to  this 
country.  Spending  two  years  in  Canada,  he  then  located 
in  Connecticut,  and  shortly  became  connected  with  the 
celebrated  'Woodburn  Farm,  in  Kentucky.  In  1868,  he 
began  for  himself,  and  has  owned  such  horses  as  Kildare, 
Glenmore,  Greenfield,  Balbriggan,  Remorse  and  numer- 
ous others  of  good  character.  His  blue  jacket  and  white 
cap  have  been  successful  in  many  a  good  race.  His 
breeding  farm  near  Baltimore  is  a  first-class  establish- 
ment and  he  has  in  training  such  good  ones  as  Atlantus, 
Miss  Lillian,  Ocean.i.  Sailor  King,  Acrobat  and  Wood- 
ranger,  while  his  two-year  olds  are  Althea,  Edwin  S., 
Wesa,  Marylander,  Glengar  and  Ruxton,  all  by  Dutch 
Roller,  and  Avoca  by  Atlantic. 

A  Kentuckian  raised  among  thoroughbreds,  Mr.  'Walter 
C.  Rollins'  choice  of  an  avocation  was  marked  out  for 
him  in  early  youth.  His  first  employment  was  in  1874 
upon  the  McGrathiana  Stock  Farm,  when  he  was  thirteen 
years  of  age.  Beginning  as  an  exercise  boy,  he  was 
connected  with  several  different  employers,  and  enjoys 
the  special  distinction  of  having  broken  the  great  Fox- 
hall.  Afterward  he  trained  for  Mr.  E.  J.  McElmeel,  the 
first  horse  that  he  handled  being  the  old-time  performer. 
General  Monroe.  From  Mr.  McElmeel  he  went  to  the 
racing  establishment  of  Commodore  Kittson,  and  then 
was  for  two  years  with  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard,  Jr.  For  a 
short  time  he  owned  a  public  training  stable,  and  then 
trained  for  the  Oneck  Stable  of  Dr.  Gideon  L.  Knapp, 
where  he  handled  that  star  performer,  Sir  'Walter,  with 
whom  he  won  the  Brooklyn  Handicap  in  i8q6.  He  still 
retains  his  connection  with  the  Oneck  Stable,  and  also 
has  several  good  horses  of  his  own,  including  Deerslayer 
by  Midlothian,  Larequois  by  Iroquois,  and  Little  Joe  and 
Cousin  Jess,  both  by  Uncle  Jess. 

In  1886,  Mr.  A.  F.  'Walcott  began  his  racing  career 
under  the  name  of  the  Fairfax  Stable.  He  was  at  one 
time  president  of  the  Monmouth  Park  Association,  also 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Control,  and  is  now  a  member 
of  The  Jockey  Club.  Among  the  best  horses  that  he  has 
ov/ned  have  been  Oriflamme,  Cyclops,  Chancellor, 
Ruperta,  Melba,   Castaway  II.,  who  won  the  Brooklyn 


Handicap  in  1890;  Pessara,  who  was  second  in  the 
Brooklyn  Handicap  in  1892,  and  Diablo,  who.  won  the 
the  same  event  in  1893. 

Among  the  young  gentlemen  of  wealth  and  character 
who  are  identified  with  racing  is  Mr.  Roy  Carruthers. 
His  ownership  of  Reservoir  by  Regent  out  of  a  Longfel- 
low mare  was  his  first  venture  upon  the  turf.  After- 
ward he  owned  Song  and  Dance,  with  whom  he  was 
very  successful.  He  enjoys  the  advantage  of  a  wide 
personal  acquaintance  with  racing  matters,  both  in  this 
country  and  in  Europe.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  that 
excellent  race  horse,  Howard  Mann. 

Mr.  Francis  D.  Beard  is  not  only  a  prominent  turfman, 
but  he  is  well  known  in  New  York  society  as  an  accom- 
plished amateur  whip,  especially  excelling  as  a  tandem 
driver.  In  company  with  his  brother,  Mr.  John  R. 
Beard,  he  organized  the  Erie  Stable,  but  since  the  close 
of  the  season  of  1896  he  has  carried  on  an  independent 
stable  of  his  own.  The  horses  that  he  has  now  in  train- 
ing are  Dutch  Skater,  Nanki  Pooh,  Beaufort,  Jefferson, 
Blazewood,  St.  Nicholas  and  Tahama.  At  one  time  he 
owned  that  staunch  horse,  Lazzarone. 

From  Maine  to  California  Mr.  Patrick  Dunne  is  known 
and  respected  in  turf  circles.  His  career  began  in  188^, 
when  he  was  foreman  for  Mr.  Edward  Corrigan  in  Chi- 
cago. Since  1891,  he  has  been  in  the  field  with  a  stable 
of  his  own,  and  has  been  remarkably  successful.  In  his 
stable  at  the  present  time  he  has  these  well-known 
horses:  Flying  Dutchman,  Salvable,  Captive,  Czarowitz, 
Estaca,  Stentor,  Swango,  Dacian,  Rey  Salazar  and  Rath- 
more.  His  two-year  olds  are  Approval  by  Pessara; 
Ailyar  by  Himyar;  Barrier  bv  Leonatus;  Prince  Harry  by 
Harry  O' Fallon;  Survivor  by  Strathmore,  and  Cambrian 
and  Peleus  by  Hindoo. 

One  of  the  most  practical  and  thoroughly  experienced 
turfmen  among  contemporary  owners  is  Mr.  Frank 
Regan.  He  began  his  career  as  an  exercise  boy  in  the 
stable  of  the  Honorable  August  Belmont.  Then  he  had 
several  years'  experience  as  a  jockey,  and,  with  Mr.  John 
Hoggins,  trained  the  horses  of  Messrs.  A.  J.  Cassatt  and 
Pierre  Lorillard.  Since  1890,  he  has  been  in  the  field 
himself  as  an  owner.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  Nay  Nay 
by  Kinglike;  Percy  F.  by  Rainbow;  Octave  by  Quick- 
lime; Mohegan  by  Faverdale;  Sister  Fox  by  Silver  Fox; 
Saguache  by  Britannic;  Russella  'Walden  by  Russell,  and 
Sir  Florian  and  The  Diver  by  St.  Florian. 

A  veteran  horseman  and  a  thoroughly  experienced 
trainer,  Mr.  Charles  H.  Hughes  has  handled  some  of  the 
greatest  race  horses  of  the  present  period.  For  many 
years  he  had  a  public  training  stable  in  the  'West,  and 
afterward  trained  the  horses  of  Messrs.  Leigh  &  Rose 
and  of  Bromley  &  Co.  He  it  was  who  helped  develop 
the  speedy  qualities  of  such  cracks  as  Clifford,  Laz- 
zarone, Ducat,  Chant,  Ida  Pickwick  and  others  of  renown. 


282 


THE     AMERICAN     TURE 


FOXHALL    P.     KEENE 


282 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


JOHN     E.     MADDEN 


282 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


In  the  stiible  of  Bromley  &  Co.,  a  firm  that  is,  compar- 
atively speaking,  a  newcomer  upon  the  turf,  we  have 
another  interesting  example  of  the  participation  of  un- 
professional horsemen  in  racing.  It  is  the  presence  of 
such  gentlemen  as  Messrs.  J.  E.  Bromley  and  A.  Feather- 
stone,  who  are  the  partners  in  this  firm,  that  has  done  so 
much  to  strengthen  the  turf  in  time  past  and  that  may  be 
depended  upon  to  be  one  of  its  substantial  mainstays  in 
the  future.  When  racing  affairs  come  completely  into 
the  hands  of  purely  professional  turfmen,  as  has  too 
frequently  happened  in  the  past,  then  is  apt  to  begin  a 
process  of  disintegration  that  in  the  course  of  time  is 
sure  to  bring  more  or  less  disaster  upon  the  sport  and  all 
connected  with  it.  As  we  have  repeatedly  had  occasion 
to  point  out  in  our  examination  of  the  history  of  the 
American  turf,  this  has,  again  and  again,  been  a  com- 
mon experience  in  racing  affairs. 

Without  at  all  decrying  the  so-called  professional 
element,  or  in  any  way  underrating  the  very  great  and 
valuable  work  that  it  has  done  in  developing  and  sup- 
porting the  turf,  it  is  impossible  completely  to  close  our 
eyes  to  the  fact  that  the  fullest  prosperity  of  racing  must 
be  at  all  times  dependent  upon  the  association  with  it  of 
gentlemen  who  are  wholly  disinterested  turfmen,  and 
are  concerned  only  in  maintaining  the  sport  in  the  high- 
est degree  of  respectability,  with  only  secondary  consid- 
eration of  it  as  a  personal  business  enterprise.  It  has 
been  those  who,  possessed  of  a  profound  admiration 
and  love  for  the  thoroughbred,  have  given  themselves 
over  to  the  allurements  of  racing  merely  as  a  relaxation 
from  business  and  from  delight  in  the  sport,  that  have 
ever  exercised  the  most  powerful  and  wholesome  influ- 
ences in  working  out  the  salvation  of  the  turf,  and  mak- 
ing it  not  only  the  enjoyable  but  the  altogether  dignified 
and  socially  popular  institution  that  it  now  is. 

Prominent  representatives  of  the  class  of  racing  men 
to  whom  we  have  just  referred  are  Messrs.  Bromley  and 
Featherstone.  Both  gentlemen  have  long  been  associ- 
ated with  each  other  in  business  relations  entirely  dis- 
connected with  the  turf.  They  were  pioneers  in  the 
bicycle  trade,  which  has  attracted  so  many  of  our  ablest 
business  men  in  this  generation.  In  this  line  they  have 
been  notably  successful  and  enjoy  a  trade  that  extends 
throughout  all  the  world.  Their  energy  and  capacity 
have  brought  to  them  the  prosperity  and  the  wealth 
that  are  the  rewards  of  industry  and  enterprise,  and  has 
given  them  the  means  for  indulgence  in  other  occupa- 
tions outside  of  that  to  which  they  have  mainly  devoted 
themselves.  Feeling  the  necessity  of  more  or  less  relief 
from  exacting  business  affairs,  they  have  taken  up  rac- 
ing, principally  for  the  pleasure  that  they  find  in  it, 
rather  than  as  a  mere  object  of  revenue.  It  is  a  side 
issue  to  their  important  business  pursuits,  but  they  have 
gone  into  it  with  an  enthusiasm  and  a  careful  attention 


to  details  that  can  scarcely  fail  to  make  it  as  profitable  to 
them  as  it  may  be  enjoyable.  While  they  are  in  no 
sense  engaged  in  racing  merely  for  the  money  there 
may  be  in  it,  they  hope,  however,  to  win  sufficient  to 
demonstrate  at  least  that  their  venture  is  successful.  The 
only  real  test  of  the  success  of  a  racing  stable  is,  after  all, 
a  monetary  one.  While  the  owner  may,  perhaps,  be 
unconcerned  for  the  amounts  that  he  may  win,  he  can- 
not be  indifferent  to  the  fact  that  if  his  horses  do  not 
win  he  can  scarcely  be  regarded  as  a  successful  owner. 

A  laudable  ambition  for  success  and  a  desire  to  have 
his, -ability  recognized  must  be  controlling  influences 
in  directing  the  movements  of  every  turfman,  and  for 
these  reasons  it  is  particularly  gratifying  to  him  when  he 
is  able  to  point  to  valuable  stakes  and  purses  that  he  has 
carried  off,  even  though  he  may  be  in  a  large  measure 
independent  of  the  mere  money  considerations  involved. 
Messrs.  Bromley  and  Featherstone  look  at  the  matter  in 
this  light,  and  by  liberal  expenditure  and  the  main- 
tenance of  a  large  and  excellent  establishment,  are  right- 
fully aiming  for  that  distinction  in  turf  affairs  which  is 
the  gratification  of  every  enthusiastic  turfman  and  to 
which  their  energy  and  enthusiasm  would  seem  to  fully 
entitle  them.  The  Bromley  colors,  canary,  black  cross 
sashes  and  cuffs,  canary  cap,  black  tassel,  have  been 
carried  by  many  excellent  performers,  and  are  often 
seen  at  the  head  of  the  field  in  brilliant  events. 

For  the  season  of  1898  the  Bromley  Stable  has  some 
thirty-six  horses  under  the  care  of  that  admirable  trainer, 
Mr.  Julius  Bauer.  Several  members  of  the  string  have 
already  achieved  reputation  and  are  regarded  as  horses  of 
the  first  class.  They  are  valuable  animals  and  have 
commanded  high  prices,  but  the  question  of  price  has 
never  been  a  consideration  with  Bromley  &  Co.  From 
the  first  they  have  aimed  only  to  secure  horses  of  good 
quality,  let  the  cost  be  what  it  might.  Their  constant 
aim  has  been  to  own  first-class  performers.  Their 
string  includes  such  well  tried  runners  as  the  eight- 
year  old  black  horse,  Nick  by  imported  Mortemer  out 
of  Retribution;  the  six-year  old  bay,  Free  Advice  by 
Leonatus  out  of  Eva  S. ;  the  five-year  old  chestnut,  First 
Mate  by  Fonso  out  of  Shipmate;  the  five-year  old  brown 
Rondo  by  imported  Pirate  of  Penzance  out  of  Song;  the 
five-year  old  bay.  Semper  Ego  by  Logic  out  of  La 
Sylphide;  the  four-year  old  chestnut,  Typhoon  II.,  by 
Top  Gallant  out  of  Dolly  Varden ;  the  four-year  old  brown, 
Howard  S.  by  Whistle  Jacket  out  of  Zelica;  the  four-year 
old  chestnut,  On  Deck  by  Whistle  Jacket  out  of  Semper 
Paratus,  and  the  four-year  old  chestnut,  Orion  by  Han- 
over out  of  Blessing.  Their  three-year  olds  are  the  bay 
filly  Kenmore  Queen  by  Ben  Strome  out  of  Rose  Leaf; 
the  bay  colt,  Danforth  by  Duke  of  Montrose  out  of 
Bo  Peep;  the  bay  colt,  Van  Antwerp  by  Esher  out 
of  Reflection;  the  chestnut  colt,   Nuto  by  Masetto  out  of 


283 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


o 

LlJ 
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284 


THE    AMERICAN-    TURF 


AnnMcCov;  the  chestnut  colt,  Prince  Lee  by  Strath- 
more  out  of  Bonnie  Lee,  and  the  bay  tlUy  Bonadea  by 
Esher  out  of  Sis  O'Lee. 

The  stable  also  contains  some  promising  two-year 
olds  who  come  from  distinguished  ancestors  and  have 
in  their  veins  some  of  the  bluest  blood  known  to  the 
Stud  Book.  These  youngsters,  of  whom  good  things 
may  be  reasonably  expected,  are  the  bay  filly,  Biaisedora 
by  St.  Blaise  out  of  Fedora;  the  bay  filly  La  Cheviot  by 
Cheviot  out  of  Elsie  S. ;  the  bay  colt  Oration  by  Cheviot 
out  of  Gold  Basis;  the  bay  colt  Disturber  by  Exile  out  of 
Meddle;  the  bay  colt  Faustileby  Exile  out  of  Faust  Rose; 
the  black  colt  Kingrica  by  Kingstock  out  of  Henrica;  the 
chestnut  colt  Kinglete  by  Kingstock  out  of  Complete; 
the  black  colt  Kingmaker  by  Kingstock  out  of  Fate;  the 
chestnut  colt  Flying  Scotchman  by  Macduff  out  of  Lizzie 
C. ;  the  bay  colt  Composer  by  Wagner  out  of  Miss 
Barnes;  the  bay  colt  James  Tod  by  Strathmore  out  of 
Colleen  Rhue;  the  chestnut  colt  Falseban  by  Deceiver 
out  of  May  Ban ;  the  chestnut  filly  Onondaga's  Pride  by 
Onondaga  out  of  Frederick's  Pride;  the  bay  filly  Monletta 
by  Duke  of  Montrose  out  of  Burletta ;  the  bay  filly  Anitra 
by  Duke  of  Montrose  out  of  Miss  Mattie;  the  bay  filly 
Nike,  by  Duke  of  Montrose  out  of  Virginity;  the  bay  colt 
Rosebed  by  Duke  of  Montrose  out  of  Violet;  the  bay 
filly  Rose  O'Lee  by  Duke  of  Montrose  out  of  Sis  O'Lee; 
the  brown  colt  Anselm  by  Duke  of  Montrose  out  of  Miss 
Longford,  and  the  bay  colt  Andronicus  by  Strathmore 
out  of  Ovation. 

Of  the  horses  that  Bromley  &  Co.  have  in  training, 
Typhoon  IL  has  had  perhaps  the  most  distinguished 
career.  As  a  two-year  old  he  stood  with  the  best  in  the 
season  of  1896.  His  winnings  then  were  seven  in  num- 
ber. He  started  in  May  by  taking  a  four  furlongs  dash 
at  St.  Louis  in  50  seconds,  beating  Kruna,  Forsythe  and 
others.  At  the  same  meeting  he  won  a  five  furlongs 
dash  in  i  minute,  5^^  seconds,  beating  Goshen,  Forsythe 
and  others,  and  at  St.  Louis  in  June  he  won  another  five 
furlongs  dash  in  i  minute,  2^  seconds,  beating  Buck- 
videre,  Parthemax,  Goshen,  Lincoln  and  others.  These 
early  victories  were  little  more  than  warming  up  affairs 
for  him  and  he  next  won  the  Brewers'  Handicap  Sweep- 
stakes at  St.  Louis,  six  furlongs,  in  i  minute,  17^  sec- 
onds, over  a  heavy  track,  beating  Lincoln  II.,  Buckvi- 
dere,  Inca  and  Dare  II. ,  and  carrying  top  weight,  118 
pounds. 

Still  racing  at  St.  Louis  in  August  he  won  a  six  fur- 
longs dash  in  i  minute,  15  seconds,  carrying  top  weight 
and  beating  Dare  II.,  Zamar  II.  and  others.  Then  he 
won  the  Fast  Mail  Purse,  also  at  St.  Louis,  5^  furlongs, 
in  I  minute,  9X  seconds,  carrying  top  weight,  121 
pounds,  defeating  Gladys,  Juanita,  Forsythe  and  Gro- 
ganette.  Coming  East  he  won  the  Golden  Rod  Stakes 
at  Sheepshead  Bay  in  August,  7  furlongs,  in   i   minute, 


28  seconds,  beating  Princess  Flavia  and  Burlesque,  car- 
rying top  weight  and  winning  easily  by  1/2  lengths. 
At  Morris  Park  in  October  he  won  the  Westchester 
High  Weight  Handicap,  6,'j  furlongs,  in  i  minute,  22 
seconds,  winning  in  a  drive  by  a  head  and  defeating 
Brandywine,  George  Rose,  Storm  King,  Goshen  and 
Hawarden.  His  supreme  distinction  in  1897  was  win- 
ning the  Kentucky  Derby,  ij4  miles,  in  2  minutes,  i2}4 
seconds,  beating  Ornament,  Dr.  Catlett.  Dr.  Sheppard, 
Goshen  and  Ben  Brown.  His  other  victories  that  year 
were  a  i  mile  race  at  Memphis  in  i  minute,  43  seconds; 
the  Luehrmann  Hotel  Stakes  at  Memphis,  i  mile,  in  i 
minute,  42 Ji;  seconds;  the  Peabody  Hotel  Handicap  at 
Memphis,  i  J'^  miles,  in  i  minute,  56  seconds;  the  Me- 
morial Handicap  Sweepstakes  at  St.  Louis,  iH  miles,  in 
I  minute,  56  seconds;  the  Club  Members'  Handicap  at 
St.  Louis,  i}(  miles,  in  2  minutes,  7^  seconds,  and  a  ^ 
mile  race  in  i  minute,  15)^  seconds.  And  in  the  season 
of  1898  he  is  still  adding  victories  to  his  credit. 

Nick  was  an  excellent  two-year  old.  His  earliest 
achievement  that  year  was  winning  a  -5-8  mile  race  at 
Guttenberg  in  ^6j{  seconds,  which  he  followed  up  by 
winning  a  }i  mile  race  at  the  same  place  in  49^  sec- 
onds. At  Saratoga  in  July  he  repeated  his  half  mile  rec- 
ord at  49X  seconds,  when  he  won  the  Flash  Stakes, 
defeating  Postmaster,  Kentucky  Lady  and  others.  At 
Saratoga  he  was  also  successful  in  winning  a  58  mile 
race  in  i-  minute,  2  seconds,  and  a  %  mile  race  in  i  min- 
ute, 16  seconds,  and  a  6^4  furlongs  race  in  i  minute,  2j 
seconds,  on  which  occasion  carrying  top  weight,  107 
pounds,  he  beat  Elk  Knight,  Pat  Malioy,  Jr.,  Rey  del 
Mar  and  others.  In  his  aged  form  he  has  shown  him- 
self possessed  of  sterling  good  qualities. 

First  Mate  has  many  good  winning  events  to  his 
credit.  In  1895,  at  Latonia,  he  carried  off  the  Maiden 
Stakes,  covering  the  distance,  Sg  mile,  in  i  minute,  3 
seconds.  In  1896,  at  Latonia,  he  won  a  Free  Handicap, 
7  furlongs,  in  i  minute,  33^4^  seconds,  beating  Sir  Vas- 
sar.  Governor  Boies,  Howard  Mann  and  others;  won 
the  Himyar  Stakes,  i  '8  miles,  in  i  minute,  54^  seconds, 
beating  Ramiro,  Ben  Holladay  and  others;  won  the 
Milldale  Stakes,  6  furlongs,  in  i  minute,  15K  seconds, 
and  a  i  "s  mile  handicap  in  i  minute,  57  seconds. 

With  the  many  good  horses  now  in  their  string, 
Messrs.  Bromley  &  Featherstone  are  likely  to  be  power- 
ful factors  in  racing  affairs  in  the  immediate  present.  In 
fact,  their  presence  has  already  made  itself  felt  in  a  very 
decided  manner  at  all  the  important  meetings.  More- 
over, the  influence  of  such  gentlemen  in  connection  with 
racing  is  of  the  most  healthful  and  stimulating  character. 
It  creates  interest  among  outsiders  and  every  lover  of  the 
turf  will  rejoice  if  the  sport  shall  have  the  good  fortune 
to  receive  into  its  ranks  many  other  gentlemen  of  similar 
character  and  of  like  enterprise. 


285 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


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THE     AMRRICAN     TURF 


Stilling  incidents  iiave  never  been  lacking  in  tlie  iiistory 
of  tile  turf  or  in  tlie  careers  ot'its  leading  representatives. 
Whether  we  consider  the  performances  of  the  thorough- 
breds, or  refer  to  the  activities  of  the  gentlemen  who 
have  bred  and  run  them,  or  who  have  maintained  other 
relations  with  the  race  course,  the  story  is  full  of  inter- 
esting episodes.  Some  of  the  most  notable  events  ever 
recorded  in  the  history  of  this  country  have  been  con- 
nected with  the  race  course  and  the  careers,  not  only  of 
the  great  race  horses  but  also  of  the  great  turfmen,  have 
often  had  all  the  fascination  of  a  brilliant  romance. 

Among  the  thousands  who  have  been  most  conspic- 
uously identified  with  racing  matters  in  this  generation 
no  one,  perhaps,  has  come  more  prominently  to  public 
attention  than  Mr.  George  E.  Smith,  who  is  recognized 
far  and  wide  under  the  name  of  "  Pittsburg  Phil."  His 
experiences  have,  to  a  remarkable  degree,  constituted 
one  of  the  most  romantic  sides  to  racing  affairs  in  this 
generation.  Could  his  biography  be  recounted  in  full, 
it  would  be  most  interesting  reading,  and  full  of  sugges- 
tiveness  as  illustrating  the  opportunities  that  the  turf 
affords  to  a  young  man  of  capacity  and  dash. 

That  his  career  has  been  much  out  of  the  common, 
and  fully  worthy  of  the  exceptional  attention  that  has 
been  given  to  it,  scarcely  need  be  said.  In  a  little  more 
than  fourteen  years  he  has  risen  from  a  comparatively 
humble  station  in  life  to  a  position  of  unquestioned 
prominence  and  influence  in  racing  circles.  During  this 
brief  period  he  has  become  one  of  those  gentlemen  con- 
nected with  racing  in  the  United  States  who  are  known 
throughout  the  country.  This  has  been  a  remarkable 
achievement  for  more  reasons  than  one.  The  majority 
of  men  who  are  identified  with  racing  interests  are 
rarely  heard  of  outside  of  racing  circles.  Here  and  there 
one  appears,  who  stands  out  from  the  ranks  of  his 
associates  with  unusual  prominence.  Something  excep- 
tional in  the  individual  is  necessary  to  the  attainment  of 
this  result,  and  it  is  for  this  very  reason  that  the  career 
and  operations  of  a  man  like  Mr.  Smith  are  justly 
regarded  as  of  special  value. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  having  been 
born  at  Sewickly  in  the  Keystone  State,  July  13,  1862. 
When  he  was  a  mere  infant  his  father  died,  and  as  a  re- 
sult, he  was  deprived  of  many  of  the  advantages 
which  most  boys  enjoy.  Early  thrown  upon  his  own 
resources  and  with  the  full  knowledge  that  he  had  his 
own  way  to  make  in  the  world,  at  the  age  of  thirteen, 
he  started  out  to  seek  employment  in  Pittsburg,  which 
city  is  about  twenty-five  miles  distant  from  his  native 
place.  There  he  began  life,  being  employed  in  a  large 
industrial  establishment.  He  was  only  able  to  command 
two  dollars  and  a  half  a  week  when  he  first  began  to 
work,  but  the  meagreness  of  that  pittance  did  not  dis- 
courage him. 


Manfully  he  stuck  to  his  work,  his  sturdinessand  faith- 
fulness, as  well  as  his  intelligence,  constantly  winning 
for  him  the  approval  of  his  employers  and  with  this 
came  frequent  advancements  with  increase  of  salary. 
Finally  he  attained  to  the  proud  position  of  holding  a 
place  that  yielded  him  twelve  dollars  a  week.  Even  this 
was  a  sufficiently  meagre  income,  but  with  it  he  not  only 
supported  himself,  but  also  aided  in  caring  for  his  mother 
and  sisters.  As  an  illustration  of  his  thoughtful  atten- 
tion to  the  members  of  his  family  it  is  pleasant  to  record 
in  this  connection  that  when  prosperity  finally  dawned 
upon  him,  his  first  thoughts  were  for  his  mother.  He 
provided  her  with  an  elegant  home,  and  the  ability  to  do 
this  undoubtedly  gave  him  one  of  the  greatest  pleasures 
that  he  has  ever  known. 

Scarcely  fifteen  years  have  passed  since  Mr.  Smith 
first  became  interested  in  racing.  It  was  almost  by 
accident  that  he  was  attracted  to  this  sport,  and  that  his 
judgment  upon  the  capabilities  of  horses  had  the  first 
opportunity  to  assert  itself.  He  had  never  given  more 
than  passing  attention  to  racing  affairs  and  probably 
had  scarcely  dreamed  that  therein  was  the  field  in 
which  his  phenomenal  career  was  to  be  developed.  He 
was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  the  local  pool  rooms  in 
Pittsburg  to  bet  on  baseball  matches  and  incidentally 
learned  the  names  of  horses  running  in  different  parts  of 
the  country.  After  a  time  he  turned  his  attention  to 
horses,  and  displayed  from  the  first  a  degree  of  good 
judgment  that  resulted  in  his  winning  considerable 
money.  In  fact,  what  appeared  to  others  to  be  his  good 
luck  was  so  marked  that  some  frequenters  of  the  betting 
establishment  followed  him  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
was  unable  to  obtain  fair  odds. 

By  this  time  he  had  attracted  the  notice  of  a  gentleman 
conversant  with  racing  matters,  who  persuaded  him  that 
his  opportunities  would  be  much  greater  at  the  tracks, 
and  he  accordingly  made  a  trip  to  Louisville,  where  he 
saw  the  Kentucky  Derby  run.  Financially  this  experi- 
ence was  a  success,  and  he  returned  to  Pittsburg  only 
to  leave  in  a  few  days  for  Chicago,  where,  after  a  further 
brief  and,  on  the  whole,  gratifying  experience,  he  con- 
cluded to  remain.  Thus  began  a  permanent  connection 
with  the  turf,  which  has  since  been  his  vocation. 

The  prevalent  idea  that  permanently  successful  betting 
upon  horses  is  a  mere  matter  of  chance  has,  of  course,  no 
foundation  in  fact.  If  demonstration  of  its  falsity  were 
needed  it  could  be  supplied  by  the  circumstances  con- 
nected with  Mr.  Smith's  career.  His  theory  from  the 
outset  has  been  to  look  back  at  the  previous  form  dis- 
played by  a  given  animal,  and  to  determine  as  accurately 
as  possible  to  what  class  it  belongs.  Then,  judging  its 
appearance  in  the  preliminary  gallop,  he  ascertains  the 
odds  quoted  against  his  selection,  and  if  they  are  fair  he 
bets  heavily  and  without  hesitation.     He  possesses,  it  is 


295 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


GEORGE    E.    SMITH 


296 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


needless  to  say,  marked  rapidity  of  pei'ception  and  con- 
fidence in  iiimseif,  and  baci<s  his  own  judgment,  so  tiiat 
his  winnings  are  both  rapid  and  iai'ge  to  an  extent  that 
have  made  him  a  figure  of  the  Litmost  prominence  in  the 
contemporary  turf. 

Passing  three  years  in  Chicago,  during  which  his 
judgment  became  matured  and  his  experience  with 
horses  and  racing  in  general  greatly  widened,  he  gained 
more  than  a  local  reputation.  In  fact,  the  betting  men 
of  that  city  became  virtually  afraid  to  measure  conclu- 
sions with  him,  some  of  them  going  so  far  as  to  refuse 
his  money  when  offered  on  a  horse.  This,  with  changes 
in  the  betting  laws  affecting  the  Illinois  tracks,  induced 
him  to  come  to  the  East,  where  from  the  outset  he 
was  successful,  attracting  great  attention  by  one  of  the 
peculiarities  of  his  method,  that  of  laying  large  sums 
upon  what  are  termed  "long  shots,"  placing  heavier 
amounts  upon  them  than  on  even  money  favorites. 
In  fact,  throughout  his  career  he  has  been  the  admira- 
tion and  envy  of  the  betting  fraternity,  members  of 
which  have  endeavored  vainly  to  copy  the  persistence, 
judgment  and  good  fortune  with  which  he  pursues 
this  branch  of  the  sport.  In  only  one  season  since  his 
debut,  that  of  1896,  has  he  failed  to  show  a  balance  to 
the  credit  side  of  the  account,  and  in  the  year  just  men- 
tioned his  losses,  some  $80,000  in  amount,  included  all 
the  expenses  of  his  racing  establishment. 

A  few  of  the  many  notable  examples  of  Mr.  Smith's 
style  of  betting  may  be  given  here.  In  one  race  he 
won  $78,000  on  King  Cadmus.  On  Parvenue  in  one 
race  he  won  $44,000,  and  on  this  occasion  would  have 
won  $150,000  but  for  the  fact  that  a  mistake  had  been 
made  in  the  entry  of  Dagonet  for  the  race  ;  the  first 
betting  being  declared  off.  On  all  Parvenue's  races  he 
won  $130,000.  On  Sir  Walter,  in  the  Brooklyn  Handi- 
cap, he  won  $36,600,  and  on  Wernberg,  $36,000  in 
two  races.  In  a  single  season  it  is  estimated  that  he 
has  wagered  no  less  than  $2,500,000,  or  at  the  rate  of 
about  $100,000  per  week,  while  he  has  frequently  won 
or  lost  daily  sums  aggregating  over  $35,000. 

Betting  is,  however,  but  one  element  in  Mr.  Smith's 
interests  in  the  running  turf.  He  adheres  to  eminently 
conservative  views  in  relation  to  the  general  conduct  of 
racing,  agreeing  with  the  authorities  who  contend  that 
it  is  a  sport  for  rich  men.  His  stable  has  included  some 
horses  of  high  reputation,  including  Parvenue,  King  Cad- 
mus, Applause,  Sweet  Faverdale,  Ed  Kearney,  Cande- 
labra, Wernberg,  Belmar,  Rubicon,  The  Winner,  Belde- 
mere,  Hamilton  II.,  Howard  Mann,  Defargilla,  Kern  and 
others. 

Nearly  all  of  those  who  have  just  been  mentioned  have 
proved  faithful  and  consistent  performers  and  have  won 
for  their  owner  many  thousands  of  dollars.  It  must  be 
noted,  however,  especially  as  showing  how,  in  spite  of 


the  utmost  care  and  liberal  expenditure  uncertainty  ex- 
ists in  racing,  that  Defargilla  was  considerable  of  a  dis- 
appointment to  her  owner  and  lost  for  him  $110,000. 
On  the  other  hand  he  has  had  many  and  substantial  en- 
couragements in  his  career  as  a  racing  man.  Perhaps 
his  winning  of  the  Brooklyn  Handicap  with  Howard 
Mann  in  1897  gave  him  as  much  satisfaction  as  anything 
that  had  ever  occurred  in  his  career.  It  had  long  been 
his  ambition  to  win  one  of  the  great  events  of  the  Ameri- 
can turf  and  his  pleasure  was  complete  when  Howard 
Mann  came  in  four  lengths  ahead  of  Lakeshore  with 
Handspring,  Sir  Walter,  Ben  Eder,  Volley  and  others  in 
the  field.  At  the  same  meeting  Howard  Mann  won  for 
him  the  Parkway  Handicap,  beating  such  good  ones  as 
Roundsman,  Brandywine,  Arabian,  Lehman,  Harry  Reed 
and  Sunny  Slope.  In  1897  also,  Belmar  won  for  him  the 
Ocean  Handicap,  traveling  the  one  mile  in  i  minute,  41 
seconds,  beating  such  good  ones  as  Hastings,  Rondo, 
Tom  Cromwell  and  others. 

On  the  whole  his  stable  has  been  remarkably  success- 
ful and  it  is  an  interesting  fact  that  his  horses  have  won 
proportionately  more  races  in  which  they  started  than 
those  of  any  other  owner  on  the  turf.  One  thing  that 
has  been  instrumental  in  bringing  about  this  result  is  un- 
doubtedly Mr.  Smith's  generous  manner  in  dealing  with 
his  stable.  In  the  care  of  his  horses,  his  expenditures 
are  uniformly  at  a  high  figure.  Few,  if  any  establish- 
ments, of  the  kind  are  maintained  more  generously  or 
incur  greater  expenditures  in  proportion  to  the  number 
of  horses  which  they  contain.  He  believes  in  paying 
good  salaries  to  his  employees  and  thus  has  been  able  to 
secure  and  retain  the  best  men  in  his  service.  His  horses 
are  trained  by  his  brother,  Mr.  William  C.  Smith.  For  the 
season  of  1898  he  has  in  training  the  six-year  old  Belmar, 
the  tive-year  old  The  Winner,  and  Ahom,  a  promising 
two-year  old  brown  colt  by  Sir  Dixon  out  of  Roseville. 
His  racing  colors  are  purple  with  canary  cap. 

While  success  such  as  Mr.  Smith  has  achieved,  natur- 
ally could  not  fail  to  arouse  envy  in  some  quarters,  the 
esteem  in  which  he  is  held  by  the  turf  world  at  large  is 
not  the  smallest  tribute  to  the  genuine  worth  of  his 
character  and  the  modesty  with  which  his  prosperity  is 
borne.  At  no  period  of  his  career  has  his  integrity  been 
questioned,  nor  has  there  ever  been  a  breath  of  scandal 
connected  with  his  relations  to  the  turf.  On  principle  he 
abstains  from  stimulants  and  tobacco,  and  though  retir- 
ing in  disposition,  is  noted  for  his  personal  kindliness 
and  the  charity  which  prompts  him  to  assist  others 
where  there  can  be  no  chance  of  repayment.  He  has 
been  prudent  with  his  fortune,  and  besides  providing  for 
members  of  his  family  has  invested  extensively  in  real 
estate  in  Pittsburg,  and  in  other  securities.  He  resides 
quietly  in  New  York,. and  has  taken  several  trips  to 
Europe  in  search  of  rest  and  recreation. 
297 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


-^         '«r 


298 


THE     AM  Rk  I  CAN     TURF 


299 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


After  racing  with  a  success  that  bid  fair  to  place  his 
stable  in  the  forefront  of  our  leading  owners,  Colonel 
Jacob  Ruppert,  Jr.,  decided  to  sell  his  horses,  though  to 
the  satisfaction  of  all  friends  of  the  sport,  he  still  retains 
a  warm  interest  in  it.  Colonel  Ruppert  is  one  of  the 
most  widely  known  and  respected  citizens  of  New  York. 
Identified  with  large  brewing  and  other  interests,  the 
necessity  of  giving  attention  to  his  property  and  busi- 
ness concerns  have  been  responsible  for  his  relinquish- 
ing an  active  participation  in  racing.  He  is  a  prominent 
figure  in  the  social 
world  of  New  York, 
being  a  member  of 
many  clubs  and  so- 
cieties, a  supporter  of 
charitable  institutions 
anda  patron  of  the  fine 
arts  and  music.  He 
was  born  in  New 
York  City,  August  5, 
1867. 

The  taste  of  Col- 
onel Ruppert  for  rac- 
ing was  the  growth 
of  years  of  experience 
with  horses.  Own- 
ing many  fine  animals 
for  driving  or  riding, 
he  naturally  became 
in  time  a  lover  of  the 
thoroughbred  and  of 
the  turf,  and  in  1891 
became  active  in  the 
sport,  the  formation 
of  his  celebrated  stable 
having  commenced  in 
the  autumn  of  that 
year.  He  purchased 
several  horses,  pay- 
ing high  prices  and 
selecting  animals 
whose  pedigrees  gave 
assurances  that  they 
would  develop  into 
meritorious  perform- 
ers.     The    breeding 

establishments  of  the  country  were  searched  for  likely 
recruits,  and  the  owner  of  the  new  stable  showed  no 
narrow  spirit  in  making  his  choice,  but  impartially 
drafted  into  his  string  representatives  of  many  different 
strains  of  thoroughbred  blood.  In  a  majority  of  in- 
stances he  was  successful,  many  of  his  young  horses 
becoming  noted  performers. 

Among  the  sons  and  daughters  of  famous  sires  and 


dams  who  were  included  in  the  stable  were  Ajax, 
Counter  Tenor,  Gotham,  Manchester,  Sport,  Chatta- 
nooga, Longdale  and  The  Manxman,  all  of  whom  were 
fiequent  winners.  Bamberg,  Barine,  Barytone  II.,  Brier- 
wood.  Dare  All,  Favara,  Irvington,  Sandnymph,  Mya, 
Nihilist,  Pequod,  Stockbridge,Tanis,Tappawand  Winde- 
mere  were  also  among  the  aggregation,  though  he  raced 
but  few  of  them,  and  all  were  sold  when  he  decided  to 
retire  from  racing,  in  1895.  He,  however,  retained  Con- 
cord (a  full  brother  to  Tyro)  by  Longfellow  out  of  Leon- 
ora Morris  and  East- 
ertide by  Lisbon  out 
of  Easterday. 

The  members  of 
this  string  which 
found  most  favor  in 
Colonel  Ruppert's 
eyes  were  Counter 
Tenor  and  Gotham, 
whom  he  believed  to 
be  among  the  fastest 
horses  in  the  world 
and  in  fact  refused  an 
offer  of  $60,000  for 
the  pair.  He  also  paid 
$30,000  for  St.  Do- 
mingo as  a  yearling, 
but  the  youngster 
justified  neither  his 
lineage  nor  his  cost, 
being  a  practical  fail- 
ure. Ajax,  however, 
was  a  speedy  animal 
and  placed  many  races 
to  his  credit.  His  win- 
nings, including  1896, 
reached  a  total  01 
$36,000. 

Colonel  Ruppert 
during  his  turf  career 
was  liberal  with  his 
employees  and  popu- 
lar alike  with  the 
officials  and  the  pub- 
lic. His  horses  were 
'  trained  by  Messrs. 
William  Huston,  John  Campbell  and  William  Lakeland. 
The  latter  retained  charge  of  Concord  and  Eastertide  after 
the  Colonel's  retirement,  which  was  sincerely  regretted 
as  a  loss  to  honorable  sport  and  correct  methods.  Among 
the  turf  organizations  with  which  Colonel  Ruppert 
is  connected  are  the  Coney  Island  and  the  Brooklyn 
Jockey  Clubs  and  the  Suburban  Riding  and  Driving 
Association. 


JACOB   RUPPERT,  Jr. 


300 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


No  American  horseman  of  the  present  day  has  more 
reason  to  be  proud  of  the  part  he  has  played  in  the 
history  of  the  turf  than  Mr.  Matthew  Byrnes.  Suc- 
cessful as  a  jockey  in  his  early  years,  he  then  became, 
and  has  since  remained,  one  of  the  foremost  of  train- 
ers, and  has  prepared  many  of  the  best  animals  that 
ever  graced  the  turf  with  their  victories.  Mr.  Byrnes 
was  born  in  18S4  and,  coming  to  America  while  yet 
very  young,  has  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  life  in  the 
vicinity   of  New  York. 

The  initial  step  in  his 
career  on  the  turf  was 
taken  when  he  entered 
the  stable  of  Mr.  James 
Bevins,  of  Long  Island, 
where  he  remained  one 
year,  engaging  then  with 
Major  Bacon,  whom  he 
left  the  following  season 
to  enter  the  service  of 
Mr.  Wyndham  Walden, 
the  veteran  trainer.  The 
Hon.  August  Belmont 
was  Mr.  Byrnes'  next 
employer,  with  whom 
he  remained  seven  years. 
His  career  in  the  saddle 
was  soon  brought  to  an 
end,  however,  as  he  de- 
veloped in  age  and  in 
weight.  He  then  pur- 
chased for  his  own  ac- 
count several  horses, 
among  them  Venango, 
Nettie  B.,  KingB.,  Saun- 
terer,  and  a  number  of 
others,  which  he  raced 
through  the  Eastern  and 
Middle  States  with  fair 
success.  Subsequently 
he  trained  the  thorough- 
breds of  Mr.  Lyme  Hitch- 
cock, of  Boston,  among 
them  being  such  useful 
horses  as  Limestone, 
Quito  and  Galway.  Soon  afterward  he  joined  Mr.  Jacob 
Pincus  in  charge  of  Mr.  William  Astor's  horses,  and 
then  as  first  assistant  trainer  to  Mr.  Pincus,  became 
attached  to  the  stable  of  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard. 

When  Mr.  Lorillard  made  his  famous  campaign  in 
Europe  he  tookj^Mr.  Pincus  with  him.  Mr.  Byrnes  was 
offered  the  honor  of  becoming  trainer  for  those  of  Mr. 
Lorillard's  horses  that  remained  on  this  side  of  the 
ocean,   but  he    declined    in    favor    of   Anthony  Taylor, 


MATTHEW    BYRNES 


with  whom  he  remained  as  foreman.  At  the  end  of 
six  months,  however,  he  was  induced  to  take  charge 
of  the  stable  in  which  Mr.  Lorillard  had  such  well 
known  performers  as  Parole,  Wyoming,  Hiwasse,  Ar- 
anza,  Barrett,  Wanda,  Dew  Drop,  Pontiac  and  Drake 
Carter.  During  five  years  he  remained  with  the  Ran- 
cocas  Stable,  and  when  that  was  finally  disposed  of  he 
trained  such  horses  as  the  Dwyer  Brothers  purchased 
at  Mr.    Lorillard's    sale.     In    securing   Dew   Drop   and 

Pontiac,  together  with 
the  services  of  Mr. 
Byrnes,  the  Dwyers 
placed  their  fortunes  in 
connection  with  racing 
upon  a  firm  foundation. 
A  year  was  spent  in  the 
employ  of  the  Dwyer 
Brothers,  and  then  Mr. 
Byrnes  accepted  a  posi- 
tion with  Mr.  J.  B.  Hag- 
gin,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained until  Mr.  Hag- 
gin  retired  from  racing. 
It  was  for  Mr.  Haggin 
that  he  trained  some  of 
the  greatest  race  horses 
America  ever  possessed, 
among  them  being  those 
remarkable  animals,  Sal- 
vator  and  Firenze. 

Next,  Mr.  Byrnes  was 
attached  to  the  establish- 
ment of  Mr.  Marcus 
Daly,  of  the  Bitter  Root 
Stock  Farm.  There  he 
handled  the  famous 
horses  that  have  been 
identified  with  Mr. 
Daly's  racing  colors. 
Several  years  ago,  Mr. 
Byrnes  purchased  a  farm 
at  Eatontown,  N.  J.,  op- 
posite the  Monmouth 
Park  track.  It  is  known 
as  the  Chestnut  Hill  Farm, 
and  its  owner,  at  an  expenditure  of  $50,000,  has  made 
it  a  complete  breeding  establishment. 

Mr.  Byrnes'  career  as  a  trainer  has  been  rounded  out 
with  all  that  could  be  asked  for  in  the  shape  of  success. 
Besides  this,  his  own  horses  have  been  prominent  on  the 
turt,  among  them  having  been  George  Kessler,  a  son  of 
Salvator  and  Miss  Woodford;  and  Salvado,  a  son  of 
Salvator  and  Orion.  His  name  will  go  down  to  poster- 
ity as  one  of  the  greatest  trainers  of  the  day. 


301 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


One  of  the  real  old-timers  of  the  American  turf  is  Mr. 
Green  B.  Morris.  Probably  few  American  turfmen  now 
living  have  handled  a  greater  number  of  first  class 
horses.  Mr.  Morris  was  born  in  Madison,  Miss.,  in 
1837.  When  he  was  a  mere  child  his  father  removed  to 
White  River,  Mo.,  where  he  was  brought  up.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen  he  left  home  and  engaged  in  driving  a 
cattle  train  across  the  plains  to  California,  and  in  the 
Golden  State  he  engaged  in  mining  and  afterward  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  During  the  last  year  of  the  Civil 
War  he  started  East 
again,  buying  and  sell- 
ing horses  and  finally 
entered  the  racing  field 
in  Missouri  and  Texas. 

His  success  was 
considerable  from  the 
outset,  and  he  was 
soon  able  to  come 
North  and  take  part 
in  the  meetings  in  and 
around  New  York. 
From  that  time  on  he 
has  raced  regulai'ly 
at  all  the  important 
courses  in  the  coim- 
try.  For  some  yeais 
he  was  in  partnership 
with  Mr.  James  Pat- 
ton,  and  that  reliable 
horse,  Bill  Dillon, 
whom  he  purchased 
from  Mr.  Patton,  was 
the  first  to  bring  suc- 
cess to  him.  After  the 
dissolution  of  that 
partnership  he  en- 
gaged in  racing  inde- 
pendently. 

Some  of  the  most 
famous  horses  ever 
known  to  the  Ameri- 
can turf  have  been 
owned  and  run  by 
Mr..  Morris  at  some  period  in  their  career. 
have  been  Judge  Morrow,  the  winner  of  the  Brooklyn 
Handicap;  Sir  Dixon,  Strath meath.  Tipstaff,  Drake 
Carter,  Rex,  Gold  Bug,  Duke  of  Kent,  Fellowplay, 
Knight  Templar,  and  numerous  others  of  equal  distinc- 
tion. Although  his  turf  career  has  never  been  of  a  sen- 
sational character,  there  have  been  many  years  when  he 
has  been  ranked  high  up  on  the  list  of  winning  owners. 
He  has  been  conspicuously  a  representative  of  a  class  of 
hard  working,  practical  racing  men,  who  have  done  as 


Among  them 


much  as  any  of  their  associates  to  develop  and  improve 
the  sport. 

A  notable  example  of  Mr.  Morris'  skill  was  Star  Ruby. 
This  horse  he  took  charge  of  for  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin,  and 
developed  him  into  a  great  racer.  Star  Ruby  could 
travel  almost  any  distance.  He  won  the  Thornton  Stakes 
in  California  in  1896,  the  time,  7  minutes,  23^  seconds, 
being  one  of  the  sensational  features  of  that  season. 

In  recent  years  the  principal  horses  that  Mr.  Morris 
has  run  have  been  Lobengula,  Sallie  Clicquot,  Sir  Dick, 

Sandowne  and  others. 
With    Lobengula,    in 

1897,  he  won  many 
good  races.  At  the 
Fort  Erie, Ont,, Course 
he  won  a  one-mile 
event  in  i  minute, 42  J^ 
seconds,  and  a  i-^-^ 
mile  in  i  minute,  47^ 
seconds.  At  Morris 
Park,  at  the  Novem- 
ber meeting,  he  ran 
I H  miles  over  the 
hill  in  I  minute,  55 
seconds,  beating  Ben 
Eder  and  other  fair 
horses.  SallieClicquot, 
by  Salvator  out  of  the 
Widow  Clicquot,  was 
also  a  good  winner  in 
1897. 

For  the    season    ot 

1898,  Mr.  Morris  has 
had  in  training  Sir 
Dick  by  Sir  Dixon  out 
of  Fauna;  the  bay 
colt  Fresmarby  Frenso 
out  of  Martine;  the 
brown  colt  Tyrba  by 
Tyrant  out  of  Baby; 
the  chestnut  colt  Tyr- 
shena  by  Tyrant  out 
of  Shena  Van;  the 
chestnut    colt    Isling- 

tem  by  Islington  out  of  Temascal,  and  the  bay  colt 
July  Gip  by  July  out  of  Gipsy.  These  are  all  two-year 
olds,  except  Sir  Dick,  who  is  three  years  old.  During 
his  long  career,  Mr.  Morris  has  raised  trainers  and 
jockeys,  as  well  as  horses.  He  has  been  skillful  in 
instructing  some  of  the  boys  and  men  who  in  sub- 
sequent years  have  achieved  reputation  in  connection 
with  racing.  Among  them  have  been  Jim  Harris,  Ed 
Heffner,  Bob  Tucker,  Willie  Martin,  Cad  Dogget  and 
many  others, 


■rill'.     AMI' kIC.W"     TURF 


Oiu'  (il  the  niDSl  pdpular  IraiiKis  in  AiiK-rica  is  Mr. 
.Andrew  J.  Joyiier  or  " Jack  "  Joyner,  as  he  is  known  all 
over  the  country.  He  has  been  identi'.ied  with  racing, 
and  with  thoroughbreds,  from  the  time  that  he  was  a 
mere  lad.  Reserved  his  apprenticeship  for  several  years 
with  Mr.  William  Wyche,  one  of  the  most  successful  old- 
time   trainers,   but   now  long   since   passed    away.     In 

1878,  he  appeared  upon  the  turf  with  the  mare  Annie  G., 
and  with  her  he  beat  the  bushes  of  the  two  Carolinas, 
carrying  off  many  prizes  at  the  county  fairs.  For  four 
years,    beginning    with 

1879,  he  was  foreman 
for  Mr.  W.  P.  Burch.  In 
the  stable  of  that  turf- 
man were  such  good 
performers  as  Governor 
Hampton,  Colonel 
Sprague,  Helen  Wallace, 
Decoy  Duck,  Mittie  B.. 
Burch  and  others.  The 
success  of  these  horses 
was  in  the  largest  meas- 
ure due  to  Mr.  Joyner's 
skill  in  handling  them. 
After  leaving  Mr.  Burch, 
he  was  engaged  in  train- 
ing for  Davis  &  Hall  un- 
til 1889.  The  horses 
that  were  under  his 
charge  were  invariably 
brought  to  the  post  in 
the  pink  of  condition, 
and  a  generous  share  of 
the  good  things  of  the 
race  meetings  fell  to 
them.  When  Messrs.  Da- 
vis &  Hall  retired,  Mr. 
joyner  made  a  venture  on 
his  own  account.  He 
bought  several  ^ood 
horses,  among  them  that 
excellent  winner  Chesa- 
peake, and  his  colors 
flashed  to  the  front  in 
many  a  close  finish. 
Subsequently,  he  opened 
a  public  training  stable,  where  he  handled  his  own  horses 
and  also  several  for  Messrs.  August  Belmont  and  J.  E. 
McDonald.  His  success  was  of  such  a  decided  charac- 
ter that  Mr.  Belmont  signed  a  contract  with  him  to  train 
for  the  Belmont  Stable,  and  he  remained  there  until  the 
close  of  the  season  of  1895.  During  the  last  year  of  his  con- 
nection with  Mr.  Belmont,  the  horses  trained  by  him  were 
returned  winners  on  over  forty  different  occasions. 


ANDREW  J.   JOYNER 


l\'rhaps  nothing  has,  in  his  long  career,  given  Mr. 
joyner  more  satisfaction  than  his  success  with  Oritlamme. 
Mr.  James  G.  Rowe  had  given  Oriflamme  to  Mr.  T.  B. 
Davis  for  stud  purposes,  it  being  supposed  that  the 
horse  was  broken  down.  When  Mr.  Joyner  started 
South  with  him  he  was  very  lame,  but  when  he  landed 
at  Washington,  strange  to  say,  he  was  apparently 
sound,  and  Mr.  Davis  was  persuaded  by  Mr.  Joyner  to 
have  him  trained  for  another  year.  The  plan  was  most 
successful,  as  the  turf  world  well  knows,  for  after  Mr. 

Joyner  had  brought  Ori- 
flamme into  condition  he 
beat  all  the  best  horses 
he  met,  including  Fir- 
enze  in  the  Fordham 
Handicap,  and  he  ran 
unplaced  only  once  in 
seventeen  starts. 

Recently,  Mr.  Joyner 
has  had  in  his  stable 
the  horses  of  Messrs. 
David  Gideon,  W.  A. 
Chanler  and  Oliver  H.  P. 
Belmont.  The  Gideon 
horses  that  he  has 
brought  to  notable 
victories  are  Leedsville 
by  Pontiac  out  of  The 
Squaw:  Philip  by  im- 
ported Rayon  D'Or  out 
of  Carrie  Phillips;  Froh- 
man  by  Himyar  out  of 
Jewel  Ban;  Wasteful  by 
Knight  of  Ellerslie  out  of 
Squander;  Katisha  by 
imported  Darebin  out  of 
Yum  Yum ;  Touraine  by 
Himyar  out  of  Lady  Ag- 
.  nes;  and  Jack  Point  by 
Sir  Dixon  out  of  Merry 

The  horses  which  Mr. 
Jovner  owns  are  Her- 
mann the  Great  by  Strat- 
ford out  of  Covee;  Au- 
tumn by  Uncas  out  of 
Meadowvale;  Mr.  Clay  by  imported  Darebin  out  of  Miss 
Clay;  Menu  by  imported  i3arebin  out  of  Cuisine;  Sagasta 
by  Hayden  Edwards:  Ninety  Cents  by  imported  Sir 
Modred;  Mail  Bag  by  Kinglike  and  King's  Pride  by 
Prestonpans.  The  name  of  Joyner  has  always  been 
inseparably  connected  with  the  best  interests  of  his 
employers.  His  talent  and  devotion  to  the  turf  give  him 
a  fixed  place  among  America's  great  trainers. 


303 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Prominent  among  the  trainers  of  American  tlnorougii- 
breds  is  Mr.  Frank  McCabe,  many  years  identified  witli 
the  red,  blue  sash  colors,  of  Dwyer  Bros.'  Stable.  Mr. 
McCabe  was  born  at  Paterson,  N.  J.,  March  15,  1859,  and 
as  a  boy  entered  the  stable  of  Col.  McDaniel  at  Secaucus, 
N.  J.,  where  he  was  employed  exercising  horses  be- 
longing to  that  gentleman,  with  whom  he  remained 
eight  years.  Then  he  engaged  with  a  Canadian  owner, 
Mr.  Valentine,  with  whom  he  had  the  usual  preliminary 
training,  and  acquired 
a  firm  understanding 
of  all  details  connected 
with  the  management 
and  preparation  of 
horses  for  the  track. 

During  his  stay  with 
Mr.  Valentine  he  ac- 
quired some  means  and 
after  five  years  of  serv- 
ice he  branched  out 
as  an  owner  and  train- 
er, buying  several 
horses,  among  them 
being  Ascot  and  Flavia. 
After  two  or  three 
years'  ownership  he 
disposed  of  his  stable 
and  then  entered  upon 
an  engagement  which 
resulted  in  making  him 
foremost  as  a  trainer  of 
thoroughbreds. 

At  the  time  Mr.  James 
G..  Rowe  was  in  charge 
of  Dwyer  Bros. '  horses, 
McCabe  was  employed 
to  assist  him,  which 
position  he  retained  un- 
til Mr.  Rowe  severed 
his  connection  with  the 
stable;  then  he  was  put 
in  sole  charge  of  the 
entire  string. 

Previous  to  his  en- 
gagement with  the 
Dwyer  Bros.,  McCabe 
had  ridden  some  of  America's  lamous  thoroughbreds. 
Among  others  was  Joe  Daniels,  winner  of  the  sixth 
Belmont,  and  a  horse  that  had  shown  as  high  form  as  any 
two-year  old  of  his  day.  Stockwood,  reared  in  Kentucky, 
was  another  of  McCabe's  mounts.  He  was  owned  by 
Mr.  Daniel  Swigert  and  was  at  one  time  considered  an 
excellent  horse.  Hubbard,  Sue  Rider,  Ocleope,  and 
manv  others  were  also  piloted  in  their  races  by  McCabe. 


FRANK  McCABE 


Finally,  however,  like  many  other  jockeys,  he  began  to 
take  on  flesh  beyond  the  possibility  of  reducing  to  light 
weight  and  was  forced  to  abandon  the  saddle. 

Naturally  the  step  from  being  a  jockey  to  becoming  a 
trainer  was  easy  to  take,  and  for  years  past  Mr.  McCabe 
has  given  his  entire  attention  to  this  branch  of  horse  rac- 
ing. During  his  career  as  trainer  he  has  been  pre- 
eminently successful  in  bringing  to  the  post  those  noted 
turf  wonders  whose  names,  so  brilliantly  and  imperish- 

ably  connected  with 
the  Dwyer  Brothers, 
will  be  readily  and 
agreeably  recalled. 
Many  of  them  will  fig- 
ure most  conspicuously 
in  the  history  of  Amer- 
ica's greatest  thorough- 
breds of  this  or  of  any 
other  period  and  it  has 
been  in  no  small  meas- 
ure due  to  Mr.  Mc- 
Cabe's skill  that  they 
were  able  to  win  some 
of  the  greatest  prizes 
known  to  the  contem- 
poraneous turf. 

When  the  Dwyer 
Brothers  dissolved 
partnership  in  1890, 
Mr.  McCabe  was  en- 
gaged for  a  short  time 
in  handling  the  horses 
of  Mr.  Frederick  Geb- 
hard.  But  the  value 
of  his  services  had  not 
been  forgotten  by  his 
former  employers,  and 
presently  he  was  called 
again  to  take  charge  of 
Mr.  Philip  J.  Dwyer's 
horses.  With  Mr. 
Dwyer  he  has  since  re- 
mained and  has  now 
full  charge  of  that  gen- 
tleman's string. 
As  a  trainer  Mr.  Mc- 
Cabe stands  among  the  very  best,  being  in  a  class  that 
ranks  second  to  none  other  in  the  profession.  Of  un- 
assuming manners,  and  true  to  every  trust  that  may  be 
imposed  upon  him,  he  has  won  the  admiration  of  all 
genuine  sportsmen,  and  to  him  is  due  no  small  part 
of  the  success  attained  by  the  Messrs.  Dwyer.  His 
methods  are  sound,  and  his  knowledge  of  horseflesh  and 
its  capabilities  is  probably  unsurpassed  in  his  profession. 


304 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Few  st;ibles  in  tlie  histoi'v  of  the  American  tiirl'  liave 
been  more  widely  ciironicled  than  that  of  the  Dwver 
Brothers.  Fortunate  purchases  from  the  sale  of  the 
Belmont  stable  established  the  Dwyer  Brothers  in  racing 
affairs  and  they  immediately  jumped  into  a  position  of 
powers  of  the  first  magnitude  in  the  racing  world.  Mr. 
Philip  J.  Dwyer,  who  has  long  been  President  of  the 
Brooklyn  Jockey  Club,  has  become  widely  known  in 
turf  circles,  not  only  in  the  United  States,  but  even  in 
Europe.  Born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  in  1845,  he  has 
always  made  his  home  in  the  City  of  Churches,   with 


their  stable  such  notable  thoroughbreds  as  Bramble, 
Hindoo,  Miss  Woodford,  George  Kinney,  Longstreet, 
Luke  Blackburn,  Tremont,  Hanover,  Dewdrop,  Runny- 
mede,  Pontiac  and  Kingston.  The  list  embraces  names 
that  are  the  most  distinguished  in  the  later  day  history 
of  the  American  turf. 

Until  i8qo,  the  Dwyer  Brothers  continued  together, 
but  in  that  year  Mr.  Philip  J.  Dwyer  set  out  independ- 
ently and  started  a  stable  of  his  own.  His  first  personal 
possessions  included  Eon,  Sir  John,  Declare,  Kennell, 
Reclare,    Long  Beach,   Madrid,   Patrician  and  Passover. 


p.     J.     DWYER 


HANDSPRING 


the  exception  of  two  years  that  he  passed    in  Califor- 
nia when  he  was  a  young  man. 

Mr.  Dwyer's  connection  with  racing  dates  from  1875, 
when,  with  his  brother,  Mr.  Michael  F.  Dwyer,  he  first 
displayed  his  stable  colors,  red  with  blue  sash.  The  par- 
ticular event  of  the  debut  of  the  Dwyer  Brothers  was  the 
■appearance  of  that  wonderful  three-year  old  Rhadaman- 
thus,  which  they  had  purchased  from  Mr.  Belmont.  The 
triumphs  of  Rhadamanthus  inspired  the  Messrs.  Dwyer 
with  renewed  enthusiasm  for  the  turf  and  they  at  once 
began  to  increase  the  number  of  their  horses,  adding  to 


Afterward  he  purchased  that  wonderful  colt.  Handspring, 
son  of  Hanover  and  My  Favorite,  who  carried  the  Dwyer 
colors  to  success  in  some  of  the  most  brilliant  turf 
events  of  his  two  and  three-year  old  career. 

Mr.  Dwyer's  string  for  1898  included  Rifle,  Passover, 
Handpress,  Handball,  Miss  Miriam,  Hop  Scotch,  Sharp- 
less,  Overboard  and  several  others,  the  larger  number  of 
the  stable  being  promising  two-year  olds.  There  is  no 
more  upright  and  popular  sportsman  in  the  United  States 
than  Mr.  Dwyer,  and  he  is  properly  credited  with  having 
done  much  to  sustain  honorable  racing  methods. 


305 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


In  all  walks  of  life  it  has  long  been  remarked  that  to  a 
very  large  extent  the  present  is  an  era  of  young  men. 
More  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  world  have 
the  young  men  come  forward  to  take  the  lead  in  affairs 
of  business,  in  public  administration  and  in  successful 
professional  activity.  The  theory  that  a  man  must  needs 
be  old  and  gray  haired  before  he  can  expect  to  achieve 
success  has  long  ago  been  relegated  to  the  lumber  room, 
where  we  stow  away  exploded  ideas  that  are  no  longer 
useful.  Young  men  come  to  the  front  and  by  their 
energy,  activity,  quick  grasp  of  the  situation,  and  broad 
comprehension  of  possi- 
bilities, achieve  success 
that  is  not  only  brilliant, 
but  is  as  equally  well  de- 
served. 

In  the  world  that  devotes 
itself  to  thoroughbred  rac- 
ing, there  have  been  many 
striking  illustrations  of  the 
successful  young  man.  An 
admirable  representative  of 
this  class  is  Mr.  Frank  L. 
Parker.  Although,  as  com- 
pared with  some  others  in 
the  ranks,  he  has  seen  few 
years,  and  is  in  fact  one  of 
the  very  youngest  of  own- 
ers of  thoroughbreds  in 
the  United  States,  he  has 
achieved  both  success  and 
reputation.  There  is  abund- 
ant reason  for  the  success 
that  has  distinguished  him, 
and  the  result  in  his  case  is 
another  exemplification  of 
the  value  of  early  training 
and  of  constant  association 
from  boyhood  days  with 
those  interests  to  which  a 
man  may  devote  his  life- 
time. 

Mr.  Parker  was  born  in 
Chicago  May  lo,  1875. 
His  experience  with  horses 

began  early  and  was  of  the  most  practical  char- 
acter from  the  outset.  His  grandfather,  Mr.  Tabor 
Warren,  was  the  proprietor  of  a  large  stock  farm 
located  near  Cleveland,  O.  Mr.  Parker  enjoyed  the 
advantages  afforded  by  this  stock  farm,  even  when  he 
was  no  more  than  a  school-boy.  His  education  in  rid- 
ing and  driving  began  almost  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to 
walk.  His  aptitude  early  displayed  itself,  and  he  also 
had  an  almost  intuitive  knov/ledge  of  both  the  good  and 


FRANK    L.    PARKER 


bad  points  about  a  horse,  and  how  to  manage  him  to  the 
best  advantage.  When  he  was  only  fourteen  years  of 
age  he  made  his  first  appearance  on  the  track  through 
the  trotting  horse.  On  this  occasion  he  drove  a  bay 
horse,  Cupid,  which  his  father  had  presented  to  him  as 
a  road  horse.  The  race  was  at  the  Chagrin  Falls  Ohio 
Course,  and  he  won  the  event  to  the  great  surprise  of  the 
older  horsemen,  who  scarcely  expected  to  see  such  skill 
in  horsemanship  in  a  mere  boy. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Parker  was  a  well-known  and  promi- 
nent business  man  of  New  York  City,  where  he  has  been 

located  for  more  than 
twenty  years.  The  son 
was  educated  in  New  York 
and  also  in  Ohio,  and  after 
he  had  attained  to  man- 
hood determined  to  de- 
vote himself  in  earnest  to 
a  racing  career.  In  asso- 
ciation with  his  brother, 
the  late  Mr.  Charles  W. 
Parker,  he  made  a  substan- 
tial beginning  at  the  well- 
known  stock  farm,  Alton- 
wood  Park.  There  they 
had  their  own  track  and 
training  stable,  and  devoted 
their  personal  attention  to 
all  the  details  of  managing 
the  establishment.  Their 
father  was  associated  with 
them,  and  together  they 
maintained  a  stud  farm  of 
large  size,  keeping  from  50 
to  150  horses  all  the  time, 
together  with  expensive 
herds  of  fine  bred  cattle 
and  a  kennel  of  the  best 
imported  breeds  of  dogs. 

In  1890,  and  the  two 
years  immediately  follow- 
ing, they  made  many  ac- 
quisitions to  their  stable, 
becoming  the  owners  of 
Frank  L.,  Maid  of  Alton- 
wood,  Vandyke,  Merry  Duke,  Mohican,  Runaway 
and  others.  Maid  of  Altonwood  was  by  Ben  D'Or 
out  of  Lady  Glasgow,  Vandyke  by  Vanderbilt  out 
of  Miss  Dawson,  Merry  Duke  by  Duke  of  Montrose 
out  of  Fun,  and  Mohican  by  Iroquois  out  of  Bertha 
by  imported  Glenelg.  One  notable  member  of  Mr. 
Parker's  string  was  Lake  Shore,  who  ran  successfully 
for  several  years.  He  was  a  handsome  chestnut  horse 
by    Farandole    out   of    Guayaquil    and    was    foaled    in 


"106 


'I'llF.     AlMI'-UICAN     TURF 


icSqi.  Duiiiiii  his  caieer  on  the  turf  he  defeated  some 
of  the  best  horses  in  training,  including  Sir  Waiter, 
Sister  Mary.  Lamplighter,  Volley.  Cromwell,  Hanwell 
and  numerous  others.  In  1895,  at  Morris  i^ark,  he  won 
a  high  weight  handicap  over  the  Withers  mile  in  1  min- 
ute, 42,L'  seconds.  In  iSg6,  he  won  a  sweepstakes  at 
Sheepshead  Bay,  i  mile,  in  i  minute,  45  seconds,  beat- 
ing Deerslayei'  and  Carib.  In  1897,  at  the  Fort  Frie,  Ont. , 
Course,  he  won  a  I'ace  at  1  ,V,  miles  in  1  minute,  46)^ 
seconds.  In  1897  he  finished  second  in  the  Brooklyn 
Handicap  and  was,  unfortunately,  cut  down  in  the  Subur- 
ban.    He  died  at  Sheepshead  Bay  in  May,  1898. 

In  December,  189s,  Mr.  Charles   W.  Parker  died  and 


His  extreme  modesty  of  character  and  thoroughgoing 
sportsmanship  have  made  friends  for  him  in  all  sections 
of  the  turf  world.  He  is  known  to  horsemen  generally 
throughout  the  country,  and,  unlike  many  young  men 
who  have  attained  success  in  a  field  of  operation  that 
presents  so  many  difficulties  and  pitfalls,  has  success- 
fully maintained  a  sterling  reputation.. 

The  racing  colors  of  Mr.  Parker's  stable  are  orange 
with  black  sleeves  and  cap.  Besides  the  horses  already 
mentioned  his  string  has  included  many  other  good 
ones,  among  them  Ameer  and  Ross  O.  Ameer,  who 
is  now  seven  years  old.  is  a  chestnut  horse  by  imported 
Kingston    out  of  jewelry.     He  has  run  many  winning 


LAKE    SHORE 


his  brother  took  full  charge  of  the  stable.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  say  that  Mr.  Parker  has  secured  a  fixed 
place  among  the  most  prominent  owners  of  the  period. 
His  abundant  financial  means  have  enabled  him  to 
gratify  his  tastes  to  the  fullest  extent  and  he  has  spared 
neither  time  nor  expense  in  maintaining  his  stable 
always  in  the  best  of  condition.  His  thorough  and 
sound  knowledge  of  all  the  infinite  details  connected 
with  the  care  and  preparation  of  horses  for  the  race 
track  gives  him  a  decided  advantage  which  is  undoubt- 
edly one  of  the  many  contributing  causes  to  his  success. 


races,  defeating  such  good  ones  as  Trinculo,  Pitfall, 
Phoebus,  Halton  and  others.  Ross  O.  is  a  bay  gelding  by 
imported  Rossington  out  of  Bourne  O.  His  best  achieve- 
ment in  1897  was  in  winning  a  six  furlongs  race  at  Sara- 
toga in  I  minute,  17  seconds,  over  a- very  heavy  track,  de- 
feating Tripping,  Orion  and  others.  With  good  material 
at  his  command  and  with  the  experience  gained  during 
his  career,  Mr.  Parker  should,  in  the  natural  order  of 
things,  gain  further  and  substantial  fame.  That  he  should 
take  a  place  of  commanding  importance  among  the  horse 
owners  of  the  country  may  well  be  predicted  of  him. 


307 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Numbered  among  the  most  active  men  of  Canada  in 
business  and  in  public  life,  Mr.  Joseph  E.  Seagram  has 
also  been  pre-eminently  distinguished  in  connection 
with  the  turf  in  the  Dominion  and  in  the  United  States. 
He  has  long  been  interested  in  public  affairs  in  Canada, 
where  he  is  a  man  of  influence  in  politics,  being  a  mem- 
ber of  Parliament.  He  was  born  in  Ontario,  April  is, 
1 84 1,  and  was  an  owner  of  horses  when  but  a  mere  boy. 
His  active  turf  career,  however,  did  not  commence  until 
later  in  life.  As  soon  as  he  attained  to  manhood  he 
engaged  in  business 
pursuits,  being  a  mil- 
ler and  distiller  on  a 
large  scale.  This  oc- 
cupation, for  a  time, 
monopolized  all  his 
energies,  so  that  he 
was  unable  to  give 
any  consideration  to 
racing,  which  had, 
however,  already  en- 
listed, to  some  extent, 
his  services. 

Close  attention  to 
business  soon  reaped 
its  reward  in  hand- 
some financial  re- 
turns, so  that  at  last 
he  had  both  the  time 
and  the  means  to  in- 
dulge again  in  the 
pleasures  of  the  turf. 
Since  his  return  to 
racing  in  1887,  he 
has  owned  and  raced 
many  of  the  distin- 
guished thorough- 
breds that  have  been 
known  on  the  Cana- 
dian tracks,  while  his 
horses  have  also  per- 
formed in  the  most 
creditable  manner 
upon  many  of  the 
leading  courses  in  the 
United  States.  Prom- 
inent in  his  stable  have  been  such  champions  as  Victor- 
ious, Martyrdom,  Saragossa,  O'Donohue,  Havoc,  Half- 
ling,  Martello,  Joe  Miller,  Bonniefield,  Millbrook,  Trage- 
dian and  Fernandine,  all  of  whom  have  been  great 
performers. 

One  particular  distinction  Mr.  Seagram  has,  in  the  fact 
that  he  has  accomplished  what  no  other  turfman  has 
succeeded  in  doing,  and  that  is  winning  a  Blue  Ribbon 


CHARLES  BOYLE 


event  for  eight  years  in  succession.  The  Queen's  Plate 
is  the  prize  which  he  has  thus  carried  off  season  after 
season.  This  he  won  the  first  year  with  Victorious ;  the 
second  year  with  O'Donohue;  the  third  year  with  Mar- 
tello;  the  fourth  year  with  Joe  Miller;  the  fifth  year  with 
Bonniefield;  the  sixth  year  with  Millbrook;  the  seventh 
year  with  Fernandine;  and  the  eighth  year  with  Bon  Ino. 
This  race,  which  is  run  at  Toronto,  is  i }{  miles  distance. 
Victorious,  who  won  in  1891,  was  a  son  ot  Terror, 
and  covered  the   course  in  2   minutes,    14^-2    seconds, 

making  the  record 
time  for  the  event. 
Both  O'Donohue  and 
Martello,  who  won  in 
1892  and  1893  re- 
spectively, were  by 
Cromaboo,  and  Mar- 
tello reduced  the  tim.e 
to  2  minutes,  14  sec- 
onds. The  winners  in 
the  three  successive 
years,  1894,  1895  and 
1896,  were  all  by 
Springfield.  Fernan- 
dine, who  won  in  1897, 
was  by  Fernandez, 
and  reduced  the  rec- 
ord for  the  event  to 
2  minutes,  13  sec- 
onds. Bon  Ino,  who 
won  in  1898,  is  a 
handsome  four-year 
old  brown  mare  by 
Marauder  out  of  Bon- 
nie Ino.  Delmoor, 
another  representa- 
tive of  the  Seagram 
Stable,  ran  second  to 
Bon  Ino. 

Mr.  Seagram  main- 
tains  an  extensive 
breeding  establish- 
ment in  Canada,  his 
farm  being  by  far  the 
most  important  of  its 
kind  in  that  section. 
At  the  head  of  his  stud  are  the  stallions  Morpheus,  Sara- 
gossa, Marauder  and  imported  Springfield.  The  mares 
whom  he  keeps  for  service  number  some  forty  or  more, 
most  of  whom  are  imported,  while  all  are  of  the  choicest 
thoroughbred  blood.  He  has  over  sixty  horses  in  training, 
some  of  whom  are  raced  through  the  Canadian  circuit, 
while  others  try  their  fortunes  upon  the  leading  courses 
in    the    United    States.     Mr.  Seagram   has  long  been  a 


308 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


familial'  lia'ure  upon  the  Anu'rican  tracks,  where  some 
of  the  large  stakes  have  been  placed  to  his  credit,  and 
he  is  known  throughout  the  country  as  a  thorough 
sportsman  of  the  first  class.  His  stal^le  is  now  in 
charge  of  Mr.  Charles  Boyle,  who  is  well  known, 
both  in  Canada  and  the  States,  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most trainers  of  this  generation.  Mr.  Seagram  is 
fortunate  in  having  a  trainer  of  Mr.  Boyle's  ability  and 
integrity  in  charge  of  his  stable.  Several  of  the  old 
campaigners,  who  have  carried  Mr.  Seagram's  colors, 
are  still  in  training.  Among  these  are  Stonemason  by 
Stonehenge  outof  Marv  Buckley;  Morpheus  by  Wenlock 


Belle,  K.  C.  B.,  Defiance,  Flag  of  Truce  and  Weller;  King's 
Ransom  by  Kinglike;  Satirist  by  Juvenal;  Galahad  by  Sir 
Modred;  Sugden  by  St.  Leonards;  Mischief  Maker  by 
Meddler;  two  Morpheus  fillies.  Buffoonery  and  Curfew 
Belle;  two  Orinoco  fillies,  Pledge  and  Salamanca;  the 
chestnut  gelding  Cocoanut  by  Orinoco;  three  Othmar 
fillies,  Terralta,  Ottoman  and  Bonnet  Box;  Floridian  by 
Tristan ;  and  Procession  by  Order. 

The  remarkable  strength  of  Mr.  Seagram's  Stable  in 
recent  years  may  be  best  understood,  perhaps,  by  a  brief 
reference  to  some  of  his  most  notable  winnings.  Season 
after  season  he  has  carried  off  most  of  the  great  prizes  at 


J.    E.  SEAGRAM 


SARAGOSSA 


out  of  Golden  Dream;  Joe  Miller  by  Springfield  out  oi 
Milley;  Havocby  Himyar  out  of  Elletta;  Connoisseur  by 
Sir  Modred  out  of  Dixianne;  Halfling  by  Macheath  out  of 
Moiety;  Patrol  by  King  Gallop  out  of  Patience;  Trage- 
dian by  Egmont  out  of  Veva;  Bon  Ino  by  Marauder 
out  of  Bonnie  Ino,  and  Dandelion  by  Dandy  Dinmont 
out  of  Shamrock.  The  two-year  olds  that  Mr.  Seagram 
has  in  training  number  some  forty  or  more.  They  are 
a  goodly  lot  of  the  best  parentage.  Among  them  are 
Sir  Casimir  by  Exile;  two  Faverdale  colts,  Airdale  and 
Fabulous  Fortune;  five  Knio-ht  of  Ellerslie  colts,   Knisht 


the  Toronto  meeting,  many  of  them  several  times.  Thus 
the  Qiieen's  Plate,  the  Ontario  Plate,  the  Woodstock 
Plate,  the  Norway  Purse,  the  Toronto  Cup,  the  Dominion 
Plate,  the  Walker  Cup  and  other  stakes  and  purses  not 
of  secondary  importance,  have  fallen  to  him.  The  suc- 
cesses that  his  stable  has  achieved  en  the  Toronto  course 
are  but  samples  drawn  from  the  long  list  of  victories  that 
have  been  credited  to  him  elsewhere,  in  Canada  and  in 
the  United  States.  He  has  shown  himself  to  be  a  gentle- 
man of  true  sporting  instincts  and  an  honor  to  the  turf,  as 
he  is  one  of  its  most  valued  supporters. 


309 


THE    AMERICAN     TURE 


310 


'rill'".     AMI'.klC.W     TUKl' 


AnotliL-r  illLisliatidii  ol'lhc  successful  jockey  who  hiis 
in  turn  become  a  trainer  of  excellent  reputation  and 
thence  has  jfrown  into  the  full  stature  of  an  owner,  Mr. 
Robert  V.  Boyle  has  had  an  interesting  career.  So 
rrec]uently  in  any  consideration  of  the  active  owners  and 
trainers  of  the  present  day  is  it  necessai'y  to  point  out 
how  they  have  advanced  from  small  beginnings  that  their 
history  may  from  one  point  of  view  be  considered  some- 
what monotonous.  The  student  of  the  period,  however, 
naturally  finds  in  this  very  monotony  one  of  the  most 
engaging  features  of  modern  turf  development,  for  it  pre- 
sents a  vitally  instructive  lesson,  especially  as  showing 
how  industry  and  merit  reap  their  full  rewards  in  this 
pursuit. 

Mr.  Boyle  must  be  placed  in  the  front  rank  of  those 
who  have  attained  to  gratifying  and  well  earned  success 
from  the  humblest  begin- 
ning. His  experience  has 
extended  over  a  period  of 
about  fifteen  years  and  has 
been  of  a  varied  and  im- 
portant character.  It  was 
almost  inevitable  from  the 
circumstances  of  his  birth 
that  he  should  become  a 
racing  man,  for  he  was 
born  near  Sheepshead  Bay, 
L.  I.,  September  8,  1871. 
It  would  have  been  con- 
trary to  the  logical  order  of 
things  if  he  had  devoted 
himself  to  any  other  pur- 
suit than  that  which  has 
been  so  conspicuously 
identified  with  Sheepshead 
Bay.  His  definite  career  in 
connection  with  the  turf 
began  when  he  was  only 
twelve   years  of  age.     At 


ROBERT  V.  BOYLE 


nected  with  the  stable  of  Mr.  Davis  he  had  many  good 
mounts,  among  them  being  Old  Hickory,  Bob  May  and 
Battledore  and  his  many  victories  materially  increased  his 
already  strong  reputation.  In  1889,  he  was  engaged  to 
ride  for  Mr.  Sam  Love  and  on  St.  John  and  St.  Luke,  the 
principal  horses  of  that  turfman's  string,  he  was  able  to 
place  several  excellent  races  to  his  credit. 

When  increasing  weight  made  it  no  longer  possible 
for  Boyle  to  continue  in  the  saddle,  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  profession  of  training,  that  ultimate  refuge 
of  all  jockeys.  He  still  maintained  his  connection  with 
Mr.  Love,  however,  and  soon  demonstrated  his  skill  in 
his  new  employment  by  bringing  some  very  good  racers 
to  the  front.  His  first  attempt  as  a  trainer  was  particu- 
larly notable,  for  he  had  the  handling  of  Ballarat,  who 
under  his  care  won  ten  races.     He  also  trained  St.  John, 

St.  Luke  and  Lewinsky.  In 
1893,  he  became  trainer  for 
Mr.  J.  Reiser,  having  in  his 
charge  Pay-or-Play,  West 
Park,  Innovation,  King 
Leo,  Sorrento,  Irish  Lass 
and  other  good  ones.  With 
this  string  he  won  some- 
thing like  $20,000  for  his 
employer. 

Becoming  an  owner 
himself  in  1894,  Mr.  Boyle 
had  a  stable  in  which  were 
Heads  or  Tails  and  Mamie 
R.  Both  these  horses  he 
raced  for  a  year,  meeting 
with  very  good  luck.  In 
the  following  year  he 
owned  and  trained  Sep- 
tuor,  a  brown  colt  by  Ox- 
lip  out  of  imported  Steph- 
anette.  Although  classed 
as  a  candidate   for  selling 


that  time  he  became  an  exercise  boy  m  the  stable  of  the  races,  Septuor,  under  Mr.  Boyle's  skilful  handling,  de- 
veloped remarkably  good  powers.  Again  and  again  he 
defeated  many  of  the  most  notable  stake  horses  on  the 
contemporaneous  turf  His  maiden  race  as  a  two-year 
old  was  at  Pimlico  in  189s,  and  during  that  season  he 
won  a  single  race  out  of  eight  starts  and  secured  a  place 
three  times.  In  his  three-year  old  form  he  started  in 
thirty-one  races,  of  which  he  won  eleven  and  was  placed 
in  eleven.  Among  the  high-class  performers  that  he  de- 
feated were  Ben  Eder,  Hazlet,  Aurelian,  Premier,  Bona- 
parte, Patrol  and  Charade,  the  list  showing  that  his 
victories  have  come  from  his  merit  and  his  owner's 
skilful  handling  and  not  from  chance.  Mr.  Boyle's 
success  with  Septuor  led  him  to  increase  his  stable  by 
adding  May  Frances,  Captain  Nash  and  others. 


Messrs.  Dwyer  Brothers.  There  he  served  an  apprentice- 
ship, under  that  capable  trainer,  Mr.  James  G.  Rowe, 
and  it  would  not  be  easy  to  name  a  better  school  for  a 
youngster  than  the  Dwyer  Stable  with  Mr.  Rowe  as 
master. 

After  remaining  with  the  Dwyers  for  one  season  he 
rode  for  several  owners  in  1884,  and  was  successful  in 
winning  some  good  races.  Among  those  for  whom  he 
then  rode  most  frequently  was  Mr.  William  Stoops.  One 
of  the  best  mounts  that  he  had  at  this  time  was  Tornado 
by  imported  Glenlion  out  of  Estella,  whom  he  rode  to 
several  victories.  In  1888,  he  became  jockey  for  Mr. 
James  Davis,  who  was  widely  and  affectionately  known 
as  "Old  Hickory."     During  the  year  that  he  was  con- 


311 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Probably  no  trainer  in  the  country  enjoys  greater  or 
more  deserved  popularity  than  Mr.   William  Lakeland. 
Nor,  if  results  be  the  test,  is  there  any  man  in  racing 
circles  of  the  present  era  whose  professional  knowledge, 
whether  applied  on  his  own  behalf  as  an  owner,  or  in 
connection  with  the  great  establishments  of  our  modern 
turf  magnates,  has  been  more  practical  and  successful. 
Mr.  Lakeland  has  virtually  given  his  whole  life  to  the 
business,  and  has  climbed  the  ladder  of  success  by  his 
own  intelligence  and  efforts.     He  is  to-day  a  represen- 
tative of  what  perseverance  and  integrity  can  accom- 
plish.    Born  in  Manchester,  England,  in  1853,  he  came  to 
this  country  a  lad  of  eleven.     He  was  deprived  of  early 
educational  advantages, and 
his  start  in  life  was  in  the 
unpromising     capacity    of 
helper  in  a  cotton   mill  at 
Paterson,  N.  J.,   in    which 
city     his      boyhood     was 
passed. 

It  was  in  the  year  1869 
that  his  connection  with 
racing  began,  the  Babcock 
Stable  affording  him  the 
first  opportunities  in  this 
connection.  In  this  stable 
were  several  prominent 
thoroughbreds,  such  as 
Helen  Bold,  General  Abe 
Buford's  horse,  Enquirer, 
and  Susan  M.,  dam  of 
Thorn.  The  first  winter 
that  Lakeland  passed  with 
Mr.  Babcock  was  spent  in 
New  Orleans.  In  the  spring 
of  1870,  when  the  stable 
moved  North,  its  training 
was  placed  in  the  hands 
of  Mr.  Patterson,  and  at  the 
initial  meeting  at  Long 
Branch,  Lakeland  received 
his   first   mount. 

As  a  jockey,  Lakeland  rode  and  won  some  very  sen- 
sational races.  Among  the  number  may  be  mentioned 
Wildidle's  performance  in  California,  where  he  beat 
Grinstead,  subsequently  a  notable  sire.  Foster  was  an- 
other of  his  mounts,  riding  whom  in  California  he  won 
$30,000  for  the  owner,  defeating  Rutherford  and  other 
speedy  animals.  Mr.  Lakeland's  connection  with  the 
Babcock  Stable  was  severed  in  1882,  but  he  had  become 
an  owner  of  racers  on  his  own  account  as  early  as  1876. 
His  first  purchase  was  General  Harney,  the  winner  01 
the  two-mile  heat  and  the  four-mile  heat  races  at  the 
Centennial  meeting  at  New  Orleans  in  1876.     Altogether 


during  his  career  as  an  owner,  Mr.  Lakeland  has  laid  out 
more  than  $200,000  for  race  horses,  and,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  seasons,  during  which  he  trained  for  Mr. 
James  R.  Keene,  he  has  always  trained  and  run  his  own 
horses. 

During  nearly  thirty  years  Mr.  Lakeland  has  been 
prominently  before  the  racing  public.  To  particularize 
in  connection  with  his  record  for  that  period  is  to  recall 
the  names  of  many  of  the  stars  of  the  turf,  among  whom 
Domino  holds  the  leading  position.  Indeed,  Mr.  Lake- 
land himself  says  that  that  horse  was  the  greatest  he 
ever  trained  out  of  the  entire  number  of  fast  animals  and 
large  stake  winners  that  have  owed  their  success  to  his 

skill.  The  list  is  a  long 
one,  and  it  includes  such 
horses  of  note  as  Exile, 
Tea  Tray,  Kimball,  Tattler, 
Babcock,  General  Harney, 
Keene  Richard,  Jr.,  Ern- 
est, Peg  Woffington,  Buck- 
tie  (winner  of  the  Chicago 
Derby),  Emma  C,  Victory, 
Typhoon  and  Little  Reb. 
The  latter  was  a  little  horse 
that  won  three  races  in  one 
day  and  five  races  in  three 
days.  At  the  sale  of  Mr. 
J.  J.  McCafferty's  horses  in 
the  autumn  of  1896,  Mr. 
Lakeland  acquired  Judge 
Hancock,  Gold  Crest  and 
Winged  Foot. 

For  the  season  of  1898, 
Mr.  Lakeland  is  handling 
the  Eastern  horses  of  Mr. 
Marcus  Daly's  stable,  and 
has  been  successful  in 
bringing  several  of  them  to 
the  front  as  winners  in  the 
early  meetings  of  the  year. 
His  own  horses  are  nearly 
a  dozen  in  number.  The 
tried  ones  are  Decide,  Winged  Foot,  Joe  Anderson, 
George  Boyd,  and  Squire  Abingdon.  His  two-year  olds 
are  Florence  Breckenridge  and  Plumage  by  Goldfinch, 
Chorus  Boy  by  Chorister,  Young  Exile  by  Exile,  and 
Ethel  Green  by  Tea  Tray. 

Mr.  Lakeland  enjoys  a  popularity  as  wide  as  it  is  fully 
deserved.  He  is  one  of  the  practical  men  of  the  turf, 
and  has  won  throughout  his  professional  life  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  turf  officials,  owners  and  public 
as  well.  Added  to  profound  knowledge  of  horses,  their 
nature  and  capabilities,  he  possesses  an  acquaintance 
with  and  respect  for  the  best  traditions  of  racing. 


WILLIAM  LAKELAND 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Making  a  reputation  lii'st  as  an  exceptionally  line 
jockey,  principally  in  hurdle  races  and  steeplechasing, 
Mr.  James  H.  McCormick  became  a  trainer  of  note  and 
has  also  earned  tame  as  an  owner.  He  was  born  at 
Belleville,  N.  J.,  August  2=^.  18^5,  and  began  his  appren- 
ticeship to  the  turf  in  iSbq.  when  Jerome  Park,  Saratoga 
and  Secaucus,  N.  J.,  had  the  only  meetings  in  the  East. 
His  first  employers  were  Messrs.  Thomas  Puryear  and 
Louis  Stuart.  As  James  Stuart  did  the  riding  for  the 
stable,  McCormick  had  little  chance  for  advancement, 
though  he  did  some 
clever  flat  riding  for 
Mr.  Hugh  McGaffney. 

His  next  employer 
was  Mr.  A.  D.  Brown, 
of  Maryland,  whose 
trainer  was  John 
J.  Hyland,  and  the 
cross-country  riding 
for  the  establishment 
was  entrusted  to  Mc- 
Cormick and  Hyland. 
On  leaving  Mr. 
Brown  he  wenttothe 
famous  stable  of 
Dwyer  Brothers  and 
continued  to  ride  over 
the  jumps  and  act  as 
assistant  trainer  to  Mr. 
James  Rowe.  He  had, 
among  other  mounts, 
Derby  and  Kinney, 
but  in  June,  1879, 
met  with  a  bad  fall  at 
the  Coney  Island 
Jockey  Club  meet  at 
Prospect  Park,  now 
the  Brooklyn  Track. 

This  ended  his 
career  as  jockey  and, 
on  recovering,  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  to 
train  for  Mr.  W.  A. 
Engerman,  the  foun- 


JAMES  H.  Mccormick 


der  of  the  Brighton  Beach  Racing  Association.  Baton 
Rouge,  Miss  Malloy  and  Swanona  were  among  the 
horses  he  trained  in  this  stable.  His  next  move  was  to 
open  a  public  training  stable,  in  which  venture  he  was 
successful,  having  the  horses  of  such  men  as  Mr.  August 
Belmont,  Sr.,  Mr.  William  L.  Scott,  of  Erie,  and  Mr. 
A.  F.  Walcott.  By  this  time -he  had  acquired  and  ran 
several  useful  race  horses  of  his  own,  including  Auto- 
crat, Firefly,  Early  Blossom,  Sparling  and  Marguerite. 
Early  Blossom  won  the  first  two-year  old  stake  of  her 


year,  and  took  her  name  from  the  title  given  to  it.  She 
was  a  decidedly  clever  filly.  Out  of  89  starts  she  took 
some  part  of  the  stakes  71  times.  Firefly  also  won  a 
great  many  selling  races,  while  Sparling  was  twenty 
times  a  winner.  All  the  others  were  reliable  per- 
formers. 

Among  the  horses  of  note  which  Mr.  McCormick 
trained  was  Mr.  Thomas  Hanley's  Glenullen,  which  was 
the  first  horse  to  make  a  mile  record  as  good  as  1.41!^ 
over    the    Sheepshead    Bay   Course.       He   also   trained 

Avalon,      a      famous 
sprinter.  For  Mr.  John 
Mullins     he     trained 
Badge,  who  was  sec- 
ond  to   Castaway  II. 
in  the  Brooklyn  Han- 
dicap.     He  also  had 
the  care  of  Mr.  H.   O. 
Barnard's  horses,  and 
of  several  for  the  once 
famous   plunger,   Mr. 
F.  T.  Walton,  includ- 
ing Deceiver,  Wagner, 
Hopeful     and    Three 
Cheers.      The    last- 
named  horse  won  for 
Mr.     Walton     over 
150,000,  of  which  he 
presented     Mr.     Mc- 
Cormick with  $5,000. 
For    a    short    time 
Mr.    McCormick    en- 
gaged in  winter  rac- 
ing, but  later  on  sold 
his  stable  for $55,000, 
and    became     trainer 
for  Mr.  G.  Walbaum, 
with    whom    he    re- 
mained for  two  years, 
until  that  well-known 
turf  man  sold  out  his 
stable.      During  this 
time  Mr    McCormick 
had  the    handling   of 
Lamplighter. 


that    notably    brilliant    performer. 

The  next  engagement  into  which  Mr.  McCormick  en 
tered  was  with  Messrs.  Burns  &  Waterhouse.  These 
gentlemen  have  some  forty  horses  in  training,  and  are 
also  proprietors  of  a  ranch  purchased  from  Mr.  Theo. 
Winters  and  once  noted  as  the  home  of  Norfolk.  The 
members  of  the  firm  have  large  interests  in  California 
and  Mexico.  Not  only  is  Mr.  McCormick  a  master  of 
the  art  of  training,  but  he  has  accumulated  a  handsome 
fortune  at  his  profession. 


3^3 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Instances  are  not  lacking  in  connection  with  tlie 
liistory  of  the  turf,  both  past  and  present,  which  prove 
that  the  professional  employments  connected  with  it 
afford  a  field  for  the  exercise  of  natural  skill  and  talent 
of  a  superior  order,  and  that  the  possession  of  such  quali- 
ties opens  the  way  to  an  honorable  success  by  no  means 
inferior  to  that  which  could  be  attained  in  any  other 
pursuit.  The  career  of  Mr.  William  H.  Karrick  is 
an  illustration  of  this  idea,  while  his  success  emphasizes 
the  fact  that  unswerving  integrity  and  unceasing  industry 
lead  to  the  highest  rewards  the  racing  world  can  bestow. 
Born  at  Covington,  Ken- 
tucky, in  1867,  Mr.  Kar- 
rick commenced  early  in 
life  to  tin  humble  posi- 
tions in  various  racing 
stables.  His  first  en- 
gagement was  in  1882, 
when  he  was  with  Mr. 
Hanigan  at  Latonia. 

He  remained  with  this 
establishment  for  some 
four" or  five  years,  in  the 
last  two  of  which  he 
filled  the  position  of  fore- 
man. He  then  went  with 
Mr.  J.  W.  Rogers,  exer- 
cising horses,  and,  in 
1888,  entered  the  stable 
of  Colonel  David  T.  Pul- 
sifer  in  the  same  capac- 
ity. The  string  with 
which  he  thus  became 
connected  included  such 
performers  as  Governor 
Sheehan,  Drum  Major, 
Will  Elliott  and  others, 
but  the  gem  of  the  ag- 
gregation was  the  mar- 
velous  swayback  Tenny, 
whom  his  admirers  still 
consider  one  of  the  best 
horses  that  ever  appeared 
on   the   American    turf 

Mr.  Karrick's  opportunity  came  when  Donovan,  who 
trained  for  Colonel  Pulsifer,  was  obliged  to  give  up  his 
charge.  The  owner  of  the  stable  recognizing  the  value 
of  Tenny,  was  naturally  unwilling  to  commit  the  care  of 
the  horse  to  a  new  trainer,  and  having  marked  the 
modest,  yet  painstaking  way  in  which  Mr.  Karrick  per- 
formed his  subordinate  duties,  proposed  that  he  should 
assume  the  post  of  trainer.  The  offer  was  accepted,  not 
without  hesitation,  but  the  results  showed  both  the 
good  judgment  of  the  owner  and  the  thorough,   con- 


WILLIAM   H. 


scientious  methods  of  the  young  trainer.  The  Pulsifer 
Stable  at  once  took  a  glorious  place  in  contemporary  turf 
history,  and  Tenny's  victories,  including  the  Brooklyn 
Handicap  and  the  Ocean  Stakes,  1891,  established  Mr. 
Karrick's  position  as  one  of  the  foremost  representatives 
of  his  profession. 

Mr.  Karrick  continued  with  Mr.  Pulsifer  tor  some  time, 
but  in  189s  invested  his  capital  in  a  public  training 
stable  of  his  own  at  Morris  Park.  The  Pulsifer  string 
continued  under  his  charge,  and  also  the  horses  of  the 
Kensico  Stable,  including  among  them  Divide,  Takan- 

nassee.  Successful, 
Azure,  Full  Speed  and 
Trayline,  as  well  as  a 
number  of  two-year  olds 
for  Colonel  Pulsifer.  Mr. 
Karrick  also  has  had  afew 
select  animals,  of  which 
Dr.  Jim,  whom  he  sold  to 
W.  C.  Daly,  and  Miss 
Tenny  by  Tenny  out  of 
Fair  Vision,  may  be 
specially  mentioned. 
It  was  peculiarly 
fitting  that  the  first  of 
the  swayback's  get  to 
distinguish  themselves 
should  be  an  inmate  of 
his  trainer's  stable.  In 
Miss  Tenny,  both  Col- 
onel Pulsifer  and  Mr. 
Karrick  have  a  worthy 
representative  of  her 
sire.  Another  animal 
that  Mr.  Karrick  added 
to  his  string  in  1897  was 
the  bay  filly  Juda  by 
Britannic  out  of  Judy. 

For  the  season  of  1898 
Mr.  Karrick  has  had  in 
training  Mr.  Arthur 
White'sTitmouse,  Geisha 
and  Naviculine;  Messrs. 
KARRICK  Wattson  &  Co.'s  Bom- 

bast and  Frea;  Mr.  Thomas  L.  Reynolds'  Zeila  and 
Crown;  Mr.  A.  F.  Walcott's  Duxbury  and  Colonel  D.  T. 
Pulsifer's  Tenraine  by  Tenny  out  of  Lorraine.  Besides 
a  share  in  Miss  Tenny,  he  also  owns  Tennith,  Vera  K.  and 
Sensina.  There  is  no  dissent  in  turf  circles  to  the  opin- 
ion that  Mr.  Karrick  is  one  of  the  most  painstaking  and 
reliable  of  trainers,  while  his  conservatism  is  displayed  in 
the  competence  he  enjoys  as  the  result.  He  is  popular 
with  his  turf  associates,  and  has  the  confidence  and  respect 
of  the  best  element  in  the  racing  circles  of  the  country. 


314 


TlIK     AMl'.KIC.W     Tl'UK 


Hxtcnsively  ;ind  favorably  known  Ironi  Maine  to  (^ali- 
lornia,  Mr.  Frank  Brown  has  a  repulalion  amoni;-  his 
fellow  turfmen  as  one  of  the  most  successful  of  the 
younger  owners  and  trainers.  Although  still  under 
thirty  years  of  age,  he  has  had  a  wider  and  more  prac- 
tical experience  than  many  older  men.  At  a  time  in  his 
life  when  most  men  have  only  just  begun  to  lay  the 
foundations  for  their 
future,  he  has  already 
passed  through  the 
preliminary  training 
of  his  profession  and 
has  achieved  reputa- 
tion. 

Born  near  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  September 
24,  1 87 1,  Mr.  Brown 
left  home  before  he 
was  ten  years  of  age 
and  began  at  once 
that  association  with 
the  thoroughbred 
horse  which  has  since 
continued  uninter- 
ruptedly. As  falls  to 
the  lot  of  most  boys 
who  are  brought  up 
in  training  establish- 
ments, he  began  by 
exercising  horses  un- 
der the  shed.  He 
showed  remarkable 
skill  and  as  early  as 
1880  had  his  first 
mount,  his  employ- 
ers, Messrs.  Bell  & 
Kimberly,  entrusting 
him  to  ride  Grey 
Eagle.  On  his  first 
trial  he  was  able  to 
finish  second,  which 
all  will  admit  was  a 
very  satisfactory 
achievement.  In  his 
second  ride  he  did 
even  better,  for  he 
brought  in  Grey 
Eagle  at  the  head    of 

the  field.  For  several  years  thereafter  he  continued  in 
the  saddle  and  won  numerous  important  races,  showing 
excellent  skill  and  judgment  in  jockeyship. 

Naturally  his  ambition  was  to  become  an  owner,  and 
he  purchased  Red  Fox,  with  whom  he  won  several 
races.     He  also    was  successful    with  Jim    Mulholland. 


FRANK    BROWN 


Subsequently  he  trained  the  stable  of  Mr.  William 
McLaughlin.  When  racing  on  the  Gloucester  track 
was  suspended  he  went  South  with  several  horses  of 
his  own  and  from  Mr.  McLaughlin's  Stable.  At  New 
Orleans  he  became  a  prominent  figure  in  the  winter  rac- 
ing and  won  considerable  money,  especially  with  Sim- 
rock.     He  was  soon  able  to  purchase  other  horses  and 

had  one  of  the  im- 
portant stables  of  the 
South  and  West.  Af- 
ter leaving  New  Or- 
leans he  made  a  tour 
of  the  Western  cir- 
cuit and  was  even 
more  successful  than 
in  the  South. 

In  recent  years  he 
has  been  more  than 
ever  prominent,  hav- 
ing owned  several 
thoroughbreds  who 
have  attained  to  dis- 
tinction under  h  i  s 
hands.  He  has  been 
particularly  active  in 
the  winter  racing 
upon  the  Southern 
tracks.  Noted  horses 
that  he  has  owned 
and  run  have  been 
Mainstay,  King  Will- 
iam, Gutta  Percha, 
Gratify  and  other 
good  ones.  In  1896, 
he  raced  in  California, 
particularly  with  Gut- 
ta Percha  and  King 
William. 

Mr.  Brown  has  been 
so  pre-eminently  suc- 
cessful in  training  for 
others  and  for  him- 
self, and  has  shown 
such  skill  in  bringing 
horses  in  good  con- 
dition to  the  post  that 
he  has  attracted  the 
attention  of  owners 
everywhere.  Mr.  James  R.  Keene  was  particularly  im- 
pressed with  his  ability,  and,  during  the  season  of  1897, 
he  was  the  trainer  of  the  Keene  string  of  thoroughbreds. 
For  the  season  of  1898  he  has  his  own  stable,  with 
several  good  horses,  and  has  returned  to  Mr.  Keene 
again  to  train  some  of  that  gentleman's  best  runners. 


315 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Born  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1864,  Mr.  Hardy  Alonzo 
Campbell  has  for  more  tiian  twenty  years  been  actively 
engaged  in  the  care  and  riding  of  thoroughbreds.  His 
first  employment  was  with  a  Mr.  Kelly,  of  Lexington. 
In  that  gentleman's  stable  he  exercised  and  rode  for 
one  season,  gaining  an  excellent  practical  experience 
that  laid  the  foundation  for  his  future  success.  Subse- 
quently he  engaged  with  Mr.  Samuel  Eckers,  who  was 
at  that  time  one  of  the  most  prominent  horsemen  of  St. 
Louis.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Eckers  until  1880,  and  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  brightest  boys  in  that  gentle- 
man's establishment.  By  this  time  his  attention  to  busi- 
ness and  the  unusual  capabilities  that  he  displayed  in  all 
his  work  attracted  the  at- 
tention of  other  turfmen, 
and  he  was  generally  con- 
sidered one  of  the  most 
promising  young  men  who 
were  then  seen  about  the 
paddocks. 

In  1880,  Mr.  Campbell 
came  East,  and  although 
he  was  even  then  a  com- 
paratively unknown  young- 
ster, he  became  an  em- 
ployee of  the  Dwyer  Broth- 
ers, who,  it  is  well  known, 
have  always  calculated  to 
have  only  the  best  men  and 
boys  in  their  establishment. 
Since  that  time  he  has 
remained  uninterruptedly 
connected  with  the  Dwyer 
stables,first  with  the  Dwyer 
Brothers  and  later  with  Mr. 
Michael  F.  Dwyer.  His 
progress  was  rapid,  and  in 
the  course  of  time  he  came 
to  have  practical  control, 
as  trainer,  of  the  entire 
stable.  Held  in  the  high- 
est esteem  by  his  employers,  his  ability  was  fully  recog- 
nized by  his  being  intrusted  with  the  responsible  work 
of  bringing  into  condition  all  the  great  thoroughbreds 
who  carried  the  Dwyer  colors  upon  the  turf 

When  the  Dwyer  Brothers  dissolved  partnership,  Mr.. 
Campbell  followed  the  fortunes  of  the  younger  member 
of  the  firm,  Mr.  Michael  F.  Dwyer.  The  confidence 
that  was  reposed  in  him  at  that  time  was  fully  demon- 
strated by  Mr.  Dwyer's  readiness  to  place  him  in  full 
control  of  all  his  horses.  During  his  connection  with 
the  Dwyer  stables  he  has  trained  some  of  the  most  cele- 
brated horses  that  ever  ran  on  the  American  turf  The 
skill  with  which  he  has  handled  these  candidates  for 


HARDY  A.  CAMPBELL 


turf  honors  and  the  knowledge  that  he  has  displayed  of 
their  strong  qualities  and  how  to  bring  them  cut  most 
effectively  have  more  than  once  proven  his  ability  to 
cope  with  the  best  trainers  in  the  United  States  in  the 
present  generation. 

Mr.  Campbell  has  not  confined  his  services  alone  to 
the  stable  of  Mr.  Dwyer.  The  intimate  relations  between 
Mr.  Dwyer  and  Mr.  Richard  F.  Croker  in  racing  affairs 
brought  him  into  association  with  the  last-named  gen- 
tleman, with  whose  stable  he  has  also  been  connected 
as  trainer.  His  success  with  Mr.  Croker's  horses  has 
not  been  less  important  than  that  which  he  has  achieved 
with  the  horses  of  Mr.  Dwyer.  In  1894,  he  was  en- 
trusted with  the  care  of  the 
American  representatives 
that  Messrs.  Dwyer  and 
Croker  sent  to  England  to 
race  on  the  English  turf 
Upon  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic  he  was,  on  the 
whole,  fairly  successful 
with  his  charges.  The  dif- 
ficuhies  which  beset  a 
stranger  on  English  soil, 
principally  the  difference  in 
climatic  condition  and  01 
training  methods,  are  al- 
most insurmountable  by 
one  who  has  not  been  to 
the  manor  born.  Never- 
theless, when  all  things  are 
taken  into  consideration, 
Mr.  Campbell  did  very  well 
indeed. 

Upon  his  return  to  the 
United  States  in  the  fall  of 
1895,  Mr.  Campbell  began 
again  to  give  his  attention 
to  Mr.  Dwyer's  horses  for 
their  engagements  in  this 
country.  During  the  time 
that  has  since  elapsed  he  has  been  pre-eminently  suc- 
cessful in  bringing  many  of  his  charges  forward  into  the 
class  of  winners  of  great  events.  To  give  a  list  of  all 
the  horses  that  Mr.  Campbell  has  prepared  for  their 
racing  battles  would  be  to  enumerate  an  exceptional 
number  of  America's  greatest  thoroughbreds. 

In  nearly  all  the  big  stakes  wherein  a  contending  horse 
has  been  obliged  to  be  at  his  best  in  order  to  win  from 
the  best  that  are  pitted  against  him,  Mr.  Campbell's 
charges  have  been  again  and  again  successful.  One  of 
his  greatest  achievements  was  in  bringing  Ben  Brush 
to  the  post  in  the  Suburban  of  1897  in  such  superb  con- 
dition that  he  was  the  winner  of  that  memorable  event. 


3f6 


THE    AMERICAN     TLIRE 


Few  jockeys  that  ever  sported  colors  on  the  American 
turf  have  been  more  distintjuished  than  Mr.  James  F.  Mc- 
Laughhn,  who  graduated  from  the  saddle  to  become  a 
successful  trainer.    He  was  born  on  Washington's  Birth- 
day, in   1861,  at  Hartford,  Conn.     His  connection  with 
the  turf  began  at  an  early  age,  and  he  was  one  of  "  Father 
Bill"  Daly's  boys.     Under  the  watchful  eve  of  that  turf- 
man he  made  his  d6but  when  he  was  only  fifteen  years 
of  age.     From  the  outset  he  was  diligent  and  quick  to 
learn,    applying   himself 
closely   to    acquiring    a 
mastery  of  the  vocation 
which    he   had    chosen. 
He   was   indentured    to 
Mr.   Daly,   and  received 
from    that    horseman   a 
thorough  coaching  that 
was   the   foundation    ot 
his  future  triumphs,  and 
that  before  long  elevated 
him  to  a  position  in  the 
front  rank.     His  success 
was  something  phenom- 
enal, and  his  name  be- 
came   identified    with 
some  of  the  most  glori- 
ous victorious  of  the  red, 
with   blue  sash,  of  the 
Dwyer  Brothers   during 
their  palmy   days.     His 
connection   v/ith   the 
Dwyers  lasted  some  ten 
years,   and  his  valuable 
services  for  them  and  for 
other    owners    brought 
him  wealth.    Afterward 
he   rode   for  Mr.  G.  V. 
Hankins,     of    Chicago, 
and  then  for  one  brilliant 
season    for    Mr.    J.     B. 
Haggin. 

Ultimately,  the  fate 
that  befalls  all  jockeys 
came  to  Mr.  McLaughlin, 
and  his  growing  weight 
put  an  end  to  his  career 
in  the  saddle.  The  ex- 
perience that  he  gained  during  his  jockeyship  had  been, 
of  course,  of  the  most  valuable  character,  and  he  was 
recognized  as  possessing  all  the  best  qualities  for  a  first- 
class  trainer.  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  engaged  his  services, 
and  his  complete  practical  knowledge  of  the  thorough- 
bred placed  him  at  once  on  a  basis  with  the  best  trainers 
in  the  country.    Not  content  to  confine  himself  to  train- 


JAMES  F.  Mclaughlin 


ing  the  horses  of  other  owners,  he  decided  to  make  his 
knowledge  and  skill  also  available  in  his  own  behalf. 
Accordingly,  he  purchased  Take  Back  and  Walcott, 
whom  he  trained  and  rode  whenever  the  opportunity 
offered.  Naturally,  one  who  had  done  so  well  in  riding 
for  other  owners,  scarcely  failed  in  success  when  riding 
for  himself  and  he  won  many  good  races.  Walcott 
was  the  better  horse  of  the  two  just  named,  and  his 
winnings  enabled  Mr.  McLaughlin  to  increase  the  size  of 

his  stable  by  adding 
other  horses,  who  were 
often  found  first  by  the 
post. 

The  training  establish- 
ment of  Mr.  McLaughlin 
at  the  present  time  is 
principally  devoted  to 
his  own  horses.  In  the 
past,  such  good  perform- 
ers as  Morello,  Wern- 
berg.  Premier,  Joe  Hay- 
man,  Courtship,  Arme- 
nia, Maud  Adams,  Slow 
Poke  and  many  others 
have  received  their  prep- 
aration at  his  hands.  He 
now  owns,  and  has  in 
training,  Premier  by  im- 
ported Sir  Modred  out 
of  Premium;  Torstenson 
by  Torso  out  of  Bessie 
Peyton;  Charentus  by 
Charaxus  out  of  Content; 
Lady  Lindsay  by  im- 
ported Sir  Modred  out  of 
Memento;  Prosaic  by  Sir 
Modred  out  of  Prose; 
Counselor  Wernberg  by 
^^^m  imported  Sir  Modred  out 
of  Nonage;  Sol  by  Or- 
der out  of  Fancy;  Class- 
ique  by  Order  out  of 
Longalette  ;  Surrender 
by  Order  out  of  Hannah ; 

- Ordinate  by  Order  out  of 

Coots;  Miss  Order  by 
Order  out  of  Miss  Saxon ; 
Cavalleria  by  Cavalier  out  ot  Alice  Vincent;  Water  Girl 
by  Watercress  out  Parthenia;  18  Carat  by  Golden  Garter 
out  ot  Mollie  Walton;  Diminutive  by  Sir  Dixon  out  of 
Meriden;  and  Colonel  Tenny  by  Tenny  out  of  Katie 
Fletcher.  Modest  in  manner,  and  diligent  and  scientific 
in  his  work,  Mr.  McLaughlin  seems  destined  to  achieve 
further  fame  as  an  owner  and  trainer  as  the  years  go  by. 


317 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Once   upon    a   time  the  belief  was  prevalent  in  turf 
circles   that   no  man  who  had  not  begun  at  the  very 
lowest  in  the  profession  could  be  expected  to  attain  to 
the   success   that   was   the    reward  of  those    who  had 
devoted    a  lifetime   to  the  study  of  the  thoroughbred. 
Many  instances  have  occurred,  however,  in  recent  years 
to  modify,  if  not  to  entirely  disprove  this  proposition, 
for  it  requires  no  very  long  or  complete  acquaintance 
■with  racing  affairs  to  enable  one  to  recall  the  names  of 
many  prominent  turfmen  who  have,  as  it  were,  achieved 
fame  at  a   bound    with 
comparatively    no    pre- 
vious acquaintance  with 
racing  affairs.     A  strik- 
ing example  of  this  state- 
ment is  seen  in  the  career 
of  Mr.  W.  M.  Wallace. 

Coming  upon  the  turf 
as  late  as  1891,  Mr. 
Wallace  had  been,  up  to 
that  time,  engaged  in  the 
dry  goods  business,  it 
took  him  less  than  five 
years  to  attain  to  a  place 
in  the  front  rank  of  the 
great  army  of  owners. 
Mr.  Wallace  was  born 
March  21,  1870,  in  Lex- 
ington, Ky.,  and,  as  was 
to  be  expected  from  his 
Southern  nativity,  he  al- 
ways had  more  or  less 
interest  in  horses.  As 
has  just  been  said,  how- 
ever, his  first  definite 
venture  in  turf  life  was 
in  1 89 1.  At  that  time  he 
was  engaged  with  Mi'. 
Byron  McClelland  in  the 
capacity  of  agent  and 
general  manager  of  that 
noted  turfman's  enter- 
prises. For  some  four 
years  he  filled  this  posi- 
tion to  the  very  great 
advantage  of  his  princi- 
pal and  with  credit  to  himself  His  experiences  gradu- 
ally determined  him  to  enter  upon  the  racing  field  upon 
his  own  account,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1894  lie  made  his 
plans  for  an  independent  racing  career.  As  a  first  move 
in  this  direction  he  purchased  the  famous  horse.  The 
Commoner,  by  Hanover,  in  addition  to  a  number  of 
yearlings.  He  raced  on  the  principal  courses  East  and 
West.     In   1894,   The  Commoner  distinguished  himself 


W.    M.   V\/ALLACE 


by  winning  the  Essex  Stakes  at  Morris  Park,  besides 
several  good  purses,  while,  in  189^,  he  came  in  second 
in  the  race  for  the  Phoenix  Hotel  Stakes.  In  1896,  Mr. 
Wallace  had  a  notable  experience  with  The  Commoner. 
Starting  in  with  the  Louisville  races  in  the  spring,  his 
horse  finished  second  in  two  events,  and  then  in  the 
Oakley  races  won  four  straights,  three  stakes  and  one 
purse.  After  that  he  made  the  most  brilliant  showing  of 
his  life  when,  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  he  finished  second  to 
that   grand    horse,    Henry  of  Navarre,  in  the  Suburban 

Handicap.  He  won  the 
highest  honors  on  that 
occasion,  and  was  well 
worthy  to  have  been  the 
winner.  Although  he 
was  practically  left  at 
the  post,  he  dashed 
gamely  forward  and 
soon  assumed  command 
of  the  field,  and  was 
onlv  beaten  after  a  des- 
perate struggle.  In  the. 
Coney  Island  Handicap, 
at  the  same  meeting  he 
ran  unplaced,  carrying 
top  weight  of  127 
pounds,  the  horses  be- 
ing kept  at  the  post  in 
this  start  for  more  than 
half  an  hour. 

Another  crack  horse 
that  Mr.  Wallace  owned 
was  The  Winner,  who, 
as  a  two-year  old,  won 
the  Oakley  Handicap, 
and,  in  1896,  held  the 
record  for  the  fastest 
mile  run  over  the  course 
at  Sheepshead  Bay. 

It  is  not  often  that  a 
turfman  makes  such  ad- 
vancement in  as  brief 
time  as  Mr.  Wallace  has 
displayed  since  he  has 
been  allied  with  racing 
affairs.  He  has  made 
rapidity  and  sureness  that 
upon  his  shrewdness  and 
a  trainer  he  has  displayed 
marked  ability,  his  aptitude  in  this  direction  show- 
ing very  forcibly  in  the  way  in  which  he  has  devel- 
oped his  yearlings  into  racers  who  have  displayed 
eminent  qualities  in  their  two-year  old  and  three-year 
old  forms, 


his  way   forward    with    a 
reflects    abundant    credit 
his   executive    ability.     As 


3iS 


Till 


AiMi'.KICAN     TITRP 


Most  men  who  have  attained  success  have  been  lead- 
ers in  whatever  pursuit  they  have  chosen  to  follow. 
This  is  as  true  of  training  horses  as  it  is  in  other  em- 
ployments. Probably  every  trainer  of  any  consequence 
is,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  a  leader  or  a  specialist. 
He  has  his  own  methods,  his  own  ideas  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  thoroughbreds,  and  his  own  methods  of  treating 
them  in  order  to  bring  out  their  best  points. 

In  a  broader  sense  than  is  applicable  to  the  profession 
generally,  Mr.  John  V.  Elliott  is  a  specialist  as  a  trainer, 
and  has  been  so  pre- 
eminently successful  in 
the  line  to  which  he  has 
devoted  himself  that  his 
reputation  has  gone  out 
widely  among  all  turf- 
men. Probably  the  best 
test  of  any  trainer's  abil- 
ities is  found  when  he 
is  called  upon  to  take 
hold  of  material  that  has 
been  pronounced  worth- 
less. In  the  experience 
of  every  trainer  exam- 
ples of  this  character 
frequently  occur,  and 
the  result  in  some  cases 
has  been  of  a  surprising- 
ly gratifying  character. 

iMr.  Elliott's  work  of 
this  nature  has  not  been, 
however,  in  isolated 
instances.  Practically, 
he  has  devoted  himself 
almost  entirely  to  this 
discarded  material  and 
the  horses  that  he  has 
undertaken  to  train  have 
almost  without  excep- 
tion been  cast  -  offs. 
Many  of  them  have  been 
noted  horses  in  their 
day,  but  the  period  of 
their  usefulness  was  sup- 
posed to  have  been  passed  before  they  came  into  Mr. 
Elliott's  hands.  And  the  interesting  part  of  the  story  is 
— interesting  alike  to  their  owners  and  to  the  public — 
that  these  cast-offs  under  his  handling  have  turned  out 
winners,  many  of  them  having  afterward  been  sold  for 
large  prices. 

Mr.  Elliott  is  a  native  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  born  in  March,  1863.  He  received  a  good  educa- 
tion and,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  entered  business  with  his 
father,  the  late  Mr.  Charles  B.  Elliott,  who  died  in  1S95. 


The  tirst  professional  appearance  of  the  son  as  a  turfman 
was  in  the  capacity  of  owner  and  trainer,  his  purchases 
at  that  time  including  Pericles,  Jack  Cade  and  Mirama. 
He  continued  buying  and  training  for  himself  until  1892, 
when  he  accepted  an  engagement  as  trainer  with 
Colonel  Bruce,  of  New  York.  Two  years  later  he  joined 
Mr.  W.  J.  Speirs,  of  New  York,  for  whom  he  trained 
successfully  a  year  and  a  half.  In  189s,  he  opened  a 
public  stable  at  Gravesend,  L.  I.,  and  trained  for  Messrs. 
C.    Cornehlsen,     P.   j.    Dwyer,    M.     F.    Dwyer,    C.    F. 

Dwyer,  F.  C.  O'Reilly, 
McCarren,  Scott  and 
others,  and  in  that  busi- 
ness he  has  continued 
ever  since.  He  has  been 
eminently  successful  in 
bringing  horses  to  the 
post  in  condition  and 
they  have  won  many  of 
the  most  important 
stakes  and  purses  of 
the  modern  turf. 

It  would  be  a  long 
list  that  should  hold  the 
names  of  all  the  horses 
that  Mr.  Elliott  has 
handled,  but  among 
them  may  be  mentioned 
Pericles,  Leonawe',1,  Jack 
Cade,  Mirama,  Bren- 
tano,  Major  Domo,  Poor 
Jonathan,  Blythe,  Man- 
grove, Shelly  Tuttle, 
Baroness,  Richfield,  Im- 
perial, Roller,  Armitage, 
Prince  George  and  Port- 
chester.  Some  good 
performances  are  credit- 
ed to  these  horses,  which 
is  abundant  proof  of  the 
trainer's  skill.  For  ex- 
ample. Shelly  Tuttle 
won  eleven  out  of  thir- 
teen starts  as  a  three- 
year  old,  while  Leonawell  won  six  out  of  eight  starts. 
Kennell  won  three  consecutive  starts.  Mclntyre ,  won 
seven  out  often  starts,  and  one  season  at  Jerome  Park 
won  three  consecutive  races.  These  were  all  cast-offs, 
and  their  success  was  entirely  due  to  Mr.  Elliott's  skillin 
bringing  to  life  and  action  their  latent  powers,  a  faculty 
that  has  won  for  him  a  peculiar  and  high  reputation,  so 
that  his  services  are  constantly  sought  by  many  eminent 
owners.  He  is  always  well  engaged,  and  his  success 
seems  destined  to  continue  for  many  years  to  come. 


JOHN   V.   ELLIOTT 


319 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


There  are  now  in  this  country  few  representatives  of 
the  old  school  of  English  turfmen.  For  the  most  part, 
the  Englishmen  have  been  contented  to  remain  in  their 
own  country,  having  the  national  confidence  in  the 
English  turf  and  the  consequent  disregard  of  the  attrac- 
tions of  racing  elsewhere.  Some  exceptions  there  have 
been  to  this  rule  and  in  the  period  immediately  follow- 
ing our  Civil  War  the  American  turf  began  to  attract 
hither  some  proficient  jockeys  and  yery  capable  trainers. 
One  of  the  most  promi- 
nent of  the  old-time  Eng- 
lish turfmen  who  have  of 
late  years  been  identified 
with  racing  matters  in 
the  United  States,  is  Mr. 
William  Bernard  Gilpin, 
well  known  as  an 
owner,  trainer  and 
steeplechase  rider.  Born 
in  185 1,  at  Longford, 
Cannock,  in  the  County 
of  Staffordshire,  he  is  the 
only  son  of  Mr.  Bernard 
Gilpin,  who  is  still  a 
well-known  Justice  of 
the  Peace  and  County 
Counsellor  for  Stafford- 
shire. The  elder  Mr. 
Gilpin  at  one  time 
owned  and  raced  sev- 
eral good  horses.  The 
son  thus  was  imbued 
with  love  for  the 
thoroughbred  and  at  an 
early  age  became  a  rider 
for  his  father.  Making 
his  debut  in  1873,  he 
carried  his  father's  colors 
for  several  years  with 
considerable  success  and 
developed  a  great 
amount  of  skill  as  a 
rider.  Subsequently  his 
services  were  sought  by 
many  prominent  English 
turfmen,  for  whom  he 
rode  many  good  races.  A  brilliant  career  opened  be- 
fore him  and  he  was  always  able  to  obtain  his  full  share 
of  winning  mounts.  He  continued  riding  for  some 
nine  years  and  achieved  a  reputation  of  being  by  all  odds 
the  best  gentleman  rider  known  to  the  English  turf  at 
that  time. 

In  1882,  however,  he  determined  to  make  a  change  in 
his  life  pursuits.     Coming  to  the  United  States,  he  went 


WILLIAM    B.  GILPIN 


into  the  far  West  and  engaged  in  ranching.  A  few  years 
later  he  removed  to  Chicago  and  started  in  the  horse  bus- 
iness, being  part  proprietor  of  the  English  Horse  Exchange 
in  that  city.  He  came  to  New  York  in  1886,  and 
again  returned  to  his  early  love,  steeplechasing.  One 
of  his  first  mounts  was  at  Rockaway,  on  the  Canadian 
horse  Cyclone.  He  fell  with  him  in  jumping  the  stone 
wall,  being  crushed  so  badly  that  for  a  longtime  his  life 
was  despaired  of,   and  he  lay  unconscious  in  Bellevue 

Hospital  for  more  than  a 
month.  His  vitality 
stood  him  in  good  stead, 
so  that  he  slowly  recov- 
ered sufficiently  to  be 
sent  home  to  England, 
though  badly  crippled 
and  partially  paralyzed. 
After  some  months  he 
returned  again  to  Amer- 
ica and  soon  obtained  an 
engagement  as  trainer 
of  the  stable  of  Mrs. 
George  Lorillard.  This 
position  he  held  until 
Mrs.  Lorillard  retired 
from  the  turf,  and  the 
following  two  years  he 
trained  the  horses  of  Mr. 
Clark  Maxwell.  Sub- 
sequently he  purchased 
for  himself  the  horse 
Sport  and  in  partnership 
with  Mr.  J.  Taylor,  as  the 
Washington  Stable,  had 
success  with  that  good 
but  erratic  hor^e. 

In  1895,  he  opened  a 
public  stable  and  trained 
in  addition  some  few 
horses  of  his  own.  In 
this  enterprise  he  is  still 
engaged,  and  to-day  in- 
cludes among  his  pa- 
trons some  excellent 
supporters  of  the  turf 
Personally,  Mr.  Gilpin 
is  a  popular  member  01  his  profession.  He  has  con- 
sistently pursued  a  policy  that  has  influenced  the  public 
to  accept  his  methods  as  those  of  a  man  whose  every 
thought  is  for  the  elevation  of  the  sport.  As  an  author 
also,  Mr.  Gilpin  has  become  favorably  known.  Two 
of  his  publications,  Hunting  and  Racing  Stories  and  an 
American  tale  called  Ranchland,  have  met  with  a 
considerable    sale. 


320 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


It  has  been  the  good  fortune  of  some  turfmen  that  they 
have  been  able  to  train  and  ride  their  own  horses,  as 
well  as  to  organize  and  direct  their  stables.  The  incal- 
culable advantages  of  this  admirable  combination  of 
qualifications  must  be  obvious  to  everyone.  Only  the 
merest  reference  to  the  matter  is  necessary,  simply  in 
order  to  call  attention  to  a  feature  of  prime  importance, 
in  estimating,  at  any  time,  the  probable  value  of  the 
average  owner's  services  to  the  turf 

It  has  already  become  a  well  established  proposition 
that  a  generous  support 
of  the  thoroughbred, 
combined  with  an  in- 
telligent study  of  his 
capabilities,  will  place 
within  the  reach  of  any 
man  the  possibility  of 
engaging  in  racing  un- 
der conditions  that  give 
a  reasonably  fair  pros- 
pect of  substantial  suc- 
cess. He,  however, 
who,  in  addition  to 
these  favorable  condi- 
tions, has  also  had  a 
daily  and  hourly  asso- 
ciation with  his  horses 
in  the  process  of  bring- 
ing them  to  the  post  in 
right  condition  and  has 
given  his  personal  at- 
tention to  the  work  of 
developing  them  at  ev- 
ery point,  unquestion- 
ably has  a  superior  ad- 
vantage that  may  not 
be  easily  overcome, 
Furthermore,  when 
such  an  individual  has 
had  a  "leg  up"  in 
many  a  sharp  contest 
and  has  added  to  his 
other  information  a  de- 
tailed, practical  knowl- 
edge of  the  character  of  his  mounts  and  their  peculiari- 
ties in  actual  work,  the  great  advantage  that  he  possesses 
becomes  even  more  apparent. 

Few  men  upon  the  turf  to-day  combine  in  a  more  ex- 
ceptional degree  the  peculiar  qualifications  to  which 
reference  has  just  been  made  than  Mr.  William  Carroll. 
A  native  of  Connecticut,  Mr.  Carroll  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Putnam  in  that  State.  His  riding  experiences 
began  almost  as  soon  in  his  life  as  he  was  able  to  sit 
firmly  in  the  saddle.     His  first  riding  was  at  country 


WILLIAM    CARROLL 


fairs,  principally  in  the  Nutmeg  State,  and  his  ap- 
pearances on  those  occasions  were  affairs  of  more  than 
ordinary  interest.  He  had  his  tlrst  successful  mount  on 
Grasshopper  and  rode  that  horse  a  winning  race  in 
three  half-mile  heats.  It  was  in  1883  that  his  turf  ex- 
perience had  its  real  beginning,  when  he  was  engaged 
to  ride  for  Mr.  J.  Riley.  Later  on  he  was  connected  with 
the  stable  of  Messrs.  Campbell  &  Hankins.  His  work 
in  the  saddle  attracted  wide  attention  and  he  was  sub- 
sequently engaged  to  ride  the  horses  of  Mr.  Frank  Weir, 

being  employed  by  that 
gentleman  at  various 
times  during  a  period 
of  some  five  years. 

Entering  the  racing 
field  on  his  own  ac- 
count, he  first  won  sev- 
eral races  with  that 
sturdy  campaigner,  Ed- 
ward F.  In  the  course 
of  time  he  came  to  be 
the  owner  of  several 
good  horses.  With 
Kanesville  and  Mulat- 
to, who  were  particu- 
larly the  prominent, 
representatives  of  his 
string,  he  was  very 
successful  in  winning 
many  good  races.  In 
Chicago,  where  he  was 
settled  for  something 
over  two  years,  he  was 
one  of  the  most  active 
owners  and  carried  off 
his  full  share  of  purses. 
Among  the  prominent 
horses  with  which  he 
was  identified  at  this 
period  of  his  life  were 
Santa  Mego,  Lillian  E. 
and  others  of  similarly 
good  calibre.  His  stable 
was  always  kept  in  ad- 
mirable working  condition,  a  quality  that  has  particu- 
larly characterized  it  down  to  the  present  time  in 
whatever  part  of  the  country  its  owner  has  carried  on 
operations. 

In  recent  years  Mr.  Carroll  has  had  in  his  string  Lord 
Zeni  by  Fonso  out  of  Minnie  Williams;  The  Planter  by 
imported  Great  Tom  out  of  Hayti,  and  Paros  by  imported 
Keene  out  of  Grey  Sail.  For  fifteen  years  he  has  been 
constantly  before  the  racing  public,  and  he  is  recognized 
as  an  energetic  and  reliable  owner. 


321 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


The  career  of  Mr.  Richard  C.  Doggett  has  been  a  repe- 
tition of  that  of  many  of  the  foremost  men  of  the  turf 
Born  at  Oakwood,  111.,  December  i8,  1877,  Doggett 
began  his  turf  career  when  he  was  only  fourteen  years  of 
age.  For  a  short  time,  in  iSqi,  he  was  employed  as  a 
stable  boy  by  Major  Allen,  but  shortly  attracted  the 
attention  of  that  veteran  turfman,  Mr.  Green  B.  Morris, 
from  whose  stable  have  come  some  of  the  best  jockeys 
and  trainers  of  this  generation.  Entering  the  employ  of 
Mr.  Morris,  he  remained  with  him  for  two  years.  It  was 
during  this  engagement  that,  in  1892,  he  had  his  first 
public  mount  on  a  filly  owned  by  Messrs.  Gilpin  &  Taylor. 

In  1894,  Doggett  was  engaged  by  Dr.  Gideon  L. 
Knapp,  for  whom  he  rode 
during  the  ensuing  two 
years.  He  at  once  took  a 
place  as  a  first-class  jockey, 
and  for  several  years  was 
one  of  the  most  popular 
boys  then  riding.  One  of 
his  earliest  successes  for  the 
stable  of  Dr.  Knapp  was 
winning  at  Brighton  Beach 
on  Micmac  Queen,  by  im- 
ported Midlothian  out  of 
Patty.  The  odds  were  100 
to  I  against  Micmac  Queen, 
but  Doggett  rode  her  the 
one  mile  distance  in  i  min- 
ute, 45  seconds,  winning 
by  three  lengths  and  beat- 
ing Lizzie,  Tom  Finley  and 
Logan. 

He  also  rode  in  winning 
races,  Sir  Walter,  Cockade, 
Jodan,  The  Coon  and  oth- 
ers. At  Saratoga,  in  the 
season  1894,  he  won  sev- 
eral important  races  on  An- 
nisette.  He  carried  off  the 
Bitter  Root  Stakes,  beating 
Handspun.  Urania,  Agita- 
tor, Keenan,  Salvation,  Gutta  Percha  and  others;  he  also 
won  with  Mistral,  defeating  Arapahoe,  Flirt,  Florinda, 
Pocahontas  and  others;  with  a  Turco-Favora  colt,  de- 
feating Phoebus,  University,  Miss  Dixon,  Engineer,  and 
others;  with  Candelabra,  defeating  Stowaway,  Faraday 
and  Kentigerna.  During  this  season  of  1894  he  had  622 
mounts,  coming  in  first  161  times,  second  115  times, 
third  99  times,  and  being  unplaced  247  times.  In  the 
spring  of  1895,  he  won  races  at  the  St.  Asaph  track, 
riding  Pekin,  Premier,  Tuscan  and  others,  and  beating 
many  good  horses,  among  whom  were  Counter  Tenor, 
Tancred,  Golden  Gate,  Vice  Regal,  Pulitzer  and  others. 


mounts   in- 
Alonzo,    Unity   and 


RICHARD   C.  DOGGETT 


At  Brighton  Beach,  in  1895,  his 
eluded  Marshall,  Charade,  Harry 
others. 

After  the  death  of  Dr.  Knapp,  in  the  autumn  of  1895, 
Mr.  Doggett  went  to  California,  but  did  not  ride  there. 
His  work  as  a  jockey  was  always  of  the  first  class,  but 
ultimately  that  bane  of  all  jockeys,  a  surplus  of  flesh, 
made  him  too  heavy,  and  his  days  of  riding  were  brought 
to  an  end.  He  was  always  one  of  the  popular  favorites, 
however,  and  his  abundant  success  led  frequenters  of 
the  track  to  follow  his  mounts  in  their  betting,  generally 
to  their  very  great  advantage. 

In  1896,  he  entered  the  ranks  of  owners,  when  he  pur- 
chased his  namesake,  Dog- 
gett, a  good  lour-year  old 
chestnut  by  The  Bard  out 
of  Rosewood.  He  person- 
ally trained  Doggett  and 
rode  him  a  two  mile  race 
at  Westchester  and  two 
races  at  the  Aqueduct 
Course,  all  three  of  which 
he  won.  One  of  the  Aque- 
duct races  was  a  dead  heat 
with  Ameer,  and  Doggett 
won  in  the  run  off.  The 
two-mile  race  at  Morris 
Park  was  for  the  Feather 
Purse  and  was  run  in  3 
minutes,  95  seconds,  Dog- 
gett defeating  Midgley,  Rey 
del  Mar  and  Baroness.  The 
success  of  Mr.  Doggett  led 
him  to  increase  his  string 
by  the  purchase  of  several 
yearlings^during  the  sum- 
mer of  1896,  and  he  then 
had  in  his  stable  five  horses 
— Doggett,  Gee  Gee,  Harry 
Crawford,  Mabel  D.  and 
Lillie  Seals. 
During  the  season  of 
1897,  Mr.  Doggett  had  in  training  Doggett,  Alarum 
by  Torso  out  of  Hana,  and  the  two-year  old  brown 
gelding,  Sallust,  by  Salvator  out  of  Lydia.  Sallust  won 
a  good  five  furlongs  race  easily,  by  three  lengths,  in  i 
minute,  3  seconds,  defeating  Refide,  La  Gitana,  Ennomia 
Lerete,  Deal,  Beekman  and  May  Frances.  Alarum  won 
a  seven  furlongs  race  at  the  Aqueduct  Course  in  i  min- 
ute, 26j^  seconds.  The  skill  that  Mr.  Doggett  displayed 
in  his  riding  has  also  been  exhibited  with  his  own 
horses.  He  is  a  skillful  trainer,  and  in  the  natural  order 
of  events  his  occupation  as  an  owner  should  result  in 
advantage  to  himself  and  to  the  turf. 


Til 


AlMlCklCAN     TURF 


In  the  person  of  Mr.  Edward  Feakes  we  have  an  ex- 
ample of  the  best  class  of  hard-working,  intelligent  Eng- 
lish horsemen,  who  have  devoted  their  lives  to  riding 
and  training.  Mr.  Feakes  was  born  at  Cambridge,  Eng- 
land, in  18^7.  Early  in  life  he  determined  to  devote 
himself  to  the  turf  and  entered  upon  a  severe  course  of 
training  with  the  definite  purpose  in  view  of  making 
himself  a  master  of  his  profession.  He  was  not  willing 
to  content  himself  with  merely  good  standing,  but  made 
up  his  mind  that  he 
would  ultimately  be 
first  or  nowhere.  His 
early  experience  was 
in  one  of  the  best 
schools  known  to  the 
English  turf,  a  stable 
belonging  to  the  cele- 
brated Matthew  Daw- 
son, at  Newmarket. 
There  he  began  his 
apprenticeship  and  it 
was  not  long  before 
he  exhibited  those 
qualities  of  industry 
and  of  knowledge  of 
horses  that  have  since 
made  him  so  emin- 
ently successful. 

His  good  work 
while  in  Mr.  Daw- 
son's employ  won 
him  substantial  recog- 
nition before  long,  not 
only  in  the  stable  in 
which  he  was  en- 
gaged, but  from  out- 
siders as  well.  When 
Mr.  Milton  H.  San- 
ford  was  in  England 
he  was  greatly  taken 
with  the  quality  of 
Mr.  Feakes'  riding  and 
brought  him  to  Amer- 
ica in  1 87 1.  Subse- 
quently, when  Mr. 
Sanford,    desirous    of 


EDWARD   FEAKES 


achieving  turf  honors  in  England,  took  his  stable  to  that 
country,  he  intended  to  have  Mr.  Feakes  ride  for  him 
there.  But  the  work  of  the  young  English  jockey  in 
the  United  States  had  already  commended  itself  to  turfmen 
here  and  he  was  persuaded  to  remain  in  New  York, 
being  engaged  to  ride  the  horses  in  the  stable  of  the 
Honorable  August  Belmont. 
For   three   years   Mr.    Feakes  rode   for  the   Belmont 


Stable,  being  uniformly  successful  and  giving  to  his  em- 
ployer the  fullest  satisfaction.  He  was  not  willing,  how- 
ever, to  always  continue  in  the  employ  of  a  single 
stable,  but  had  an  inclination  to  ride  independently. 
Accordingly  he  severed  his  connection  with  Mr.  Bel- 
mont, very  much  to  the  regret  of  that  gentleman,  and 
thenceforward  accepted  mounts  from  any  one  who 
desired  his  services.  During  the  ensuing  two  years 
he  piloted  many  horses  to  victory  and  his  riding  of  such 

champions  as  Check- 
mate, Glen  mo  re 
Gabriel  and  others  ex- 
cited the  highest  ad- 
miration, alike  on  the 
part  of  the  general 
public,  with  whom 
he  became  a  popular 
favorite,  and  on  the 
part  of  those  experts 
in  horsemanship  who 
were  quick  to  recog- 
nize expert  riding. 

Engaged  for  Mr. 
Pierre  Lorillard,  he 
rode  for  that  gentle- 
man during  the  years 
1 88 1,  1882  and  1883, 
and  was  quite  as  suc- 
cessful in  returning 
winners,  often  under 
adverse  circum- 
stances,  as  when  he 
was  riding  for  Mr. 
Belmont  and  other 
owners.  During  the 
seasons  of  1884  and 
1885  his  services  were 
engaged  by  Mr.  A.  J. 
Cassatt,  the  wealthy 
Pennsylvanian  who 
owned  that  great  race 
horse.  The  Bard. 
There  he  added  many 
laurels  to  his  already 
long  list  of  victories. 
For  some  years  after 
1886  he  was  jockey  and  then  trainer  of  the  stable  of 
Mr.  James  Gal  way. 

In  the  early  season  of  1898,  the  success  of  Mr.  Feakes 
with  the  stable  of  Mr.  John  Daly  was  of  a  sterling 
character.  The  victories  of  Jean  Bereaud  in  winning  the 
National  Stallion  Stakes  and  the  Eclipse  Stakes,  as  well 
as  many  others,  was  a  striking  tribute  to  his  ability  as  a 
trainer. 


323 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


In  looking  over  the  careers  of  our  leading  owners  and 
trainers  one  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed  by  the  consider- 
able number  of  them  who  have  come  into  the  turf  world 
through  the  interest  that  they  have  first  taken  in  the  trot- 
ting horse.  So  many  sections  of  the  United  States  have 
been  almost  exclusively  devoted  to  the  trotter,  that  it  is 
not  surprising  that  many  clever  horsemen  have  been  de- 
veloped in  connection  with  that  equine  family.  It  is 
natural  that  many  of  these  gentlemen  should,  after  a 
time,  turn  their  attention  to  the  running  horse. 

The  pages  of  American  turf  history  are  crowded  with 


For  many  years  previous  he  had  bred  trotters,  some  of 
whom  turned  out  to  be  very  speedy,  and  he  came  to 
Mr.  Madden's  stable  abundantly  experienced  and  handled 
that  owner's  horses  in  an  exceedingly  satisfactory  man- 
ner. Later  on  he  purchased  two  yearlings,  afterward 
known  as  Suisun  and  Ornament.  Suisun,  he  sold  to 
Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer  and  still  later  the  horse  was  the  prop- 
erty of  Mr.  H.  Eugene  Leigh.  Ornament  was  retained 
by  Mr.  Patterson  and  proved  a  most  successful  two-year 
old  and  three-year  old  racer.  His  winnings  in  1896  in- 
cluded  the   Lexington    Futurity,    the    Sheepshead    Bay 


I 


ORNAMENT 


C.  T.    PATTERSON 


such  examples,  and  foremost  in  the  class  may  be  placed 
Mr.  Charles  T.  Patterson,  who  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
February  4,  1869.  The  father  of  Mr.  Patterson  was  a 
well-known  owner  of  trotters  and  brought  up  his  son  to 
an  intimate  acquaintance  with  his  stable.  When  young 
in  years,  Mr.  Patterson  won  many  races  with  his  father's 
horses.  Once  he  drove  Bessemer  a  mile  in  2  minutes, 
13%^  seconds,  which  was  very  fast  time  in  those  days. 

In  1891,  Mr.  Patterson  began  his  connection  with  the 
thoroughbred,   engaging  to  train  for  Mr.  J.  E.  Madden. 


Double  Event  and  other  important  races,  the  total  amount 
that  he  won  being  over  $23,000.  He  was  also  raced  by 
Mr.  Patterson  in  1S97,  winning  $52,750. 

In  the  season  of  1898  Ornament,  who  is  by  Order  out 
of  Victorine,  was  the  property  of  Messrs.  H.  P.  Headley 
and  W.  P.  Norton.  He  won  the  Brooklyn  Handicap 
easily  in  2  minutes,  10  seconds,  over  a  very  heavy  track. 
Mr.  Patterson  owns  the  four- year  old  Burlesque  by  De- 
ceiver, the  two-year  old  Heber  Jones  by  imported  Pirate 
of  Penzance,  and  some  other  good  horses. 


324 


THE    AMERICAN     TURP 


The  racing  experience  of  Mr.  Edward  l\^ters  embraces 
a  period  of  more  tiian  twenty  years.  His  connection 
witii  the  track  began  the  first  year  that  Brighton  Beach 
was  opened.  He  was  a  mere  youngster  then,  having 
been  born  in  the  City  of  Churches,  March  20,  18O4.  At 
first  he  was  identified  with  the  stable  of  the  Messrs. 
Hopson  Brothers,  who  then  had  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
good  thoroughbreds.  I^erhaps  the  best  horses  in  the 
string  were  Delilah,  Florimel,  Woodcraft  and  Auburn. 
Mr.    Peters    rode    these    and    others    in    many     good 


winning  four  races  and  receiving  part  of  the  money  in 
eight  more.  In  the  remaining  six  races  in  which  he 
was  unsuccessful,  unforeseen  mishaps,  such,  for  instance, 
as  being  left  at  the  post,  were  the  cause  of  his  failure. 
Billali  by  Rayon  D'Or  also  showed  himself  to  be  a  colt 
of  merit.  Other  good  horses  who  will  be  recalled  at  the 
mention  of  Mr.  Peters'  name  have  been  Silver  Mint, 
Canadian,  Son  Malheur,  and  Gloriana.  Rifler,  in  1896, 
at  the  Aqueduct  Course,  won  a  four  furlongs  dash, 
carrying  top   weight  and  defeating  Phaedra  and  others. 


FLORAL    PARK 


EDWARD  PETERS 


races,   frequently  carrying  the  colors  of   his  employers 
victoriously  at  the   head    of    a    big   field. 

Since  he  has  been  engaged  in  racing  on  his  own  ac- 
count, Mr.  Peters  has  owned  several  very  useful  animals. 
His  stable  has  included  such  good  ones  as  Canadian, 
Rifler,  Billali,  Floral  Park  and  Fair  Rebel.  In  1895,  his 
horses  won  neariy  seventy  races,  which,  all  things  con- 
sidered, was  a  remarkably  satisfactory  showing.  Floral 
Park,  as  a  two-year  old  in  1896,  and  as  a  three-year  old  in 
1897.  did  excellent  work.     He  was  started  eighteen  times. 


A  thoroughly  well-trained  horseman,  Mr.  Peters  has 
always  found  his  early  experience  as  exercise  boy  and 
jockey  especially  valuable  to  him  in  his  later  career  as  an 
owner.  Florimel  was  a  mount  with  which  he  was  par- 
ticularly successful  and  he  learned  to  admire  and  to  put 
great  value  upon  the  racing  qualities  of  that  mare.  It 
was  this  knowledge  that  led  him  to  purchase  Floral  Park, 
Florimel's  colt  by  that  grand  race  horse  The  Bard,  and 
his  career  has  amply  justified  Mr.  Peters'  judgment.  Al- 
together his  experience  has  been  uniformly  fortunate. 


325 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Beginning  his  career  in  California,  Mr.  Frederick 
Mercitel,  in  the  ten  years  and  a  little  more  during  which 
he  has  been  identified  with  the  turf,  has  become  well 
known  throughout  the  United  States.  He  has  trained 
some  of  the  celebrated  horses  of  the  period,  and  his  suc- 
cess in  bringing  them  to  the  post  in  good  condition  has 
attracted  more  than  ordinary  attention  among  those  fre- 
quenters of  the  race  course  who  watch  with  careful  and 
critical  attention.  Mr.  Merckel  was  born  in  Cincinnati, 
O.,  March  4,  1869.  He  was  a  young  man  nineteen  years 
of  age  when  he  started  upon  his  racing  career. 

His   first   employment   was   with   the   stable    of  Mr. 


After  remaining  with  Mr.  Rose  for  several  years,  Mr. 
Merckel  decided  to  make  a  change,  and  associated  him- 
self with  the  Honorable  E.  A.  Mizner,  with  whom  he  has 
since  remained  without  interruption.  Mr.  Mizner,  one  of 
the  foremost  men  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  is  not  alone  known 
from  his  connection  with  the  turf,  but  has  also  been  promi- 
nent in  public  affairs,  being  especially  distinguished  as  the 
Governor  of  the  Alaska  Territory.  Although  racing  is 
entirely  a  side  issue  with  him,  it  is  his  intention  to  own 
a  grand  stable  of  thoroughbreds  and,  having  the  means 
at  his  command,  he  is,  probably,  destined  to  play  an 
important  part  in  turf  affairs  in  the  near  future.     In  the 


FRED    MERCKEL 


RUINART 


George  Rose,  one  of  the  prominent  bookmakers  ot  Cali- 
fornia. There  he  had  charge  of  Geraldine,  a  world  re- 
nowned sprinter  who,  under  his  management,  raced  on 
all  the  principal  tracks  of  the  United  States.  Geraldine, 
who  was  by  the  famous  Grinstead  out  of  Cousin  Peggy, 
still  holds  the  world's  record  for  a  half-mile  dash,  which 
she  ran  in  46  seconds  over  the  straight  course  of  the  New 
York  Jockey  Club,  in  August,  1889.  Other  good  horses 
that  Mr.  Merckel  has  handled  have  been  Rear  Guard, 
Boreas,  Nephew,  Badger,  Empress  of  Norfolk,  Monterey 
and  Middleton. 


person  of  Mr.  Merckel  he  has  an  adjutant  of  undoubted 
capacity,  and  one  to  whom  his  racing  interests  may 
safely  be  intrusted. 

Ruinart,  the  principal  member  of  Mr.  Mizner's  stable 
is  by  St.  Carlo  out  of  Queen  Alta.  He  is  a  first-class 
thoroughbred  and  has  won  some  of  the  best  races  on  the 
Western  circuit,  defeating  many  of  the  crack  horses  on 
the  Pacific  Coast.  He  has  traveled  i  mile  and  70  yards 
in  I  minute,  46^  seconds;  i  mile  in  i  minute,  41^4  sec- 
conds  and  i}(  miles  in  2  minutes,  6^  seconds.  The 
record  last  mentioned  was  for  the  Burns  Handicap. 


326 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


It  is  an  old  saying,  that  to  be  successful  in  any  enter- 
prise one's  heart  must  be  in  his  work.  Probably  none  will 
be  so  venturesome  as  to  dispute  this  proposition,  but  it 
is  not  always  put  into  elfect,  nor  are  its  results  always 
fully  recognized.  Particularly,  however,  does  the  rule 
seem  to  apply  to  racing,  and  it  is  exceedingly  doubtful 
if  any  man  has  attained  to  conspicuous  prominence  on 
the  turf  unless  he  has  been  enthusiastically  devoted  to 
the  sport.  Now  and  then,  indeed,  in  this  connection 
we  even  have  examples  of  those  who  apparently  ignore 
their  best  interests  solely  by  yielding  to  their  liking  for 
certain  branches  of  the  sport. 

That  Mr.  John  Nixon  is  a  lover  of  the  thoroughbred. 


was  born  at  Cross  Hill,  in  the  Township  of  Wellsley, 
Can.,  in  1853.  When  he  was  twenty-three  years  of 
age  he  began  dealing  in  horseflesh  and  was  eminently 
prosperous.  Extending  his  field  of  operations  from 
merely  local  circles,  he  made  large  consignments  to  Eu- 
rope, in  all  of  which  ventures  he  was  successful.  Finally, 
having  accumulated  considerable  means,  he  bought  for 
his  private  amusement  several  trotters  and  jumpers. 

Soon  tiring  of  the  trotters,  Mr.  Nixon  found  that  the 
jumpers  were  his  ideals.  He  set  out  to  buy  the  best  in 
this  class  that  the  country  afforded,  and  has  owned 
some  of  the  most  famous  steeplechasers  of  this  period. 
Lion  Heart,  a  bay  gelding  by  Lepanto  out  of  Queen  Lyon, 


LION   HEART 


JOHN    NIXON 


no  one  would  for  a  moment  question,  and  his  interest  in 
the  blood  horse  has  been  particularly  manifested  toward 
the  jumping  cla.ss.  Inasmuch  as  the  performances  of  the 
jumpers  have  afforded  him  most  pleasure,  he  has  devoted 
himself  altogether  to  their  training,  although  the  same 
talent  that  he  has  therein  displayed  might  reap  him  better 
financial  rewards  if  spent  upon  the  flat  runners.  But  it 
is  because  the  jumpers  have  appealed  to  him  more 
strongly  than  their  rivals  that  he  has  been  unswerving 
in  his  connection  with  them.  Like  so  many  other  turf- 
men to  whom  it  is  frequently  necessary  to  refer,  Mr. 
Nixon  was  at  one  time  interested  in  the  trotter.     He 


was  probably  the  greatest  horse  that  Mr.  Nixon  owned. 
In  one  year,  out  of  some  twelve  starts,  he  won  six  of  his 
races  and  was  placed  in  most  of  the  others.  He  was 
never  known  to  fall  in  any  of  his  races  and  has  carried 
the  heaviest  weight  ever  imposed  upon  a  four-year  old. 
Among  other  winnings  he  must  be  credited  with  the 
Walker  Cup,  at  Hamilton,  Ont.,  and  the  Beverwick 
Stake,  at  Saratoga.  In  1897,  he  was  sold  to  Mr.  M.  P. 
Dwyer,  and  in  1898  Mr.  Dwyer  sold  the  horse  to 
William  Stallcup.  Among  other  great  jumpers  that  Mr. 
Nixon  has  owned  have  been  Lawyer,  Alfonsina,  Valour, 
Kings  County  and  Counsellor. 


327 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


It  is  a  little  singular,  perhaps,  that  our  neighbors  ot 
the  Dominion  of  Canada  have  not,  to  any  great  extent, 
been  conspicuous  for  their  interest  in  thoroughbred  rac- 
ing. One  would  naturally  suppose  that,  inheriting  the 
national  instincts  of  their  old  home  across  the  sea,  they 
would  take  very  naturally  and  heartily  to  the  thorough- 
bred. Even  the  French  contingent  of  the  Dominion 
should  also  have,  by  inheritance,  a  liking  for  the  same 
class  of  horses.  That  the  contrary  is  the  case,  however, 
seems  to  be  abundantly 
proven,  and  whether  it  is 
for  climatic  reasons  or 
others,  thoroughbred  rac- 
ing in  Canada  is  a  small 
quantity  and  thorough- 
bred breeding  almost 
non-existent.  Aside  from 
meetings  at  Montreal, 
Hamilton  and  Toronto 
and  a  few  places  of  sec- 
ond or  third  class,  there 
have  never  been  many 
serious  attempts  at  high- 
class  racing  on  the  other 
side  of  our  northern  bor- 
der. 

Notwithstanding  this 
condition  of  things,  appar- 
ently so  adverse  to  the 
development  of  skilful 
handlers  of  the  thorough- 
bred, some  of  our  best 
trainers  have  come  into 
the  States  from  Canada. 
The  general  knowledge  of 
horseflesh  which  is  preva- 
lent in  that  section  of  the 
land  must  undoubtedly  go 
fartoward  explainingtheir 
proficiency  in  this  profes- 
sion, for  Canada  has,  from 
the  earliest  settlement  of 
America,  been  one  of  the 
centres  for  the  raising  of 


trotters,    draught    horses 
and     pleasure     animals. 

That  the  experience  in  regard  to  horses  generally,  thus 
gained  in  their  early  home,  should  be  turned  by  many 
men  of  Canadian  birth  to  the  handling  of  thoroughbreds 
when  opportunity  has  offered  is  most  natural.  And  it 
must  be  admitted  that  some  of  the  most  proficient  and 
most  reliable  trainers  that  our  turf  world  has  known 
have  come  from  the  Dominion. 

Upon  the  trainer,   quite  as  much  as  upon  any  indi- 


vidual, the  fabric  of  the  turf  rests.  However  well  bred 
a  horse  may  be,  however  lavishly  money  may  be  spent 
in  maintaining  large  stables,  and  however  great  may  be 
the  encouragement  given  by  jockey  clubs  and  individuals, 
all  this  would  count  for  but  little  were  it  not  for  the 
energetic,  capable  and  far-seeing  work  that  is  bestowed 
by  the  best  trainers  upon  the  horses  that  come  under 
their  care.  It  is  needless  to  point  out  that  a  horse 
brought  to  the  post  in  bad  condition  is  worse  than  a  fail- 
ure. Not  only  is  he  a  dis- 
.,.-  -^^  >  \r        appointment  to  his  owner 

and  backers,  but  he  also 
represents  great  loss  in 
breedmg  and  stable  ex- 
penditures. 

Although  the  thorough- 
bred   race   horse  has  be- 
come the  noblest  animal 
of  creation,  he  may  easily, 
in    domestication,   deteri- 
orate   toward     the     nat- 
ural condition  of  his  an- 
cestors, unless  he  is  prop- 
erly   cared    for.      If    his 
best  qualities  are  not  pre- 
served in  his  preparation 
for  the  turf,  he  cannot  suc- 
cessfully stand  up  in  hard 
contests    with    others   in 
whom  these  qualities  have 
been  perfectly  and   care- 
fully  preserved.     To   de- 
velop a  horse  in  muscle, 
firm  and  hard,  and  to  re- 
duce his  flesh  until  he  is 
in  racing  form,  is  a  task 
both  difficult  and  delicate. 
Mr.  J.  R.  Walker  is  one 
of  those  trainers  of  Cana- 
dian origin  who  have  been 
pre-eminently  successful 
in  their  handling  of  thor- 
oughbreds.     Although  a 
young  man,   he   has   had 
a  large  experience  and  is 
intelligent  and  enterpris- 
ing.    He  is  a  man  of  thought  and  wide  awake  and  has 
given  to   his  chosen  pursuit  much  laborious  consider- 
ation.    Among  those  who  know  him  best  he  is  exceed- 
ingly popular,  his  gracious  personality  commending  him 
to  a  large  circle  of  friends,  while  his  merits  as  a  trainer 
are  fully  recognized.     At  one  time  he  had  charge  of  the 
stable   of  Mr.   Joseph  E.   Seagram,   where  he  brought 
some  good  horses  successfully  to  the  front. 


J.    R.   WALKER 


328 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


From  exercise  boy  to  owner  is  the  consistent  record 
that  has  attached  to  many  well-known  turfmen.  To 
thus  go  into  business  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder  and  grad- 
ually, by  dint  of  energy,  natural  talent,  close  applica- 
tion and  intuitive  fitness  for  dealing  with  horses,  reach 
the  top,  is  an  achievement  that  must  substantially  redound 
to  the  credit  of  any  man.  Such  a  record  has  Mr. 
John  T.  Carmody,  who  for  more  than  twenty  years 
has  been  closely  connected  with  racing  affairs  through- 
out the  United  States. 

Mr.  Carmody  is  a 
native  of  New  York, 
and  has  had  a  varied 
and  successful  career 
in  the  special  branches 
of  horse  racing  to 
which  he  has  chosen 
to  devote  himseiti  His 
particular  inclination 
toward  racing  led 
him,  in  1876,  to  seek 
employment  in  con- 
nection with  this 
sport.  He  was  en- 
gaged as  exercise  boy 
for  Mr.  Joseph  Robin- 
son and  in  that 
gentleman's  stable 
served  his  apprentice- 
ship faithfully  and 
well.  In  the  course 
of  time  he  graduated 
from  the  position  of 
exercise  boy  to  be- 
come a  jockey,  still 
remaining  connected 
with  the  stable  of  Mr. 
Robinson.  His  first 
mount  was  on  Billy 
Sherman,  then  a  well 
known  horse,  and  on 
that  animal  he  made 
his  first  win.  In  the 
years  immediately 
ensuing  he  rode  for 
other  stables,  but  finally,  when  it  was  impossible  tor 
him  to  keep  himself  down  to  weight,  he  entered  upon 
the  profession  of  training. 

As  a  trainer  he  was  first  employed  by  Mr.  Joseph 
Stewart,  of  Columbus,  O.  After  that  he  was  connected 
with  the  stables  of  Messrs.  Joseph  Mitchell,  Peter  Hagel, 
W.  Harraman,  James  Peine  and  E.  A.  Flenniken.  His 
training  career  ended  about  1885.  Heretofore  he  had 
confined  himself  almost  exclusively  to  the  West,  where 


JOHN  T.    CARMODY 


he  had  become  as  extensively  and  as  favorably  known 
as  any  man.in  his  particular  profession.  After  he  came 
East  he  began  buying  horses  on  his  own  account,  start- 
ing as  an  owner  in  1886.  His  racing  operations  were 
carried  on  all  over  the  United  States,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  he  became  well  known  upon  the  courses  in  the 
North  and  elsewhere. 

During  the  ensuing  ten  years  or  so  few  men  trained 
and  ran  a  larger  number  of  horses   than    Mr.  Carmody. 

It  would  be  a  long 
and  interesting  list 
that  should  contain 
the  names  of  all  the 
animals  with  which 
he  was  thus  identi- 
fied. Among  them 
would  be  recalled 
Molly  Thomas,  John 
Alexander,  Glendale, 
St.  Elmo,  George 
Angus,  Veto,  Pam- 
pero, Duke  of  Bour- 
bon, Jersey  Pat,  Ra- 
pine, Sam  Harper, 
Groomsman,  Mamie 
Hay,  Gold  Star,  Bass 
Viol,  Dago,  Hypona, 
Trade  Dollar,  Duke  of 
Montalban,  Eric,  Po- 
cahontas, Grapeshot, 
Frank  Harper,  Gov- 
ernor Roberts.  Shot- 
over,  George  L.  and 
Alhambra,  and  still 
the  enumeration  is 
far  from  being  com- 
plete. 

With  Glendale,  St. 
Hlmo,  Rapine,  Trade 
Dollar  and  others  he 
raced  very  success- 
fully in  the  later 
eighties,  carrying  off 
many  good  purses 
and  stakes.  Glendale 
by  Glenmore  out  ot  Alice  G.  was  a  very  reliable  horse. 
Much  of  Mr.  Carmody's  racing  caieer  in  the  East 
was  upon  the  Clifton  and  Guttenberg  tracks.  In  later 
years  most  of  his  operations  have  been  conducted  on  the 
Western  circuit,  where  he  has  had  very  fair  success.  He 
must  be  counted  in  that  army  of  hard  working,  unpre 
tentious  turfmen,  whose  careers,  if  not  sensationally 
brilliant,  have  at  least  contributed  a  great  deal  to  the 
popularization  of  racing. 


329 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Father  and  son,  Messrs.  Thomas  and  William  T.  Mc- 
Givney,  have  had  a  racing  experience  that  runs  back 
over  nearly  forty  years.  The  elder  Mr.  McGivney  is  a 
native  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  was  born  in  1842.  He 
is  another  example  of  those  whom,  in  the  review  of  the 
history  of  racing,  we  so  frequently  come  across  who 
began  their  experience  with  horses  in  connection  with 
trotters.  Mr.  McGivney  had  not  yet  passed  out  of  his 
teens  when  he  began  to  devote  himself  to  the  trotter. 
Animals  of  this  class  he  bred,  owned  and  trained,  and 
had  fair  success  in  bringing  out  some  very  speedy  ones. 
This  pursuit  engrossed  his  attention  for  something  over 
thirty  years  and  might  almost  be  considered  his  life  work. 

It  was  in  1893  when  Mr.  McGivney  started  in  with 
runners,  and  he  was  as  suc- 
cessful with  those  as  he 
had  been  with  his  trotters. 
Among  the  horses  that  he 
has  handled  have  been 
Maggie  Richards,  Motor- 
man,  High  Commissioner, 
The  Mistress,  and  others 
whom  he  has  brought  into 
condition  that  enabled  them 
to  win  some  Of  the  best 
races  in  which  they  were 
entered.  His  success  with 
representatives  of  the  run- 
ning turf  has  given  him  an 
established  reputation  as  a 
sound  and  reliable  trainer, 
whose  work  has  been  of 
the  most  painstaking  and 
consistent  character.  He 
has  shown  that  he  is  capa- 
ble of  getting  out  of  any 
horse  that  is  entrusted  to 
him  the  best  that  is  possi- 
ble. 

Mr.  William  T.  McGiv- 
ney is  a  worthy  successor 
of    his   father   in    the  turf 

world;  rather  he  is  an  associate  than  a  successor,  for  he 
has  been  connected  with  his  father  in  some  joint  enter- 
prises. At  the  same  time  he  has  gone  further  than  the 
elder  McGivney  in  general  activity  in  turf  affairs.  The 
son  was  born  in  Brooklyn  in  April,  1870.  Naturally, 
as  his  father  was  so  strongly  interested  in  trotters,  the 
boy  followed  in  his  parent's  footsteps.  When  he  was 
only  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  was  employed  by  Mr.  W. 
E.  Weeks  as  an  exercise  boy  in  that  gentleman's  stable. 
There  he  remained  for  three  years,  giving  excellent  satis- 
faction to  his  employer  and  gaining  an  invaluable  expe- 
rience in  regard  to  horses  of  all  kinds.      After  he  left 


the  stable  of  Mr.  Weeks,  in  1887,  he  became  attached  to 
that  of  Mr.  John  W.  Driscoll,  and  there  he  remained  for 
two  years. 

Just  about  this  time  Mr.  McGivney  felt  his  inclination 
turning  strongly  toward  the  running  turf  Leaving  the 
establishment  of  Mr.  Driscoll  he  became  connected  with 
the  stable  of  Mr.  McFadden,  who  was  racing  at  Gutten- 
berg  and  elsewhere,  and  had  some  very  good  horses  in 
his  string,  among  them  being  Rapine,  Ballard,  Sunday, 
and  others  of  not  less  importance.  While  with  Mr. 
McFadden,  McGivney  had  considerable  experience  as  a 
jockey,  and  rode  very  many  races  on  the  horses  that 
have  just  been  mentioned  and  their  stable  companions, 
and  was  successful  in  winning  a  fair  share  of  the  events 

in  which  he  started.  When 
he  left  Mr.  McFadden  in 
1893,  it  was  to  join  the 
forces  of  Mr.  John  Rogers, 
for  whom  he  rode  Estelle, 
Free  Lance  and  others. 

His  engagement  with  the 
Rogers'  Stable  lasted  only 
a  few  months,  however, 
and,  for  a  short  time  sub- 
sequent thereto,  he  re- 
turned to  his  earliest  em- 
ployment, taking  a  position 
as  trainer  with  Mr.  Parks, 
who  owned  several  good 
trotting  horses  whom  Mr. 
McGivney  trained.  The 
passion  for  the  running 
horse  was  too  strong  in 
him  to  be  resisted,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  he 
associated  himself  with 
Mr.  Owen  McBreen,  who 
owned  the  Butternut  Val- 
ley Stock  Farm.  There  he 
had  the  training  of  such 
horses  as  High  Commis- 
sioner, Bersan  Belle,  The 
Mistress,  Hermano  and  others.  A  creditable  degree  of 
success  crowned  his  work  with  these  horses. 

For  several  years  past  the  two  Messrs.  McGivney 
have  been  running  their  own  horses  and  have  met  with 
a  fair  amount  of  success.  They  have  not  been  promi- 
nent in  the  great  events  of  the  turf,  but  must  be 
included  in  the  large  army  of  hard-working  turfmen, 
upon  whom  the  bulk  of  the  labor  of  making  the  differ- 
ent meetings  interesting  depends  in  no  small  measure. 
Among  the  horses  that  have  carried  the  McGivney 
colors  have  been  Batchelor,  Inspection  and  Fairview.  In- 
spection is  a  daughter  of  Inspector  B.  and  Rosa  Buckden. 


WILLIAM  T.   McGIVNEY 


330 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Although  ol  foreign  birth,  Mr.  William   Wayward,  or 
Billy  "  Hayward,  as  he  is  best  known  to  the  American 


WILLIAM    HAYWARD,   SR. 


racing  public 


was  one  of  the  American  knights  of  the 
pigskin,  who,  during  his  career,  won  as  many  honors  as 
fell  to  the  fortune  of  any  of  his  rivals.  Mr.  Hayward  was 
born  at  Northampton,  Eng.,  in  1843,  and  after  five  years' 
apprenticeship  in  the  stable  of  Alec  Taylor,  became 
connected  with  the  establishment  of  Matthew  Daw- 
son, where  he  remained  some  eight  years.  When  Mr. 
Milton  H.  Sanford  returned  to  the  United  States  from 
his  English  campaign  he  brought  Hayward  with  him. 

After  a  short  time  spent  in  this  country,  Mr.  Hayward 
returned  to  England,  but  finally  came  back  to  America 
and  entered  the  employment  of  the  Honorable  August 
Belmont.  Subsequently  he  rode  for  Mr.  Lucien  O.  Ap- 
pleby, for  Mr.  A.  J.  Cassatt,  for  Senator  George  Hearst, 
and  finally  for  the  Burridge  Brothers.  During  his  long 
career  he  rode  and  won  with  many  of  the  most  famous 
horses  of  their  day,  carrying  off  the  greatest  turf  prizes, 
such  as  the  Preakness  Stakes,  the  Dinner  Party  Stakes, 
the  Westchester  Cup,  the  Saratoga  Cup  and  many 
others.  He  was  a  veteran  when  he  retired,  crowned 
with  as  bright  laurels  as  any  man  who  had  ever  rid- 
den to  victory. 


As  a  trainer,  Mr.  Hayward  has  shown  the  same 
marked  ability  that  always  distinguished  his  riding.  He 
is  now  in  charge  of  the  Sensation  Stable,  where  he  has 
had  several  reliable  campaigners — Herald,  Tremargo, 
Chum,  X  Ray,  Endeavor  and  Salaire.  The  three-year 
olds  are  Murallo,  Mont  D'Or,  Fleeting  Gold,  Munich, 
Daisy  Cutter,  Falsehood,  Miss  Gossip  and  Stonestep. 
The  two-year  olds  are  Magic  Prince,  Loiter,  Quo  Vadis, 
Ocean  Prince,  Bondman,  Fray  and  Sketch.  He  is  him- 
self the  owner  of  Nana  H.  and  His  Majesty.  The  racing 
colors  of  Mr.  Hayward  are  black,  white  polka  dots, 
white  cap. 

The  elder  William  Hayward  has  been  fortunate  in 
having  a  son  who  has  inherited  much  of  his  father's  tal- 
ent in  racing  affairs.  Through  father  and  son  the  name 
will  long  live  in  American  turf  history.  Mr.  William 
Hayward,  Jr.,  not  only  comes  naturally  by  his  skill  in 
handling  horses,  but  also  received  a  careful  training  at 
the  hands  of  his  father.  To  all  lovers  of  the  turf  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  feel  that  a  family  that  has  done  so  much  to 
popularize  racing  still  continues  to  be  represented  in  the 
sport  in  the  persons  of  this  father  and  son. 

The  younger  Mr.  Hayward  on  his  own  merit  is  entitled 
to  abundant  consideration  as  a  rider  and  trainer,  possess- 
ing in  a  large  degree  the  skill,  judgment  and  quickness 
that  made  his  father  famous.  Beginning  riding  at  an 
early  age,  he  has  had  many  brilliant  races  to  his  credit. 
Among  his  many  notable  mounts,  perhaps  the  most  prom- 
inent were  Tristan,  Belle  D'Or,  Now  or  Never  and  Pick- 
nicker.  His  riding  of  Now  or  Never  in  the  Parkway 
Handicap  was  a  masterly  piece  of  horsemanship.     As  an 


WILLIAM    HAYWARD,    JR. 


owner,  Mr.  Hayward  has  had  Sextet  and  Repetition.     He 
is  now  engaged  with  his  father  in  the  Sensation  Stable. 


331 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


While  racing  families  have  been  frequent  enough  in  the 
Old  World,  they  have  not  been  numerous  in  the  United 


A.J.  GOLDSBOROUGH 

States.  It  is  true  that  here  some  such  instances  have  ex- 
isted, particularly  perhaps  among  the  earlier  turfmen  and 
owners,  whose  names  have  become  historical  in  connec- 
tion with  American  racing,  such  as  the  Hamptons,  the 
Tayloes,  the  Johnstons,  the  Belmonts,  the  Sanfords,  the 
Harpers  and  now  and  then  another.  In  the  ranks  ot 
those  less  conspicuous,  but  no  less  useful  and  meritorious 
in  their  turf  connection,  there  have  been  other  examples, 
as,  for  instance,  that  of  the  Goldsborough  family. 

Mr.  A.  J.  Goldsborough  inherited  his  racing  proclivi- 
ties from  his  f;Uher,  who  was  a  well  known  horseman. 
The  son  was  born  at  Leonardtown,  Md.,  April  27,  1869. 
He  received  a  substantial  public  school  education  and 
began  his  turf  career  by  exercising  for  his  father's  stable. 
After  a  time  he  became  a  jockey,  his  first  mount  being 
for  Dr.  Lynch  and  his  first  win  on  a  horse  called  Boston. 
It  was  in  1888  that  he  first  came  North  with  Dr.  Lynch 
and  made  his  appearance  upon  the  metropolitan  tracks. 
After  that  he  became  associated  with  Messrs.  Cohen  & 
Co   in   the   capacity    of  trainer. 

For  five  years,  beginning  with  1890,  Mr.  Goldsborough 
trained  for  Mr.  J.  B.  Collins  and  was  highly  successful 
with  that  owner's  stable.  After  leaving  Mr.  Collins  he 
trained  for  Mr.  W.  Landsberg,  who  owned  Governor 
Sheehan,  Captain  Kidd,  Storm  King  and  others.  Leaving 
Mr.  Landsberg  at  the  end  of  one  season  he  began  to  train 
for  the  Hamilton  Stable,  handling  such  horses  as  Zanone 
and  King  William.  More  recently,  he  has  trained  for 
Messrs.  Plate  &  Co. 


Mr.  Charles  H.  Goldsborough,  brother  to  Mr.  A.  J. 
Goldsborough,  was  born  in  Maryland,  October  12,  1874. 
Like  his  father  and  elder  brother,  he  early  determined 
upon  a  racing  career.  When  he  was  only  thirteen  years 
of  age  he  began  exercising  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  J.  DeLong 
and  then  he  began  to  ride  under  the  title  of  Hayden, 
his  middle  name.  His  first  winning  mount  was  on 
Kanesville.     His  career  as  a  jockey  continued  until  1895. 

Becoming  associated  with  Mr.  J.  B.  Collins,  he  was 
with  that  turfman,  at  the  same  time  that  his  brother  was 
with  the  stable.  Among  other  good  horses  that  he  handled 
were  Sirocco  and  Longford.  Afterward,  for  the  stable 
of  Mr.  Michael  Clancy,  he  trained  Lambent,  Tenderness 
and  several  others,  including  a  number  of  two-year  olds. 
Lambent  was  the  best  horse  in  the  stable,  an  imported 
bay  filly  by  Amphion  out  of  Starlight  by  Iroquois. 
Under  Mr.  Goldsborough's  handling  she  developed  good 
speed  as  a  three-year  old,  winning  several  excellent  races 
and  coming  in  for  second  and  third  money  in  many 
others.  At  Coney  Island  she  ran  six  furlongs  in  i  min- 
ute, 14  4-5  seconds  and  at  the  Bennings  Course  won  a 
mile    race,     defeating    Navaho,     Sun    Up    and    others. 

in  all  his  work  Mr.  Goldsborough  has  shown  himself 
painstaking  and  possessed  of  an  accurate  knowledge 
of  horses  that  fits  him  for  his  position.     His  earlv  expe- 


KSSv*J" 


CHARLES    H.  GOLDSBOROUGH 


rience  under  Mr.  DeLong  was  of  a  thorough  character 
and  has  been  beneficial  to  him  throughout  his  career. 


332 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


An  old-timer  is  Mr.  James  F.  Walden,  wiio  was  born 
at  Columbus,  S.  C. ,  in  August,  1837.  He  became  con- 
nected with  the  running  turf  when  he  was  ten  years 
old.  His  father,  Mr.  George  G.  Walden,  was  engaged 
in  the  business  of  handling  race  horses,  and  his  three 
sons,  Wyndham,  Jeter  and  James  F.,  followed  him  in 
their  choice  of  occupation.  All  three  have  kept  an  inter- 
est in  racing  to  the  closing  years  of  the  century. 

For  five  years  Mr.  James  F.  Walden  was  engaged  in 
exercising  in  his  father's  stable  and  during  that  time  rode 
many  races  He  found  it  imperative  to  stop  riding  at 
sixteen  years  of  age,  but  immediately  took  up  training 
and  was  employed  by  Mr.  Calvin  Green.  Afterward  he 
became  connected  again  with  his  father's  stable,  where 
some  of  Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck's  horses  were  trained, 
among  them  Prioress,  The  Count,  and  others.  Next  he 
came  to  the  stable  of  Mr.  Lloyd,  of  Lloyd's  Neck,  L.  I., 
and  then  trained  the  stable  of  Mr.  Thomas  Pryor. 

During  the  Civil  War  Mr.  Walden  served  in  the  Con- 
federate Army,  but  afterward  returned  to  New  York  and 
became  assistant  trainer  for  Messrs.  Pryor  &  Watson, 
was  three  years  with  Colonel  D.  McDaniel,  and  then  as- 
sociated with  Mr.  Jacob  Pmcus  in  the  management  of 
the  stable  of  the  Honorable  August  Belmont.  For  four 
years  he  handled  the  horses  of  Mr.  Hunt  Reynolds,  and 
then  took  the  stable  of  Mr.  Frank  Stern,  the  horses  of 
Mr.  Bennett  and  other  owners.  In  recent  years  he  has 
trained  for  Mr.  John  A.  Morris  and  Mi.  George  Engeman, 


.Mr.  William  C.  Smith  has  a  high  and  constantly  grow- 
ing reputation  in  the  inner  circles  of  the  turf  world.     In 


Mli-   ^ 


■'fi- 


JAMES  F.  WALDEN 


WILLIAM   C.  SMITH 


and,  since  1892,  has  had  a  public  stable,  where   he  has 
trained  some  first-class  horses. 


the  public  eye,  however,  he  is  perhaps  less  prominent 
than  his  ability  would  merit,  from  the  fact  that  through- 
out his  racmg  career  he  has  been  connected  with  only 
one  stable,  that  of  his  brother,  Mr.  George  E.  Smith. 
The  success  which  this  stable  has  achieved  during  the 
last  few  years  has  undoubtedly  been  in  no  small  measure 
due  to  the  skill,  energy  and  devotion  which  Mr.  William 
C.  Smith  has  displayed  in  his  capacity  as  trainer. 

Born  in  Allegheny  County,  Pa.,  in  1865,  Mr.  Smith 
took  charge  of  his  brother's  stable  in  1888.  Before  that 
time  he  had  fitted  himself  for  the  position  by  a  close  and 
careful  observation  of  the  methods  of  the  best  men  in  the 
profession,  supplemented  by  a  practical  acquaintance 
with  every  detail  of  the  work.  The  record  that  has  been 
made  by  this  stable  is  in  the  highest  degree  creditable, 
for  Mr.  Smith  has  sent  the  purple  jacket  and  canary  cap 
to  the  head  of  the  field  in  some  of  the  hardest  fought 
races  known  to  the  period.  Only  the  merest  reference 
to  the  success  of  such  horses  as  Parvenue,  King  Cadmus, 
Wernberg,  Howard  Mann,  The  Winner  and  Belmar,  who 
are  referred  to  more  fully  in  the  account  that  has  been 
given  of  Mr.  George  E.  Smith's  turf  career  is  needed  to 
emphasize  the  fact  of  the  younger  Mr.  Smith's  undoubted 
talent  and  to  his  standing  as  one  of  the  best  trainers  in 
the  country. 


333 


THE    AMERICAN     fURF 


Born  in  New  York,  January  12,  1865,  Mr.  Thomas  F. 
Barrett  began  his  racing  experience  at  an  early  age.    For 


Horsemanship  came  to  Mr.  William  R.  Midgley  as  an 
inheritance,  his  father  having  been  one  of  the  exponents 
of  the  art  of  training  in  the  beginning  of  modern  racing 
in  this  country.  The  elder  Mr.  Midgley  was  an  English- 
man of  experience  and  in  this  country  had  charge  of  the 
stables  of  the  elder  Mr.  August  Belmont,  Mr.  D.  D.  With- 
ers, Commodore  Kittson  and  Mr.  William  Astor.  His 
son,  William  R.  Midgley,  was  born  in  England,  February 
3,  1875.  Brought  to  the  United  States  while  an  infant, 
he  was  educated  here  and  began  exercising  horses  in 
the  stables  under  the  charge  of  his  father. 

Ultimately  Midgley  became  a  jockey,  his  first  mount 
being  for  Albert  Cooper  on  Miss  Belle,  with  whom 
he  won  the  race.  Afterward  he  rode  for  Mr.  A.  J.  Joyner 
and  for  Mr.  J.  E.  McDonald  and  won  for  those  gentle- 
men many  good  races  on  Chesapeake,  Rubicon  and 
other  members  of  their  stables.  .  For  two  years  he  was 
engaged  with  Mr.  Marcus  Daly,  again  rode  for  Mr.  Mc- 
Donald, and  ultimately  went  to  the  West,  where  he 
turned  his  attention  to  training.  The  first  horse  he 
trained.  Sky  Blue,  was  a  winner  of  its  maiden  race. 
Another  animal  of  merit  that  he  handled  was  Midgley, 


THOMAS    F.   BARRETT 

a  short  time  he  exercised  horses  around  the  famous 
Bull's  Head,  that  headquarters  for  the  horse  business  of 
New  York  City.  Next  he  went  to  Havana,  Cuba,  and 
was  engaged  as  a  jockey,  riding  at  eighty-two  pounds. 
The  races  were  run  on  Sundays  only  and  on  three  differ- 
ent Sundays  Barrett  won  three  races. 

Returning  home  he  continued  to  ride,  his  first  mount 
being  Clarendon  and  his  last  mount  Blizzard.  When  he 
became  a  trainer,  he  had  such  horses  as  Royal  Arch, 
Henry  B.,  Harpooner,  Mcintosh,  and  Jack  Rose,  and  with 
them  had  good  success.  He  brought  Royal  Arch  into 
condition  to  beat  noted  performers  like  General  Monroe, 
Girofle  and  others.  Jack  Rose  won  many  races  and  at 
one  time  reeled  off  six  straight. 

Mr.  Barrett  now  has  a  public  training  stable  and  is 
handling  Live  Oak  by  Linden;  Marshall  by  Voltiguer; 
Tappan  by  Powhatan;  Long  Acre  by  St.  George;  a  three- 
year  old  black  filly  by  Reporter,  and  two  promising 
two-year  olds,  St.  Claire  by  St.  Leonards  and  Kirkwood 
by  George  Kinney.  His  own  horses  are  Kirkwood, 
Long  Acre  and  St.  Claire,  the  first  and  the  last  named  be- 
ing winners  in  some  of  the  early  events  of  the  1898 
season.  The  racing  colors  of  Mr.  Barrett  are  blue,  white 
hoops  on  sleeves,  blue  and  white  cap,  and  they  have 
shown  at  the  front  in  many  stirring  events. 


WILLIAM    R.  MIDGLEY 


who  was  named  after  him.     The  racing  colors  of  Mr. 
Midgley  are  blue,  yellow  sash,  blue  and  yellow  cap, 


334 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Born  in  Dayton,  O. ,  Mr.  Jaines  H.  Uumas  is  now  lo- 
cated at  that  centre  of  racing,  Coney  island,  where  he 


JAMEb  H.   DUMAS 

has  a  public  training  stable.  He  began  with  race  horses 
in  1870,  as  an  exercise  boy  and  then  became  a  jockey  in 
the  same  stable  in  which  he  was  first  employed,  remain- 
ing there  for  about  three  years.  Afterward  he  accepted  an 
engagement  to  ride  for  Mr.  W.  Beecher,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  one  year.  In  those  days  jockeys  did  not  ride 
four  or  five  races  a  day  as  they  do  now.  They  were  lucky 
to  have  two  mounts  a  day  and  success  in  proportion. 

After  he  left  the  employment  of  Mr.  Beecher,  Dumas 
became  connected  with  the  stable  of  Mr.  W.  Brady, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  six  years,  having  ex- 
ceptional success,  as  the  record  of  Mr.  Brady's  Stable  for 
that  period  fully  demonstrates.  His  mounts  included 
Ada  Lambent,  Bell  of  the  West,  Ida,  Eli  and  others. 
Leaving  Mr.  Brady's  employment,  he  branched  out  as  an 
owner  for  a  short  time,  but  still  preferring  to  ride,  en- 
gaged again  as  a  jockey  with  the  Lamasney  Brothers, 
for  whom  he  won  some  big  stakes  in  the  West. 

Returning  to  training,  Mr.  Dumas  took  the  horses  of 
Mr.  W.  Browning,  including  Captain  Wood,  Great  Marie 
and  others,  and  then  coming  East  handled  the  horses  of 
Mr.  Jere  Dunn.  He  had  the  horses  of  the  Castle  Stable 
for  some  years,  in  which  time  he  trained  Diablo,  Ber- 
muda, Elmstone,  Thorndale,  Argo,  Sunshine,  Watch  Me^ 
Elkton,  and  more  than  a  score  others,  several  of  whom 
were  notably  successful.  For  three  years  past  he  has  been 
conducting  a  public  training  stable  and  is  looked  upon  as 
one  of  the  most  careful  and  successful  trainers  of  the 
day,  having  among  his  charges  several  good  horses. 


Among  the  popular  and  reliable  jockeys  of  his  time 
none  enjoyed  a  more  enviable  record  than-  Dave  Sloan. 
He  has  had  a  varied  racing  career.  Born  at  Seneca,  S.  C, 
in  1873,  '""s  '"'11  away  from  home  when  a  mere  lad.  Fate 
led  him  to  Corsicana,  Tex.,  where  he  obtained  a  posi- 
tion in  the  stable  of  a  Mr.  Atkinson,  where  he  exercised 
horses  for  a  year. 

Then  he  went  to  New  Orleans  and  became  a  very 
successful  rider.  Mr.  J.  F.  Caldwell,  the  famous  starter, 
was  struck  by  his  performances  and  brought  him  North 
to  ride  for  Mr.  D.  D.  Withers.  After  a  regular  season 
here  he  went  West  for  Applegate  Brothers  and 
thence  to  New  Orleans  again,  where  he  rode  for  Mr.  T. 
M.  Berry  and  Mr.  Samuel  Hildreth.  For  a  short  time 
thereafter  he  retired  from  the  turf,  but  soon  returned  to 
the  saddle,  going  first  to  the  City  of  Mexico  to  ride  a 
match  race  which  he  won  by  a  head.  Coming  back  to 
the  United  States,  he  rode  jumpers  for  Mr.  James  Coch- 
rane, and  won  the  Tobacco  Stakes  at  Latonia  on  Henry 
Young  for  Mr.  H.  T.  Griffin.  Among  the  mounts  which 
won  fame  for  him  were  Major  Domo,  Cynosure,  Elator, 
Worth,  Spokane  and  Bertha. 

Giving  up  riding  while  still  in  the  height  of  his  reputa- 
tion, Mr.  Sloan  bought  Agitator  from  Mr.  James  H. 
McCormick,  won  a  race  and  sold  him  and  engaged  to 
train  for  Mr.  Frank  L.  Parker.  He  now  conducts  a  public 
stable  and  has  Mr.  Parker's  horses,  and  also  those  of 
other  owners.    He  owns  the  three-year  old  chestnut  filly 


DAVID    SLOAN 


Maud  Ellis  and  several  others  of  promise.     Mr.  Sloan  is 
noted  for  his  agreeable  manner  and  straightforwardness. 


335 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


From  his  infancy  Mr.  Frederick  T.  Miller  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  turf.     He  was  born  January  4,  1865,  at 


Born  in  Birmingham,  England,  May  4,  1856,  Mr. 
Alfred  Lakeland  came  to  the  United  States  with  his 
brother,  Mr.  William  Lakeland.  After  he  had  been  in 
this  country  a  few  years  he  became  connected  with  a 
large  New  Jersey  fVirm,  where  he  had  his  first  experience 
in  exercising,  and  then  was  engaged  with  Mr.  Thomas 
Patterson,  who  was  training  for  Captain  Cottrill,  of 
Alabama.  For  that  stable  he  exercised  and  rode  for 
seven  years. 

After  a  time  he  took  to  riding  over  jumps  for  Captain 
Cottrill,  having  the  mount  on  Colonel  Ellinger,  with 
whom  he  won  several  races.  When  his  riding  career 
was  at  an  end  he  joined  his  brother  as  assistant  trainer. 
Afterward  he  bought  horses  for  himself  and  also  trained 
those  of  Mr.  Fred  Robinson,  and  won  some  good  races 
with  such  horses  as  Little  Fellow,  Madge  L.,  Biscuit, 
Troy,  Innovation,  and  others.  He  also  had  Buckra  at 
one  time,  one  of  the  best  jumpers  in  America,  and  who, 
as  a  two-year  old  and  carrying  top  weight,  won  nearly 
everything  in  sight. 

Mr.  Lakeland  has  now  in  training  the  chestnut  colt 
Kilarma  by  Tea  Tray  out  of  Kildeer,  and  the  two-year 
old  bay  filly  Velvet  by  Victory  out  of  Faithful.  He 
also  has  some  of  his  brother's  horses,  among  them  the 
three-year  old  Moneyspinner  by  Lovegold,  and  Sleeper 


FRED  T.   MILLER 

Washington,  D.  C,  and  as  his  father  owned  a  stable  of 
trotters,  he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  horseflesh  and  of 
racing  affairs  in  his  earliest  years.  In  1883,  he  entered 
the  employment  of  Cridge  &  Co.,  the  well-known  book- 
makers, having  charge  of  their  field  book.  Remaining 
with  them  for  two  years,  he  was  next  with  Mr.  John 
Spellman,  upon  whose  death  in  1889  he  went  into 
business  for  himself  making  a  book  at  all  the  big  tracks 
in  the  country.  He  was  not  altogether  statisfied  with 
this  branch  of  the  racing  business,  although  he  was  very 
successful  in  it.  The  ambition  to  be  an  owner  soon 
possessed  him. 

In  1890,  he  bought  the  two  noted  campaigners  Larch- 
mont  and  Syracuse,  and  entered  them  at  many  meetings 
until  1894,  when  they  were  retired.  In  the  period  in 
question  Larchmont  won  stakes  to  the  aggregate  value 
of$is,ooo,  while  the  winnings  of  Syracuse  footed  up 
the  comfortable  sum  of  $12,000  more.  In  1895,  Mr.  Mil- 
ler went  West,  combining  racing  and  bookmaking  in 
that  section.  In  the  autumn  of  1896  he  returned  to  the 
East.  He  now  owns  the  bay  filly  Duchess  Annette  by 
Tristan  out  of  Emma  Mac;  the  chestnut  tllly  Deal  by 
Tristan  out  of  Shuffle,  and  the  bay  filly  Ellerslie  Belle, 
by  Knight  of  Ellerslie  out  of  Florence  Belle.  His  colors 
are  orange,  black  bars  on  sleeves,  black  sash  and  cap. 

336 


by  Sleipner. 
blue  cap. 


ALFRED    LAKELAND 

His   racing   colors   are  red,   white  sash, 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Oul   of   the  stable  of   Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard   have  come 
many  capable  tui'fmeii,  most  of  whom  began  their  racing 


MICHAEL    A.    COLEMAN 

experience  in  the  employ  of  that  gentleman.  Among 
these  is  Mr.  Michael  A.  Coleman,  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
where  he  was  born  in  1861.  He  was  thirteen  years  of 
age  when  he  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Lorillard.  At 
the  end  of  three  years  he  left  Mr.  Lorillard  to  go  into  an 
equally  first-class  stable,  that  of  Mr.  D.  D.  Withers,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  one  year. 

Being  offered  a  position  to  ride  in  the  West  for  Mr.  J. 
P.  Dawes,  he  accepted  and  had  a  successful  career  in 
that  section  and  in  Canada,  winning  principally  on  Spec- 
ulum and  Terror.  After  a  year,  however,  he  returned 
to  Mr.  Withers,  and  was  with  him  for  six  years  as  as- 
sistant foreman  and  foreman,  in  1883,  he  went  to  the 
Dwyer  Brothers'  Stable,  especially  to  take  care  of  that 
great  filly.  Miss  Woodford.  Two  years  later,  however, 
he  was  back  again  at  Brookdale,  where  he  had  charge  of 
all  the  horses  in  Mr.  Withers'  establishment. 

Subsequently  Mr.  Coleman  trained  the  horses  of  Mr. 
C.  W.  Chapin,  and  was  very  successful,  especially  with 
Crocus,  who,  in  her  three-year  old  and  four-year  old 
forms,  won  iq  races.  After  rSq^,  he  owned  and  ran  the 
horses  which  up  to  that  time  he  had  trained  for  Mr. 
Chapin.  Then,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  S.  C.  Conover, 
he  had  Tinge,  Hailstone,  Full  Sea,  Tarentum,  Vapor  and 
others,  who  were  fairly  successful.  After  dissolving 
partnership  with  Mr.  Conover,  Mr.  Coleman  still  contin- 
ued to  run  Crocus,  and  with  her  had  several  other  good 
horses.     He  now  has  a  small,  but  good  stable. 


Born  at  Sai-atoga  Spi'ings,  N.  Y.,  November  24,  1817, 
Mr.  John  McLear  was  associated  with  horses  from  the 
time  that  he  was  able  to  ride.  He  began  exercising  for 
Mr.  R.  W.  Babcock  in  1870.  and  was  with  that  stable 
for  one  season  at  Jerome  Park.  Then  he  attached  him- 
self to  Mr.  Michael  Murphy,  who  had  a  stable  of  jump- 
ers, and  with  him  took  part  in  racing  at  Saratoga  and 
throughout  the  Eastern  circuit  for  two  seasons.  In 
1878,  he  went  on  a  campaign  through  the  bushes  with 
Fury  and  others,  and  continued  in  this  branch  of  the 
business  for  several  years.  After  that  he  had  two  trot- 
ters with  whom  he  made  the  circuit  of  the  fair  grounds, 
winning  five  out  of  the  seven  races  in  which  he  started 
in  one  season. 

Joining  the  establishment  of  the  Messrs.  Sanford 
Brothers,  of  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  he  was  particularly 
engaged  with  the  jumpers  of  that  stable.  Then  with 
twelve  hunters  and  ponies  he  weni  to  Newport  for  two 
successive  campaigns  there.  For  four  years  he  remained 
with  the  Messrs.  Sanford  Brothers  and  then  went  to  Mr. 
Charles  Reed,  remaining  with  him  off  and  on  for  eight 
years.  Mr.  McLear's  next  engagement  was  with  Mr.  M. 
N.  Nolan,  who  owned  the  celebrated  jumper,  Bourke 
Cochran,  and  with  that  horse  he  had  his  most  celebrated 
success. 

Afterward  Mr.  McLear  was  connected  with  Mr.  Reed's 
establishment  in  Tennessee,  and  continued  training  with 
him  until  that  gentleman  retired  from  racing,  when  he 
went  with  Mr.  James  McLaughlin,   and  with  Mr.  Mat- 


JOHN    MoLEAR 


thew  Allen,  of  the  Ehret  Stable.    Then  he  started  in  busi- 
ness for  himself,  buying  Illusion  from  the  Belmont  Stable. 


337 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Few,  if  any,  trainers  of  the  present  day  have  had 
greater  success  than  Mr.  William  Huston.  Born  in 
Natchez,  Miss.,  in  1863.  Huston  was  only  eleven  years 
of  age  when  he  joined  a  stable  in  New  Orleans  as  ex- 
ercise boy.  He  was  a  jockey  for  six  years,  riding  all 
through  the  South.  His  first  winning  mount  was  on 
Mascot  at  New  Orleans,  a  100  to  i  shot,  and  he  also  rode 
Blazes  and  Moses,  winning  a  four-mile  race  with  the 
latter. 

Since  1883,  Mr.  Huston  has  become  well  known  in  the 
North.  He  rode  for  Azrael  &  Logan,  a  Louisiana  stable, 
for  three  years  was  assistant  starter  to  Mr.  James  F. 
Caldwell,  and  since  1889  has  been  engaged  in  training. 
As  a  trainer  he  has  been  connected  with  the  stables 
of  Mr.  A.  Garson,  Mr.  George  Ryer,  Colonel  Ruppert, 
and  Mr.  Edward  Corrigan.  He  is  now  trainer  of  the 
stable  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Colt.  Here  he  has  the  well-known 
performers.  Decapod  by  Sir  Modred;  Lady  Dainty  by 
Darebin;  Ben  Eder  by  Fonso;  Equerry  by  Order;  Wood 


One  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  records  of 
turfmen  who,  from  being  exercise  boys,  have  ultimately 


WILLIAM     HUSTON 


Pigeon 
Tail  by 


by  Woodlands;  Amus  by  Ben  Himyar.  and  Flax 
Pontiac,  as  well  as  several  good  youngsters. 


"9  ^s%^ 


CHARLES    MILLER 

become  owners.  Attention  has  often  been  called  to  this 
interesting  feature  of  turf  history,  but  it  is  impossible  to 
dwell  too  much  upon  it  as  illustrating  the  character  of 
the  men  who  have  given  to  the  turf  much  of  its  present 
importance.  Another  example  of  this  class  of  turfmen 
is  Mr.  Charles  Miller,  one  of  the  successful  trainers  of 
this  generation. 

Born  in  New  York  City  in  1852,  Mr.  Miller  has  enjoyed 
the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  association  with  those 
turfmen  who  have  made  New  York  the  metropolis  of 
racing.  He  was  exceedingly  fortunate  in  his  first  en- 
gagement when,  as  a  boy,  he  entered  the  stable  of  the 
Messrs.  Leonard  W.  Jerome  and  Paul  Forbes.  He  re- 
tained his  position  in  that  establishment  for  two  years, 
and  then  joining  the  well-known  Captain  Moore  rode  the 
horses  of  the  Moore  Stable  for  five  years.  After  a  short 
engagement  with  Major  Thomas  Doswell,  the  great  Vir- 
ginia turfman,  he  was  then  connected  for  five  years  with 
Mr.  Jeter  Walden's  stable  as  foreman. 

With  James  Lee,  he  went  to  the  stable  of  Mr. 
Charles  Reed  and  then  started  a  stable  of  his  own  in 
i8qo.  His  string  included  many  good  horses,  among 
them  being  Joe  Kelly.  In  i8qs,  he  closed  out  his  stable 
and  engaged  as  trainer  for  Mr.  J.  F.  Ferguson,  of  Mon- 
mouth County,  New  Jersey,  and,  in  addition,  has  also 
trained  for  Mr.  James  R.  Keene  and  Mr.  J.  O.  Donner. 
As  a  rider,  he  was  identified  with  such  famous  horses  as 
Stonewall  Jackson,  Foxhall,  Glenelg  and  Harry  Bassett. 


338 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


One  of  the  best  schools  that  a  young  man  can  have 
who  has  determined  upon  a  racing  career  is  in  the  great 
Hnglish  stables.  Such  an  opportunity  came  to  James 
Frayling  when  he  was  about  twelve  years  of  age  and 
was  then  tai<en  to  the  establishment  of  Mr.  Meredith 
Brown.  In  the  Brown  Stable  he  had  scarcely  passed 
into  his  teens  when  he  had  his  first  mount  in  a  pony 
race.  Afterward  he  rode  on  the  flat  and  schooled  and 
rode  horses  over  the  jumps. 

In  this  employment  he  remained  until  he  was  twenty- 
two  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States  to 
ride  for  Mr.  S.  S.  Howland.  With  Mr.  Howland's 
horses  he  fast  achieved  reputation  as  one  of  the  best 
steeplechase  riders  in  the  United  States.  He  showed 
Ontario,  Rosco,  Bird  and  others  at  the  Madison  Square 
Garden  and  in  other  jumping  contests,  and  was  the  first 
man  to  jump  a  horse  over  6  feet,  ten  inches,  lifting 
Ontario  to  7  feet,  i  inch.  He  also  holds  the  record  for  a 
long  jump  over  two  hurdles,  4  feet,  2  inches  high,  and  8 
feet,  7  inches  apart,  on  Rosco. 

Mr.  Frayling  is  now  training  for  Mr.  P.  S.  P.  Ran- 
dolph,  of   Philadelphia,    in    whose    stable    are    Marsian, 


Among  the  younger  men  in  the  profession,  Mr.  Peter 
Loftus   has  brought  to  the  biisiness  of  training  the 


— -S&ii, 


PETER    J.   LOFTUS 


JAMES    FRAYLING 


Knight  of  the  Garter,    Manassas,   Filament,   Inquisitor, 
Cherry  Picker,  Rhodymenia  and  Eyran. 


inherited  taste  of  all  Englishmen  for  thoroughbred  racing. 
He  was  born  in  Liverpool  in  1873,  and  although  he  left 
home  at  an  early  age,  he  had  even  before  that  time  felt 
his  first  interest  in  racing  matters.  His  appearance  in 
this  country  was  in  1886,  and  he  was  connected  with 
the  Fairfax  Stable,  of  which  Mr.  James  Rowe  was  the 
trainer.  Here  he  exercised  for  one  year,  handling  such 
horses  as  Hypasia,  Cyclops,  Orifiamme  and  others. 

Beginning  in  1888,  Mr.  Loftus  exercised  and  rode  for 
the  Messrs.  Dwyer  Brothers  for  a  period  of  four  years. 
After  that  he  went  to  the  stable  of  Mr.  Frank  Taylor,  and 
there  was  successful  in  winning  nearly  every  welter 
weight  race  in  which  he  started.  In  i8qi,  he  rode  for 
Mr.  W.  H.  Timmons;  in  1892,  for  Mr.  Louis  Grenner, 
and  in  1893,  for  Mr.  R.  S.  Howe. 

Becoming  too  heavy  to  ride,  Mr.  Loftus  in  1894  en- 
gaged to  train  with  Mr.  McBreen,  who  had  twelve 
horses  in  his  stable,  among  them  Hermania,  Malvina  G. 
and  Christmas.  He  then  bought  Stephen  J.,  Rapine, 
Ballard  and  William  McAulifT,  all  of  whom,  however,  he 
afterward  sold.  He  has  also  broken  and  driven  trotters 
and  schooled  horses  for  the  Madison  Square  Horse 
Show,  and  has  trained  jumpers  for  Mr.  F.  D.  Beard.  As 
a  trainer,  he  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  younger  genera- 
tion, and  with  his  excellent  experience  and  enthusiastic 
application  to  his  profession,  is  looked  upon  as  a  man 
with  a  bright  future  before  him. 


339 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Another  of  the  men  of  the  South  who  have  done  so 
much  by  their  labors  to  maintain  the  existence  of  racing 


FRED    BURLEW 

in  the  United  States  is  Mr.  Fred  Burlaw.  Not  a  native 
of  the  South,  for  he  was  born  in  Cincinnati  in  1871,  Mr. 
Burlew's  connection  with  racing  as  a  boy  was  in  Texas 
and  Missouri,  where  he  became  thoroughly  imbued  with 
the  Southern  racing  spirit.  He  was  only  twelve  years 
of  age  when  he  entered  the  Brack  Stable  at  Houston, 
Tex.,  and  remained  there  some  seven  months.  His 
second  engagement  was  with  that  celebrated  Missourian 
horseman,  Dan  Honig.  His  employer  was  a  horseman 
of  undoubted  calibre,  and  the  boy  who  cast  his  lot  with 
so  proficient  a  man  laid  a  firm  foundation  of  experience. 
For  nine  years  Mr.  Burlew  remained  with  Mr.  Honig, 
exercising  and  riding  the  horses  with  which  that  turf- 
man campaigned.  He  was  also  called  upon  a  great  deal 
of  the  time  to  attend  to  the  care  of  the  animals  and  to 
prepare  them  for  their  battles  for  honors.  His  long  term 
of  service  with  Mr.  Honig  enabled  him  to  accumulate  a 
little  money,  and,  in  association  with  Mr.  T.  W.  Coulter, 
he  bought  several  fine  thoroughbreds,  who,  under  his 
skilful  training,  won  many  victories  for  their  owners. 
Retiring  from  ownership  for  a  short  time,  he  again 
organized  a  stable.  Among  the  best  horses  that  he  has 
owned  have  been  Miss  Belle,  Balance,  Ferrier,  Sir  Dixon, 
Buckrene  and  others.  With  these  he  won  some  four  hun- 
dred races  on  Eastern  courses.  For  1898  he  is  engaged 
with  Mr.  William  C.  Daly,  having  charge  of  some  of  the 
principal  members  of  that  horseman's  string. 


Connection  with  an  American  stable  of  such  promi- 
nence as  that  of  Mr.  Francis  Morris  in  the  generation 
gone  by  is  an  experience  of  which  any  turfman  might 
well  be  proud.  The  Morris  Stable  is  one  of  the  land- 
marks of  American  racing,  and  the  horses  and  men  who 
have  come  from  it  have  played  important  and  admirable 
parts  in  the  development  of  this  sport  in  contemporane- 
ous times.  It  was  in  this  school  that  Mr.  John  Miller 
took  his  first  lesson  as  an  exercise  boy  in  187 1.  He  was 
then  a  youngster  of  thirteen  years  of  age,  having  been 
born  in  New  York  in  1858. 

After  two  years'  experience  with  the  Morris  Stable, 
he  entered  the  stable  of  Mr.  William  Midgley,  where  he 
remained  for  a  year,  being  engaged  principally  upon  the 
Southern  circuit.  His  liking  for  the  North,  however, 
induced  him  to  return  to  New  York,  where  he  entered 
the  stable  of  Mr.  E.  'V.  Snedeker  as  assistant  trainer.  In 
that  position  he  labored  well  for  a  period  of  eight 
years.  During  that  time  he  had  an  active  part  in  han- 
dling some  of  the  most  prominent  horses  then  on  the  turf, 
among  them  being  Rhadamanthus,  Countess,  Duchess, 
Girofle,  Girofla,  Eole,  St.  Saviour  and  "Virgil. 

In  i88t,  he  opened  a  public  training  stable,  but  in  1888 
also  took  charge  of  the  stable  of  Mr.  W.  H.  McCarthy, 
of  California.  In  his  stable  he  has  had  such  good  horses 
as  Priscilla,  Berwyn,  Persistence,  Royal  Princess,  Annie 
L.  and  a  host  of  others.     He  is  now  training  the  horses 


JOHN    MILLER 


of  Mr.  F.  C.  O'Reilly— Kinvarra,  Royal  Princess,  Whist- 


ling   Con    and    Ineennamara. 


340 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


The  younger  generation  of  trainers  iiave,  almost  witii- 
oLit  exception,  shown  by  definite  work  that  progressive 
ideas  can  be  as  successful  in  this  as  in  any  other  busi- 
ness pursuit,  and  that  in  the  art  of  training  there  are  still 
many  new  things  to  be  learned.  Other  times,  other 
men,  and  it  is  the  young  men  who  are  now  coming 
strongly  to  the  front. 

Mr.  Edward  F.  Hughes,  who  was  born  in  New  York 
City  in  i85q,  is  a  representative  of  this  younger  genera- 
tion. He  attained  to  prominence  as  early  as  1889,  by 
his  riding  at  county  fairs  in  New  York,  New  Jersey  and 
New  Hampshire.  His  riding  experience  was  limited  to 
three  years,  when  he  engaged  in  training,  his  first  suc- 
cess as  a  trainer  being  with  Speculation,  who  in  that 
year  won  twenty-two  races,  and  in  1894,  thirteen  races. 
Other  winners  that  were  under  Mr.  Hughes'  care  were 
Marshall  and  Harry  Alonzo. 

In  1895,  Mr.  Hughes  trained  the  Wolf  Hill  Stable,  win- 
ning several  good  races,  and  in  1896,  he  trained,  among 
other  horses,  Mr.  Jere  Dunn's  sterling  filly.  Sunny  Slope, 
which  won  nine  out  of  twelve  starts.  He  is  now  the 
trainer  of  the  Kensico  Stable,  having  in  his  hands  the 
three-year  old  bay  filly  Juda  and  these  two-year  olds: 
Camotop,  Ragged  Sailor,  Amorita  and  Tennis.     Camo- 


Although    of   New    England    extraction,    Mr.    Waldo 
OIney.  who  has  attained  to  success,  both  as  an  owner 


WALDO    OLNE-Y 


EDWARD    F.    HUGHES 


top   won    his   maiden 
Meeting    in    li 


race    at    the    Aqueduct    Spring 


and  a  trainer,  is  a  native  Westerner,  having  been  born  in 
1863  at  Manchester,  la.  He  received  a  good  education, 
and  was  thus  well  prepared  to  profit  by  the  early  expe- 
rience that  he  had  in  racing.  He  became  attached  to  the 
establishment  of  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  while  he  was  yet  a 
youngster,  and  remained  with  that  eminent  turfman  for 
a  period  of  nine  years.  For  one  season  he  rode  for  Mr. 
Pierre  Lorillard,  Jr.,  and  was  then  engaged  to  train  Keno 
and  Emerson. 

His  success  in  his  first  engagements  as  trainer  led  to 
his  employment  by  various  owners,  among  his  charges 
being  Emigrant  and  three  others  for  Mr.  C.  Donovan, 
and  Pasha,  with  several  companions,  for  Messrs.  Ross 
&  Oyster.  Pasha  was  a  horse  of  merit,  whose  perform 
ances  reflected  credit  upon  his  trainer.  Filled  with  a; 
ambition  to  become  an  owner,  Mr.  Olney  formed  a 
stable,  his  string  including  Adolph,  Figaro,  Duke  of 
Bourbon,  Ocean,  Adonis  and  others.  In  1888,  he  won  a 
goodly  proportion  of  the  events  at  Clifton,  N.  J. 

In  recent  years  Mr.  Olney  has  conducted  a  public  train- 
ing stable,  and  also  owns  several  good  animals,  among 
them  Juno,  a  speedy  filly  that  came  out  of  Mr.  J.  R. 
Keene's  establishment.  Horses  belonging  to  other  own- 
ers are  constantly  under  his  care,  and  he  gives  his  atten- 
tion specially  to  some  very  promising  youngsters. 


341 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


From  his  infancy  Mr.  Richard  H.  Loud,  who  was  born 
near  Clarksville,  Tenn.,  January  as,  i86s,  has  been  iden- 
tified with  the  turf.  His  father,  Mr.  John  W.  Loud,  a 
Kentuci<:y  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  was  one  of  the 
best  known  men  in  turf  circles  throughout  the  United 
States.  He  will  long  be  remembered  as  the  owner  of 
the  celebrated  Lida  Stanhope,  who  was  matched 
against  the  great  filly  Thora,  winning  three  miles  in  s 
minutes,  2S  seconds,  within  one  second  of  the  record  at 
the  present  time. 

At  an  early  age  Mr.  Richard  H.  Loud  became  associated 
with  his  father  in  the  firm  of  J.  W.  &  R.  H.  Loud.  The 
stable  included  a  number  of  animals  of  high  degree, 
among  them  Lida  Stanhope,  Richard  L.,  Albert  Sidney, 
Lady  Loud  and  others.  The  junior  member  of  the  firm 
displayed  abundant  ability  as  a  trainer,  and  by  his  skill  a 
long  list  of  victories  was  placed  to  the  credit  of  the 
stable.  Mr.  Loud  has  long  been  located  at  Gravesend, 
L.  L  His  training  stable  has  sheltered  some  animals  of 
decided  interest.  It  would  be  difficult  to  select  from  the 
long  array  of  performers  that  have  been  trained  by 
him  those  who  have  specially  distinguished  themselves. 
The  list  would  include  the  names  of  such  horses  as  Two 
Bits,    Mordotte,    Billali,  Uncle    Sim,    Montepool.    Hindo- 


Principally  identified  with  the  turf  of  the  Pacific  Coast, 
Mr.  W.  M.  Murry  has  been  one  of  the  most  successful 


RICHARD    H.    LOUD 


mere,  Japonica,   Floral  Park,  Poor  Jonathan,   Myrtle  L., 
Will  Fonso,  Antonia,  Castinette  and  Gold  Ban. 


W.    M.    MURRY 

of  the  army  of  enterprising  turfmen  of  this  generation. 
Like  so  many  others  of  his  associates,  he  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  his  career  as  an  exercise  boy.  For  fully  twenty 
years  he  has  been  racing  and  training  horses,  and  his 
name  has  been  identified  with  some  of  the  best  thorough- 
breds and  the  greatest  racing  events  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Near  Sacramento,  Cal.,  Mr.  Murry  has  a  small,  but 
complete,  breeding  establishment.  For  many  years  he 
has  kept  there  thirty  brood  mares,  and  at  the  head  of  the 
stud  long  stood  the  excellent  stallion,  Three  Cheers.  Mr. 
Murry  raised  the  celebrated  colt  Michael  III.,  whom  he 
sold  to  Mr.  Charles  F.  Dwyer.  In' 1888,  he  brought  out 
the  good  two-year  old  Almont  by  Three  Cheers  out  of 
Question.  In  that  season  Almont  won  seven  races  out 
of  nine  starts.  At  Sacramento  he  traveled  three-quarters 
of  a  mile  in  i  minute,  16^4^  seconds.  Later  in  the  same 
season  he  traveled  i  mile  in  i  minute,  423^  seconds, 
winning  both  the  California  Annual  Stakes  and  the  Night 
Hawk  Stakes. 

During  Mr.  Murry's  twenty  years  of  racing  he  has  won 
five  Derbys.  Twice  he  won  the  Derby  in  California. 
With  Thorne  Hill  he  beat  the  three-mile  record  on  the 
Pacific  Coast,  and  also  beat  the  2}{-m\\e  record.  In 
1897,  he  trained  for  Mr.  Edward  Purser,  and  made  his 
first  season  upon  the  Eastern  track. 


342 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Several  good  turfmen  of  this  period  iiave  come  from 
tine  establishment  of  Mr.  j.  De  Lona;,  which  not  so  many 


Among  the  many  horsemen  whom  Canada  has  con- 
tributed to  the  turf  in  this  country  ani  who  have  taken 
an  enviable  position  in  racing  circles,  few  have  been 
more  agreeably  known  than  Mr.  Edward  A.  Steeds.  Born 
in  Toronto,  Ont.,  March  23,  1864,  Mr.  Steeds  began  his 
racing  experiences  in  the  establishment  of  Mr.  R. 
Wilson,  of  Toronto,  for  whom  he  rode  three  years.  His 
next  engagements  were  with  Mr.  Charles  Boyle  for  a 
couple  of  years,  and  then  with  Mr.  George  Hayden. 
After  this  he  was  with  Mr.  W.  R.  Babcock  for  two  sea- 
sons, followed  by  a  connection  with  Mr.  William 
Mulkey,  of  Kansas  City,  a  single  season  with  Mr.  J.  E. 
Seagram,  and  two  years  with  Mr.  Frank  Elliott.  Then 
he  trained  and  rode  six  years  for  Mr.  D.  Higgins. 

This  record  represents  an  unusually  long  and  varied 
experience,  and  Mr.  Steeds'  reminiscences  of  famous 
horses  and  turfmen  date  back  to  the  initial  meeting  at 
the  Brighton  Beach  track,  where  he  rode  several  races. 
His  record  as  a  rider  is  one  of  many  victories.  At  one 
time  or  another  he  rode  such  performers  as  Ada  Glenn, 
Springfield,  Kenyon  and  Bucksaw.  With  My  Fellow  he 
won  thirteen  straight  races,  and  with  Pericles  ten  races 


WILLIAM    VAN    KEUREN 

years  ago  was  a  good  school  for  the  boys  with  racing 
aspirations.  Mr.  William  Van  Keuren,  who  was  born 
in  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  in  1874,  entered  the  employ  of  Mr. 
De  Long  in  1886  and  applied  himself  to  the  customary 
work  of  exercising.  After  that  he  was  engaged  with 
other  establishments,  particularly  the  Diamond  Stable,  of 
which  Mr.  David  Johnstone  was  the  owner.  His  first  ex- 
perience as  a  jockey  was  with  Mr.  Johnstone,  for  whose 
stable  he  rode  all  the  light-weight  races  and  met  with 
fair  success.  After  two  years'  service  with  Mr.  Johnstone 
he  engaged  as  jockey  with  Messrs.  Kelly  &  Samuels. 
With  this  stable  he  remained  for  one  year,  being  very 
successful,  especially  in  winning  many  races  upon  horses 
that  were  long  shots  in  the  betting.  The  prominent 
mounts  that  he  had  were  Edward  McGinness,  Pliny  and 
others.  Next  he  rode  for  the  New  York  Stable  for  four 
years. 

When  he  became  too  heavy  longer  to  ride  he  took  an 
engagement  as  assistant  trainer,  allying  himself  in  that 
capacity  to  Mr.  D.  J.  Lynch  in  1894.  For  two  years  he 
handled  such  horses  as  Contribution,  Mr.  Single,  Judge 
and  a  dozen  others.  A  similar  position  was  offered  to 
him  by  Mr.  E.  C.  Bailey,  and  he  was  in  that  gentleman's 
employ  until  he  set  up  a  public  training  stable.  The 
horses  that  he  has  recently  had  include  Lucolo  and  But- 
ler. His  work  is  regarded  as  reliable  and  proficient.  His 
racing  colors  are  black,  red  maltese  cross,  red  cap. 


EDWARD   A.    STEEDS 


in  one 
Kittie. 


season.     In   1896,  he  won  many  races  with  Sue 
He  is  now  conducting   a  public  stable. 


343 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


The  great  race  courses  that  have  existed  for  more  than 
a  generation  in  the  vicinity  of  Nev/  Yorlt  City  have  had 


.-ti^' 


MARTIN   R.   LUCKEY 


an  undoubted  influence  in  stimulating  interest  in  racing 
affairs  in  all  the  communities  thereabout.  That  many  of 
the  young  men  of  the  metropolis  should  devote  them- 
selves to  business  pursuits  in  connection  with  horseflesh 
seems  not  only  natural,  but,  in  fact,  almost  inevitable. 
Such  has  been  the  history  of  Mr.  Martin  R.  Luckey,  who 
was  born  in  New  York  in  September,  1867.  He  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age  when  his  first  real  connection 
with  racing  began.  Previous  to  that  time,  however,  he 
had  made  acquaintance  with  horses,  having  for  several 
years  been  the  manager  of  his  father's  livery  stable. 

In  1888  Mr.  Luckey  associated  himself  with  Mr.  P. 
Nagel  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  training  methods.  After  one  year  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Mr.  William  Oliver  and  had  fair  success 
with  several  good  horses.  When  the  partnership  was 
dissolved,  in  1892,  Mr.  Luckey  for  a  short  time  placed 
his  horses  in  the  hands  of  Thomas  Dolan  to  train.  A 
year  later,  however,  he  took  entire  charge  of  the  stable 
himself  and  has  since  handled  all  the  horses  that  have 
raced  under  his  colors.  During  that  time  he  has  had  in 
training  such  good  runners  as  Steve  L.,  Blazeaway, 
Mazie,  Kelturno,  Motorman  and  others,  some  of  them 
his  own  property  and  several  belonging  to  other  owners. 
With  Motorman  he  was  very  successful,  bringing  that 
horse  into  condition,  so  that  in  a  single  year  he  won 
eight  races  out  of  eleven  starts. 


Few  men  in  the  racing  world  have  had  a  wider  or 
more  varied  experience  than  Mr.  John  W.  Driscoll,  who 
has  been  a  horseman  from  his  youth  up,  and  who,  since 
turning  his  attention  to  training,  has  been  successful 
with  both  runners  and  trotters.  Mr.  Driscoll  is  a  Cana- 
dian, and  comes  of  a  racing  family,  his  father  being  the 
owner  of  a  race  track.  The  son  was  born  at  Quebec, 
Canada,  January  21,  1852,  and  began  to  ride  for  his 
father  when  only  nine  years  of  age. 

On  the  death  of  his  father  he  came  to  the  United 
States  and  was  engaged  to  ride  for  Mr.  R.  B.  Forbes,  of 
Boston,  and  afterward  for  Mr.  M.  H.  Sanford,  where  he 
was  under  William  Hay  ward.  In  1872  he  joined  a 
stable  of  trotters  and  was  thus  engaged  for  several  years. 
In  1876  he  again  returned  to  the  running  turf  as  a  trainer 
of  thoroughbreds  and  also  rode  in  many  races.  In  1883 
he  became  trainer  for  Mr.  J.  H.  Shults,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  a  number  of  years  at  the  Parkville  Stock 
Farm.  In  1893  Mr.  Driscoll  built  his  own  stable  on  the 
Brooklyn  Boulevard  and  embarked  in  business  as  a  public 
trainer. 

Among  the  famous  trotters  and  pacers  trained  by  Mr. 
Driscoll  were:  Thistle,  2.14;  Isaquena,  2.21^;  Arrow, 
2. 13X;  John  D.,  2.2^%;  Parole,  Moderator,  Tom  Barry 
and  many  other  animals  that  could  trot  in  less  than  2.30. 
Mr.  Driscoll  has  never  lost  his  interest  in  the  thorough- 
bred horse.  Some  of  his  horses  have  been  very  favor- 
ably regarded,  among  them,  Don  Bias,  Laurete  and  Net- 
tie D.     Laurete  is  by  the  famous  sire  Sensation,  and  as 


JOHN   W.   DRISCOLL 


a  yearling  ran  a  quarter  01  a  mile  in  24%  seconds.     Mr. 
Driscoll's  racing  colors  are  maroon,  blue  cap. 


344 


Till'.     AMERICAN     TURF 


In   the  person    of  Mr.    William   H.    Barrett  we  have 
another  example  of  a  New  York  boy  who  has  grown  up 


WILLIAM    H.   BARRETT 

among  the  turf  influences  oi  the  metropolis,  and  has 
become  an  accomplished  trainer.  Mr.  Barrett,  who  was 
born  in  New  York,  May  24,  1861,  now  makes  his  head- 
quarters at  Sheepshead  Bay.  His  racing  experience 
began  in  1875,  whea  he  was  engaged  in  the  stable  of 
Mr.  James  Galway  as  an  exercise  boy.  After  three 
years  in  this  connection  he  started  riding,  in  which  he 
was  exceedingly  successful.  His  first  winning  race  was 
on  Marina.  Subsequently  he  was  employed  by  Mr. 
James  G.  Rowe  as  exercise  boy  and  jockey,  and  while 
holding  that  position  won  a  number  of  races. 

Becoming  too  heavy  to  ride,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
training,  being  offered  a  position  to  train  the  horses  ot 
Mr.  David  Baldwin,  and  he  entered  the  employ  of  that 
owner,  with  whom  he  remained  for  two  years.  His 
next  step  was  to  open  a  public  stable.  It  was  inevitable 
that  he  should  become  an  owner,  and,  accordingly, 
about  this  time  he  bought  several  horses,  among  them 
being  Nellie  Van  and  Kittie  Van.  His  accomplishments 
with  these  runners  was  wholly  satisfactory,  for  with 
them  he  won  about  fifty  races,  some  of  which  were  of 
considerable  value. 

More  recently  Mr.  Barrett  has  given  himself  almost  en- 
tirely to  training  again,  having  a  public  stable  in  which 
he  has  handled  not  only  his  own  horses  but  those  of 
other  owners  as  well.  In  1896,  he  had  charge  of  the 
horses  of  Mr.  Frank  Seaman.  Many  good  animals  have 
come  under  his  care.  It  is  his  intention  that  his  stable 
shall  be  largely  increased  in  the  near  future. 


A  native  of  the  land  of  steady  habits,  Mr.  Daniel  W. 
Mooney  has  had  a  varied  experience,  but  altogether 
with  horses.  He  was  born  in  Hartford,  May  26,  1868, 
and  when  he  was  a  boy  of  eleven  years  began  exercis- 
ing horses,  continuing  in  that  pursuit  for  about  four 
years,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  time  being  engaged  in 
riding.  Giving  up  his  racing  career  for  a  short  time,  he 
became  attached  to  Barnum's  circus,  riding  in  the  hip- 
podrome. That  sort  of  life,  however,  was  not  at  all  to 
his  liking,  and  after  two  years'  experience  he  made  a 
change,  coming  back  to  more  congenial  employment 
connected  with  the  turf  His  next  engagement  was  as 
jockey  with  Messrs.  Swayne  &  La  Trove,  for  whom  he 
rode  one  season.  That  was  the  end  of  his  career  as  a 
jockey,  however,  for  the  usual  fate  of  flesh  beset  him. 

Accepting  an  engagement  as  assistant  trainer  with 
Mr.  James  G.  Rowe,  he  remained  with  him  for  about 
five  years,  and  then  went  with  Mr.  Jacob  Pincus  for  one 
year.  Then  he  had  charge  of  the  horses  of  Messrs. 
Easton  &  Theobald  for  one  season,  followed  by  a  two 
years'  engagement  with  Mr.  W.  H.  Ryan,  in  whose 
stable  were  Adolph,  Carmelite  and  others.  With  the 
stable  of  Mr.  W.  H.  Mahon,  to  whom  he  was  next  at- 
tached, Mr.  Mooney  had  undoubted  success,  for  during 
the  two  years  that  he  had  that  string  he  won  for  its 
owner  seventy-five  races.  Mr.  Mooney  has  owned  Wal- 
lace G. ,  Pocatello,  Raleigh  and  others.     He  has  also  run 


DANIEL  W.  MOONEY 


a  public  stable,  and  has  had  the   patronage  01  owners, 
who  have  the  utmost  confidence  in  his  ability. 


345 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Although  Mr.  John  J.  Welsh  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  he 
is  in  every  respect  an  American,  since  his  entire  life  has 
been  passed  in  this  country.  He  was  born  December 
28,  1872,  and  was  brought  to  the  United  States  an  infant 
two  months  old.  He  was  only  eleven  years  of  age 
when,  in  1883,  he  began  as  a  boy  with  the  celebrated 
horseman,  Mr.  Jacob  Pincus.  Experience  in  a  stable 
with  Mr.  Pincus  at  its  head  was  an  exceedingly  valuable 
school,  and  the  youngster  profited  very  much  by  it. 
During  the  latter  part  of  the  time  he  rode  a  few  races 
and  was  a  winner  in  a  fair  portion  of  them. 

It  was  in  1888  that  Welsh  felt  that  he  had  acquired 
sufficient  knowledge  of  thoroughbreds  to  be  able  to  do 
business  on  his  own  account.  Accordingly,  he  left  Mr. 
Pincus  and  started  riding  independently,  and  at  once 
achieved  sufficient  success  to  amply  justify  his  confi- 
dence in  his  own  ability.  He  started  in  at  the  Provi- 
dence, R.  I,,  meeting,  and  during  his  early  riding,  out 
of  about  140  mounts  he  won  35  races.  He  estimates 
that  during  his  entire  riding  experience,  he  rode  fully 
2,000  races  and  won  about  360  of  them.  He  has  been 
one  of  the  good  steeplechase  riders  since  1892,  and  in 
that  branch  of  sport  has  been  very  successful,  winning 
some  of  the  important  steeplechase  events  of  the  turf. 
His  riding  weight  is  125  pounds  and  his  racing  colors 
are  lilac  green,  gold  tassel  and  green  cap.     Although  he 


Born  at  Gravesend,  L,  I.,  July  4,  1868,  Mr.  George  W. 
Meehan  has  been  well  known  as  the  rider  of  many  win- 


JOHN    J.   WELSH 


has  devoted  most  of  his  time  to  riding,  he  has  long  held 
a  trainer's  license,  and  has  some  promising  horses. 


GEORGE    W.   MEEHAN 

ning  races.  His  first  employer  was  Larry  Hart,  in  whose 
stable  he  exercised  and  rode  for  three  years.  Following 
this  apprenticeship  he  became  stable  jockey  for  Mr. 
James  H.  McCormick  for  two  years.  Next  he  engaged 
with  Mr.  William  Lakeland,  and  he  closed  his  career  as 
a  jockey  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  William  Mason.  During 
his  time  he  rode  some  of  the  best  campaigners.  Among 
them  were  Jim  Douglas,  Fawn,  Crafty,  Wonderment, 
Referee  and  Tattler.  In  1886,  he  won  54  races.  In  1887, 
he  was  successful  in  24  out  of  his  95  mounts. 

When  nature  overtook  him  he  turned  his  attention  to 
training,  and  was  engaged  to  handle  the  horses  of  Mr. 
W.  J.  Roche,  with  whose  stable  he  has  long  been  con- 
nected. He  has  sent  to  the  post  such  good  ones  as 
Mendicant,  Lady  Knight,  Sir  Knight,  Free  Lance,  Lady 
Mottle  and  Friendship.  Among  some  of  the  important 
events  that  he  has  won  have  been  the  Bay  Ridge  Handi- 
cap of  1887,  and  the  Iron  Pier  Handicap,  two  years  in 
succession,  in  1884  and  1885.  For  the  season  of  1898, 
he  is  handling  the  four-year  old  Free  Lance  by  Cavalier 
out  of  Lady  Lawrence;  the  three-year  old  John  Morrell 
by  The  Bard  out  of  Florimel,  and  the  two-year  old  filly 
Lioness  by  Daniel  out  of  Lady  Alice.  He  has  been  as 
successful  as  a  trainer  as  he  was  when  riding,  displaying 
skill  in  bringing  the  horses  under  his  charge  into  good 
condition  and  keeping  them  there.  His  work  is  keenly 
appreciated  by  those  familiar  with  it. 

346 


TITE     AMERICAN    TURF 


The  life  of  Mr.  James  J.  Brown    h:i 
voted  to   the  lurf.     Born   in  New  Y 


IS  been  wholly  de- 
ork  City,  April  26, 


JAMES  J.   BROWN 

i860,  he  began  riding  pony  and  horse  races  for  Phineas 
T.  Barnum  in  1873.  In  this  employment  he  traveled 
throughout  the  United  States  and  established  a  reputa- 
tion as  a  successful  and  daring  rider.  This  led  to  his 
being  engaged  by  Messrs.  Barr  &  Co.  to  exercise  horses. 
He  remained  there  till  1876,  when  he  entered  the  racing 
establishment  of  the  late  Mr.  William  Astor.  He  re- 
mained with  the  Astor  establishment  until  1880.  In  the 
autumn  of  that  year  he  transferred  his  services  to  the 
Messrs.  Dwyer  Brothers.  He  remained  with  the  Dwyer 
Stable  until  1884,  when  he  was  engaged  by  Mr.  G.  B. 
Bryson. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Brown  accepted  an  engagement  to  train 
for  the  Excelsior  Stable,  and  with  it  again  demonstrated 
his  skill  and  experience  in  attaining  the  best  possible  re- 
sults with  the  horses  committed  to  his  care.  In  1889. 
Mr.  Brown  had  charge  of  the  stable  of  Ex-Mayor  M  N. 
Nolan,  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  After  this  engagement  he  went 
to  the  establishment  of  Messrs.  McMahon  &  Garrison, 
training  Eolian,  Cyclops,  Speedwell,  Kempland,  Ariel 
and  other  horses,  and  in  the  succeeding  year  was  with 
the  Empire  Stable,  in  which  Madstone,  Tormentor  and 
Ed  McGinnis  received  his  attention. 

After  a  year  with  this  stable,  Mr.  Brown  opened  a 
public  stable,  in  which  he  has  been  successful,  training 
many  winners.  He  bought  L.  B.  as  a  yearling,  and  the 
colt  gives  promise  of  being  a  consistent  racehorse. 


Mr.  Philip  John  Littletield  is  one  whose  career  has 
been  somewhat  different  from  many  of  the  profes- 
sional trainers  of  the  present  day.  As  it  has  been  nec- 
essary to  note  again  and  again,  by  far  the  largest  pro- 
portion of  men  engaged  in  this  work  have  come  to  it 
through  their  experience  as  jockeys.  In  Mr.  Little- 
tleld's  history,  however,  there  has  been  no  chapter  of 
jockey  adventures.  Having  served  a  long  and  thorough 
course  of  instruction  and  experience  in  the  general 
handling  of  horses,  and  having  applied  himself  closely 
to  the  mastery  of  the  art  of  training,  he  came  to  that 
pursuit  thoroughly  well  equipped. 

Mr.  Littlefield  was  born  in  New  York  City  in  1868,  and 
in  1882  entered  the  employment  of  Mr.  Larry  Hart  and 
commenced  by  exercising.  That  work  he  continued, 
for  two  years  with  Mr.  Hart,  for  one  year  with  Mr. 
William  Davis  and  for  one  year  with  Mr.  John  Camp- 
bell. By  this  time  there  was  little  about  the  stable 
with  which  he  was  not  thoroughly  familiar.  Many  op- 
portunities were  opened  to  him  to  ride,  but  he  never 
accepted,  for,  as  he  has  said,  he  had  no  inclination  for 
that  pursuit,  his  whole  ambition  being  in  the  direc- 
tion of  training.  With  Mr.  Samuel  Hildreth  he  began 
his  practical  training  career.  In  Mr.  Hildreth's  Stable 
he  was  assistant  trainer  for  seven  years.  Thence  he 
went  to  the  establishment  of  Mr.  E.  J.  Baldwin,  of  Cal- 


PHILIP   J.    LITTLEFIELD 


ifornia,  also  as  assistant  trainer,  lor  one  year,  and  then 
took  charge    of    the    horses    of   Mr.   William  B.  Sink. 


347 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


In  the  person  of  Mr.  Edward  Johnson  the  turf  has  an- 
other example  to  add  to  an  already  long  list  of  those  who 


EDWARD  JOHNSON 

have  devoted  a  lifetime  to  training.  Mr.  Johnson  began 
his  acquaintance  with  horses  at  an  early  age  and  has  won 
for  himself  an  excellent  reputation  for  the  painstaking 
care  that  he  bestows  upon  the  thoroughbreds  who  are 
entrusted  to  him.  Beginning  his  racing  experiences  in  the 
stable  of  Mr.  John  Greyer,  of  New  Orleans,  with  whom 
he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  two  years,  he  afterward 
entered  the  employment  of  Mr.  George  Rice,  of  Nashville. 
Only  a  short  time  elapsed,  however,  before  he  was  en- 
gaged as  foreman  and  assistant  trainer  for  Mr.  P.  A.  Brady, 
of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Johnson's  connection  with  the  stable  of  Mr.  Brady 
lasted  for  some  two  years,  after  which  he  became  assist- 
ant trainer  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  Edward  Corrigan.  From 
Mr.  Corrigan  he  transferred  his  services  to  Mr.  E.J.  Bald- 
win, the  ftmous  Pacific  Coast  turfman.  In  the  Baldwin 
Stable,  with  which  he  remained  for  two  years,  he  was 
especially  successful  with  such  members  of  his  employer's 
string  as  Volante,  Lucky  B.,  Los  Angeles,  Norfolk  and 
others.  A  three  years'  campaign  with  Mr.  Edward 
Brown,  better  known  as  "Brown  Dick,"  followed  his 
connection  with  the  Baldwin  Stable  and  added  to  his 
reputation  as  a  proficient  trainer.  Upon  the  termination 
of  his  contract  with  Mr.  Brown  he  took  charge  of  the 
stable  of  Mr.  Chauncey  Jacobs,  of  Boston,  then  entered 
the  service  of  Mr.  F.  Hadlick  and  more  recently  was 
employed  as  trainer  of  the  stable  of  Mr.  R.  N.  Ellis, 
owner  of  one  of  the  large  establishments  on  Long  Island. 


Many  turfmen  who  in  subsequent  years  became  dis- 
tinguished as  jockeys,  trainers  or  owners,  started  in  the 
stable  of  the  first  Mr.  August  Belmont.  A  list  of  their 
names  would  number  scores  or  perhaps  hundreds.  Of 
this  large  army  a  considerable  proportion  have  been 
favorably  known  by  all  followers  of  the  race  course,  and 
no  small  part  of  the  influence  for  good  that  has  come  out 
of  the  Belmont  establishment  has  been  felt  in  the  work 
done  by  this  class  of  horseinen. 

Among  those  schooled  under  the  watchful  eye  of  Mr. 
Belmont,  was  Mr.  Augustus  Hanon,  who  was  born  in 
New  York  City,  May  12,  1862.  A  boy  of  only  ten  years 
when  he  joined  the  stable  of  Mr.  Belmont,  he  was  ad- 
vanced to  ride  when  he  was  fourteen  years  old.  His 
first  winning  mount  was  Medora  at  Monmouth  Park  in 
the  July  Stakes,  and  the  following  year  he  won  the  same 
stakes.  For  five  years  he  was  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful Belmont  jockeys.  After  he  became  too  heavy  to  ride 
he  still  remained  with  the  Belmont  Stable  as  assistant 
trainer  to  Mr.  Jacob  Pincus,  and  during  this  part  of  his 
career  handled  Jack  of  Hearts,  Carnation,  Forester,  and 
others  of  prominence.  His  connection  with  the  Belmont 
establishment  lasted,  all  told,  about  eleven  years. 

In  1883,  Mr.  Hanon  became  trainer  for  Mr.  James 
Shields  and  in  1887  took  the  position  of  second  trainer 
in  the  stable  of  Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer.     For  some  years  he 


AUGUSTUS  HANON 


trained  for  Mr.  Isaac  Dahlmann,  of  the  Empire  Stable.    He 
also  trained  a  public  stable  and  has  had  his  own  horses. 


348 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


ParticLilaily 
durinii-  the  l;i 


conspicuous  as 
ter  eighties,   Mr. 


one  of  the  good  jockeys 
i^MLii  Fox  has  turned  his 


From  the  Pacific  Coast  has  come  a  small  contingent  oi 
turfmen,  who  have  been  conspicuous  by  their  attach- 
ment to  racing  affairs.  Among  these  Mr.  John  J.  Sheri- 
dan is  particularly  worthy  of  attention  for  his  consistent 
adherence  to  the  best  traditions  of  the  turf  and  for  the 
general  success  that  has  marked  his  career.  Born  in 
San  Francisco,  December  12,  1872,  he  received  a  com- 
plete public  school  and  collegiate  education.  After  that 
he  was  employed  for  a  short  time  at  the  Union  Club,  of 
San  Francisco,  and  in  1888  made  his  first  racing  connection. 

His  start  in  turf  life  was  in  the  stable  of  Senator  George 
Hearst,  under  Mr.  Matt  Allen,  and  afterward  with  Mr. 
Albert  Cooper.  There  he  handled  such  horses  as  Tour- 
nament, Algernon,  Anaconda,  Miss  Belle,  and  others, 
who  contributed  to  making  famous  the  colors  of  the 
Hearst  Stable.  Many  of  these  champions  were  ridden 
by  Sheridan,  as  well  as  trained  by  him.  When  Senator 
Hearst  died  and  his  stable  was  dispersed,  Mr.  Sheridan 
became  connected  with  the  Keene  Stable,  acting  some- 
times as  agent  for  the  owners.  In  189^,  he  handled 
Peter  the  Great,  Aurelian,  Torchbearer  and  others.  In 
1896,  he  owned  Earl  Li,  a  two-year  old,  and  was  also  en- 
gaged in  training  for  the  stable  of  Parrott  &  Co.,  who  had 


long  and  solid  experience  with  horses  to  the  advantage 
of  himself  and  other  owners  by  engaging  in  training. 
Mr.  Fox  is  a  native  of  Boston,  Mass.,  where  he  was  born 
June  12,  1875.  His  racing  experience  began  with  Mr. 
Robert  Forbes,  the  well  known  sportsman,  brother 
■  of  Mr.  W.  H.  Forbes.  For  many  years  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  largest  sale  and  livery  stable  in  Boston, 
that  of  Messrs.  Draper  &  Hall.  This  gave  him  experi- 
ence with  horses  that  was  very  valuable. 

Mr.  Fox's  early  career  in  the  saddle  was  in  riding  prize 
winners  at  the  Horse  Show  and  pony  races  at  Mystic 
Park,  and  he  won  races  on  such  horses  as  Pacific,  John 
L.  and  others.  Leaving  the  stable  of  Mr.  Forbes,  in 
1890,  he  attached  himself  to  the  Empire  Stable  of  Mr. 
Isaac  Dahlmann.  In  1893,  he  rode  for  Colonel  Jacob 
Ruppert,  Jr.,  and  in  1894,  became  connected  with  the 
Dwyer  Stable,  riding  some  of  the  best  horses  in  that 
establishment.  He  also  rode  outside  mounts  for  Messrs. 
Daly,  Boyle  &  Littlefield,  Clason  and  others. 

Several  of  the  races  that  Fox  won  were  of  a  sensational 
character.  Of  this  description  were  his  win  on  Poor 
Jonathan  at  300  to  i ;  his  success  with  Chattanooga  for 
Colonel  Ruppert  at  100  to  1,  and  his  winning  on  The 
Baroness  at  100  to  i.  His  achievements  finally  won  for  him 
the  appellation  of  "  Long  Shot  Fox."  When  he  became 
too  heavy  to  ride  he  engaged  in  training,  to  which 
branch  of  the  racing  business  he  is  now  devoting  himself. 


JOHN    J.  SHERIDAN 


a  number  of  good  two-year  olds.     He  is  still  engaged  in 
training,  having  a  well-patronized  public  stable. 


349 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Born    at    Hanan-on-the-Main,    in     1862,     Mr.     Henry 
Wehrhahn  came  to  America  at  an  early  age  and  entered 


HENRY    WEHRHAHN 


the  stable  of  Henry  Bass  as  exercise  boy.  He  soon  be- 
came a  proficient  rider  and  was  extremely  popular.  It 
is,  however,  as  an  owner  and  trainer  that  Mr.  Wehrhahn 
has  been  well  and  favorably  known  to  the  racing  public 
of  the  present  decade. 

During  the  time  the  Guttenberg  Track  was  in  the 
height  of  its  popularity  Mr.  Wehrhahn  had  a  number 
of  good  horses  and  was  very  successful  with  them,  win- 
ning many  of  the  largest  purses.  His  experience  has 
been  such  that  he  has  acquired  a  thorough  mastery  of 
the  art  of  training,  which  knowledge  is  the  essential 
qualification  of  a  competent  horseman.  Recently  Mr. 
Wehrhahn  has  devoted  his  time  principally  to  his  own 
horses,  among  them  the  reliable  performer,  Princess 
India,  a  chestnut  filly,  foaled  in  1895,  by  Buchanan  out 
of  Indian  Princess.  As  a  two-year  old  she  ran  some 
good  races,  and  will,  no  doubt,  place  many  purses  to 
the  credit  of  her  owner  in  the  future. 

In  1897,  Mr.  Wehrhahn  purchased  from  Messrs.  L.  S. 
&  W.  P.  Thompson  the  brown  colt  Orthos  by  Faverdale 
out  of  Orageuse,  and  the  chestnut  filly  Sweet  Sound  by 
Faverdale  out  of  Cadence.  These,  however,  he  subse- 
quently sold.  Being  possessed  of  ability  and  devoting 
his  entire  time  to  the  horses  in  his  stable,  we  may  well 
expect  that  in  the  near  future  Mr.  Wehrhahn  will  be 
found  among  the  noted  men  of  his  profession. 


When  about  sixteen  years  of  age  Mr.  George  Chand- 
ler, who  is  a  native  of  Brooklyn,  began  his  racing  career 
by  exercising  for  Mr.  J.  Cook.  Afterward  he  was  with 
Mr.  Phil  Duffy  and  Mr.  James  H.  McCormick,  but 
gained  in  weight  so  rapidly  that  he  took  to  riding  jump- 
ers, and  has  since  been  constantly  in  the  saddle  in  this 
class  of  races.  He  has  ridden  such  good  jumpers 
as  Hercules,  Charley  Maines,  St.  Anthony,  Sanford  and 
others  equally  famous.  In  1892,  Mr.  Chandler  began  to 
train,  and  had  Lowlander,  Belwood  and  St.  Anthony 
under  his  care.  Since  1895,  he  has  been  engaged  as 
trainer  with  the  Erie  Stable  of  Mr.   F.   D.  Beard. 

That  racing  instinct  and  racing  skill  run  in  a  family  is 
a  fact  that  is  constantly  brought  to  the  attention  of  any- 
one who  examines  our  turf  records,  even  in  the  most 
casual  way.  Several  such  instances  have  already  been 
pointed  out  upon  other,  pages  of  this  volume,  and  to 
them  must  now  be  added  the  two  Luckey  brothers, 
Martin  R.  and  James  M.  Born  in  New  York  City,  Decem- 
ber 26,  1869,  Mr.  James  M.  Luckey  was  first  engaged  with 
the  stable  of  Mr.  John  Seaman,  and  remained  there  for  a 
period  of  two  years.  During  the  ensuing  three  years,  he 
was  connected  with  the  stable  of  Mr.  George  Davis,  and 
subsequently  with  those  of  Mr.  J.  Flynn  and  of  other  own- 
ers, being  engaged  in  different  capacities.  This  occupied 
him  until  1896,  by  which  time  there  were  few  turfmen 
who  had  a  more  complete  knowledge  of  the  thorough- 
bred or  who  were  more  competent  in  all  matters  relating 
to  racing.  In  the  year  last  mentioned,  Mr.  Luckey  went 
into  business  for  himself,  being  engaged  with  his 
brother,  Mr.  Martin  R.  Luckey.  Their  horses  and  their 
success  have  been  elsewhere  referred  to.  More  recently 
he  has  had  Florence  Bealy,  George  Simons,  Curacoa  and 


JAMES    M.    LUCKEY 


Motorman.     His  racing  colors,    white,    purple  sleeves, 
red  cap,  are  likely  to  be  seen  often  at  the  front. 


350 


THE     y\MERICAN     TURF 


Few  trainers  h;ive  passed  throuiih  many  years  of  expe- 
rience witJTOut,  sooner  or  later,  meeting  with  discourag- 
ing  conditions  and  liaving  to  combat  witii  propositions 
of  tile  most  dislieartening  cliaracter.  Some  of  tliem 
liave  sLiccumlied  to  tlie  diftlculties  tliat  they  were  called 
upon  to  face,  while  others  bv  their  energy  and  persistence 
have  pursued  their  work  courageously  and  in  the  end 
achieved  victorv  where  nothing  less  than  defeat  seemed 
likelv  to  be  their  certain  fate.  The  man  who  can  be  suc- 
cessful under  favoring  conditions  may  undoubtedly  be 
possessed  of  merit.  He  who  is  able  to  come  to  the  front 
when  everything  has  been  against  him  has  something 
more  than  mere  ordinary  stamina  in  him.  Mr.  Orson  J. 
Decker  may  be  fairly  considered  as  belonging  to  the  lat- 
ter class,  since,  during  many  years  of  his  professional 
career,  he  had  almost  overwhelming  odds  to  contend 
with  owing  to  the  unpromising  material  which  was 
given  to  him  to  handle  and  from  which  he  was  expected 
to  develop  winners. 

Before  he  came  into  the  thoroughbred  field  Mr.  Decker 
was  identitied  with  trotting  horses.  He  was  born  in 
Hillsdale,  N.  Y.,  in  1849,  and  until  middle  life  had  a 
varied  business  experience,  finally,  for  four  years  after 
1 83  9,  being  employed  as  cashier  in  the  Astor  House,  of 
New  York  City.  The  fondness  for  horses  that  had 
always  been  with  him  induced  him  to  buy  a  number  of 
racers,  which  he  entered  on  the  Eastern  circuit,  among 
them  being  Red  Elm  and  St.  Mark,  who  were  frequent 
winners.  Red  Elm,  in  particular,  ran  many  creditable 
races.  Out  of  twelve  starts  that  he  made  in  succession 
at  one  time,  he  won  four  and  was  placed  five  times, 
coming  in  third  on  three  occasions,  and  never  being  un- 
placed, a  record  that  speaks  well  for  the  skilful  training 
by  Mr.  Decker. 

About  1893,  Mr.  Decker  disposed  of  his  horses  and 
engaged  to  train  the  stable  of  Mr.  John  Healy,  who  had 
up  to  this  time  been  successful  in  his  ventures  on  the 
turf.  This  was  the  period  of  Mr.  Decker's  discourage- 
ment. The  material  upon  which  he  had  to  work  did  not 
respond  to  his  painstaking  efforts,  and  for  a  time  all  his 
energy  seemed  to  be  in  vain.  Mr.  Healy  finally  decided 
to  give  up  racing  so  ill  was  fortune  treating  him,  and 
accordingly  sold  his  horses  to  Mr.  M.  F.  Stephenson. 
Mr.  Decker  continued  to  train  the  stable,  and  success 
finally  crowned  his  untiring  efforts,  when,  in  i8q6,  his 
charges  made  reputations  for  themselves  by  beating 
some  of  the  best  horses  that  were  run  on  the  Eastern 
tracks.  Hanwell,  a  son  of  Hanover,  has  been  the  best 
member  of  the  stable,  which  also  has  contained  Euphe- 
mia  L.  and  other  good  ones.  With  Hanwell  he  won  the 
Coney  Island  Handicap,  the  same  horse  being  second  to 
Hastings  in  the  Toboggan  Slide,  third  in  the  Harlem 
Stakes  and  third  in  the  Grass  Inaugural,  and  in  i8c)8,  has 
rewarded  his  trainer  by  frequently  winning. 

351 


For  a  period  that  has  now  extended  over  fifteen  years 
Mr.  J.  J.  Cantwell  has  been  conspicuously  identified  in 
many  important  ways  with  racing  interests,  especially  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  York.  He  was  born  in  Brooklyn 
August  I,  1866,  and  in  his  youth  imbibed  a  taste  for  all 
those  sporting  and  athletic  indulgences  generally  that 
have  constituted  so  notable  a  feature  of  metropolitan  life 
in  this  closing  part  of  the  century.  Originally  a  baseball 
player,  and  otherwise  an  interested  participant  in  miscel- 
laneous sporting  affairs,  Mr.  Cantwell  naturally  drifted 
into  racing,  and  found  when  he  had  once  entered  upon 
that  field  of  activity  that  he  had  an  inborn  penchant  for 
it.  Thenceforth  that  engaged  all  his  attention  and  his 
undivided  energies. 

It  was  in  1880  that  he  first  began  to  feel  more  than  a 
superficial  attraction  toward  the  turf,  and  soon  after  that 
time  he  entered  the  ranks  of  racing  owners.  Wayward 
was  the  first  horse  that  he  owned,  and  his  success  with 
that  animal,  who  won  many  good  races  for  him,  was  of 
such  a  satisfactory  character  that  he  felt  abundantly  en- 
couraged to  continue  in  the  career  that  he  had  marked 
out  for  himself.  Another  good  horse  that  he  owned  was 
Hyacinth,  who  was  successful  in  substantially  adding  to 
his  bank  account  and  increasing  his  fame  as  a  turfman. 
It  is  also  one  of  the  agreeable  things  that  he  has  always 
carried  in  mind  that  he  was  once  the  owner  of  Low- 
lander,  but  whom  he  sold  to  Mr.  Fred  Lowe  before  that 
son  of  Lowland  Chief  won  the  Suburban  in  1893,  ^t  long 
odds. 

Another  speedy  horse  that  he  once  owned  was  Dis- 
count, a  brilliant  youngster,  who  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Mr.  J.  W.  Rogers  and  has  since  won  numerous  races. 
A  striking  feature  of  Mr.  Cantwell's  career  is  strongly 
brought  out  by  these  references  to  Lowlander  and  Dis- 
count. He  has  always  been  a  large  purchaser  of  year- 
lings, whom  he  has  handled  in  a  manner  that  has 
brought  them  into  such  good  form  that  he  has  been  able 
to  dispose  of  them  at  excellent  prices,  and  has  also  had 
the  gratification  of  seeing  their  subsequent  careers  fully 
justify  the  judgment  that  he  had  placed  in  them.  As  a 
trainer  he  has  been  very  successful,  and  Lowlander  and 
Discount  are  only  two  examples  of  the  many  whom  he 
has  handled  and  who  have  brought  credit  upon  him. 

Recently  Mr.  Cantwell  has  owned  Beekman, — a  son  of 
Falconer  and  Maggie  Ward, — who,  in  1897,  showed 
excellent  speed.  At  the  Fall  Meeting  of  the  Pimlico 
Driving  Club,  in  November,  1897,  Beekman  won  a  five 
furlongs  dash  in  i  minute,  5}^  seconds,  beating  Princess 
India  and  Laural  Leaf.  Mr.  Cantwell  has  also  been  from 
time  to  time  interested  in  bookmaking,  and  in  connec- 
tion with  his  other  ventures  has  recently  had  a  half 
interest  in  one  of  the  prominent  books.  He  has  made 
many  friends  among  his  racing  intimates  who  recognize 
his  abilities  and  his  sterling  personal  qualities. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Beginning  liis  public  career  as  a  jocl<ey,  Mr.  George 
Sigler  has  not  been  less  distinguished  as  a  trainer.  He 
is  a  native  of  Michigan,  having  been  born  in  the  town  of 
Niles,  in  that  State,  in  1873.  Although  comparatively  a 
young  man,  he  has  had  a  racing  experience  that  covers 
some  sixteen  years  and  has  been  full  of  variety,  stirring 
incidents  and  praiseworthy  accomplishments. 

For  the  first  few  years  after  he  entered  upon  turf  life 
he  was  engaged  in  the  customary  routine  of  work  about 
the  stable  and  profited  to  the  fullest  extent  by  his  oppor- 
tunities, gaining  a  sound  knowledge  of  the  horses  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact  and  the  best  methods  of  riding 
and  handling  them.  When  he  came  to  receive  his  first 
mounts  he  was  recognized  as  a  young  man  of  undoubted 
capacity.  In  1887,  he  rode  for  Mr.  James  Gray,  winning 
on  Dare,  Jim  Gray,  Withlow  and  numerous  others. 
Afterward  he  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  James  Davis, 
with  whom  he  was  engaged  for  a  period  of  seven  years. 
During  that  time  he  rode  many  of  Mr.  Davis'  horses, 
and  was  also  engaged  as  foreman  of  the  stable,  his  pro- 
ficiency in  the  latter  position  being  fully  demonstrated 
in  many  successive  seasons.  His  record  as  a  jockey  was 
of  a  high  character.  Although  he  did  not  ride  as  fre- 
quently as  some  other  members  of  the  profession,  his 
proportion  of  winning  races  out  of  the  number  of 
mounts  that  he  had  was  of  a  creditable  character. 

In  training,  he  has  been  even  more  successful  than  he 
was  in  riding,  and  during  the  last  few  years  he  has  had 
the  handling  of  some  very  good  runners.  The  most 
prominent  horses  that  he  has  brought  to  the  post  have 
been  Golow,  Minoco,  Katie  B.,  Governor  Sheehan, 
Storm  King  and  Captain  Kidd.  His  success  with  these 
and  other  horses  that  have  come  under  his  charge  has 
been  of  the  most  decided  character  and  stamped  him  as 
a  trainer  of  merit.  During  two  years  his  horses  won 
forty  races.  Out  of  this  number  twenty-five  were  cap- 
tured by  Minoco,  Katie  B.  and  Golow,  while  in  fifteen 
instances  Governor  Sheehan,  Storm  King  and  Captain 
Kidd  flashed  first  by  the  stand  at  the  head  of  their  fields. 

In  late  years  Mr.  Sigler  has  had  in  training  several  of 
these  old  campaigners  with  whom  he  has'  won  success, 
particularly  Storm  King,  Governor  Sheehan  and  Captain 
Kidd,  and  has  also  had  Storm  Queen  and  other  good 
ones.  For  a  time  he  trained  for  the  stable  of  Mr.  C.  H. 
Gorman,  and  has  had  many  two-year  olds,  in  the  hand- 
ling of  whom  he  has  shown  a  great  deal  of  skill  and 
good  judgment.  His  entire  career  has  been  another 
illustration  of  the  amount  of  talent  and  subtile  qualifica- 
tions that  have  been  called  into  existence  and  developed 
by  the  demands  of  the  turf  during  the  present  quarter  of 
a  century.  The  situation  has  created  a  class  of  capable 
men,  who  in  their  line  of  pursuit  are  unequaled  any- 
where in  the  world,  and  of  these  Mr.  Sigler  is  a 
notable  example. 


For  nearly  twenty-five  years  Mr.  Matthew  Feakes,  one 
of  the  best  known  trainers  of  the  present  day,  has  been 
connected  with  the  turf  in  England  and  in  the  United 
States.  He  is  one  of  the  best,  as  he  has  been  one  of 
the  foremost,  representatives  of  the  little  company  of 
English  horsemen  who  have  found  the  best  field  for  the 
exercise  of  their  talents  in  this  country.  His  services  in 
the  United  States  have  extended  over  a  period  only  a 
little  short  of  twenty  years,  which  has  covered  one  of 
the  most  brilliant  eras  of  the  American  turf. 

Mr.  Feakes  is  a  native  of  Cambridge,  England,  where 
he  was  born  in  i860,  and  his  early  career  is,  in  substance, 
simply  a  repetition  of  that  of  other  men  who  have  at- 
tained eminence  in  the  profession  to  which  he  has  de- 
voted himself.  Entered  as  a  stable  boy  in  one  of  the 
famous  English  establishments,  he  served  a  long  appren- 
ticeship there,  and,  passing  through  various  ranks  of 
employment,  became  well  known  as  an  able  trainer 
before  1880.  It  was  in  1881  that  he  left  his  nati-ve  land 
and  came  to  the  United  States.  Upon  his  arrival  in  this 
country,  his  reputation  being  well  known  in  turf  circles, 
he  readily  obtained  employment,  his  first  position  being 
that  of  foreman  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard.  He 
retained  this  connection  for  some  five  years,  and  there 
added  to  his  education  as  an  English  trainer  a  practical 
knowledge  of  thoroughbred  training  in  this  country  and 
of  American  racing  methods  that  went  far  toward  laying 
the  foundations  of  the  great  success  of  his  later  years. 

Ultimately,  however.  Governor  Bowie,  of  Maryland, 
one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  lovers  of  the  "sport  of 
kings"  in  that  period,  and  owner  of  many  fine  speci- 
mens of  the  thoroughbred  race  horse,  persuaded  Mr. 
Feakes  to  join  his  staff.  In  the  Bowie  Stable  he  handled 
Belle  d'Or,  Vosburg  and  several  other  first-class  runners, 
and  met  with  generally  excellent  success,  his  horses 
being  brought  to  the  post  in  good  condition  and  being 
frequent  winners.  The  connection  of  Mr.  Feakes  with 
the  Bowie  Stable  ceased  only  with  the  death  of  Governor 
Bowie  and  the  sale  of  his  horses. 

For  a  short  time  Mr.  Feakes  was  employed  with  the 
Messrs.  Burridge  Brothers,  where  he  handled  St.  Felix, 
Coxswain,  Tom  Watson  and  others.  Since  1899,  he  has 
been  the  trainer  of  Messrs.  B.  F.  &  William  P.  Clyde, 
owners  of  the  Goughacres  Stable.  There  he  has  had 
charge  of  such  noted  horses  as  Peacemaker,  Lustre,  Carib 
and  others.  More  recently  the  string  trained  by  him  has 
included  the  five-year  old  Liffy  by  Ballinafad;  the  four- 
year  old  Cacique  by  Iroquois;  the  three-year  olds  Momen- 
tum by  Sir  Modred;  Irwin  by  Executor;  Clonsilla  by 
Enthusiast;  Kilt  by  Kantaka,  and  Tyrian  by  Tyrant;  the 
two-year  olds.  Evident  by  Executor;  Golden  Buckle  by 
Golden  Garter,  and  Over  All  by  Top  Gallant;  four 
two-year  old  Executor  fillies,  Evident,  Europa,  Etona 
and  Elfin,  and  one  Executor  colt,  Eager. 


352 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Out  of  Tennessee  have  come  many  of  the  most  famous 
jockeys,  trainers  and  other  turfmen.  Scarcely  second  to 
Kentucky  has  that  State  been  in  the  prominence  which 
its  thoroughbred  breeding  and  racing  interests  have  as- 
sumed. Every  man  and  boy  in  Tennessee  must  sooner 
or  later  have  some  connection,  even  if  remote,  with  turf 
affairs,  and  a  racing  interest  seems  to  be  really  the  natural 
inheritance  of  every  Tennessee  born  individual. 

Born  amid  the  favorable  surroundings  which  that  rac- 
ing State  presents,  Mr.  Howard  Williams  has  had  a 
career  in  every  way  worthy  of  his  nativity.  He  is  a 
native  of  Gallatin,  the  centre  of  some  of  the  greatest 
breeding  interests  of  the  South.  His  birth  occurred 
April  2q,  i8bo.  While  most  boys  think  that  they  are 
doing  remarkably  well  if  they  become  attached  to  a 
stable  by  the  time  they  have  entered  their  teens,  Mr. 
Williams  exceeded  them  in  his  youthful  enterprise.  He 
was  only  nine  years  old  when  he  became  an  apprentice 
in  the  stable  of  A.  C.  Franklin.  For  a  space  of  five 
years  he  remained  in  the  employ  of  that  gentleman,  and 
in  that  time  applied  himself  so  closely  that  when  he  was 
called  upon  to  join  the  stable  of  Mr.  George  H.  Rice  as 
jockey  few  boys  could  surpass  him  in  knowledge  of  his 
work.  For  seven  years  he  rode  for  Mr.  Rice  and  became 
very  successful.  Such  horses  as  Wanderer,  Volcano, 
Grey  Steel,  Creedmore,  Fairplay,  Whisper,  Add,  Arizona, 
Nevada  and  many  others  were  guided  to  victory  by  him, 
and  he  won  scores  of  the  great  stakes,  such  as  the  Ala- 
bama Stakes  and  the  Flash  Stakes  of  1872,  the  Nashville, 
the  Baltimore,  the  Westchester  and  the  Monmouth  Cups 
in  1874.  Wanderer  won  five  races  out  of  eight  starts, 
four  of  which  were  cups;  Arizona  fifteen  out  of  nineteen 
starts  in  one  season  and  Nevada  seven  races  out  of 
nine  starts.  Numerous  other  stakes  Mr.  Williams  placed 
to  his  credit  during  his  extended  and  successful  career. 
Particularly  conspicuous  among  them  were  the  Savan- 
nah, Ga.,  Cup  in  1874,  the  Barrie  Pot,  in  Canada,  the 
same  year,  the  Louisville  St.  Leger  in  1876,  the  Dixie 
Stakes  and  the  Louisville  Hotel  Handicap  in  1877,  and 
the  Cumberland  Stakes  in  1876. 

After  seven  years  of  riding  he  graduated  from  the 
saddle  and  took  a  position  as  assistant  trainer  In  the 
stable  of  Mr.  Edward  Corrigan.  Three  years  with  Mr. 
Corrigan,  three  years  with  Mr.  W.  E.  Applegate  and  a 
short  term  of  service  with  Messrs.  Madden  &  Strauss, 
were  followed  by  an  engagement  to  be  the  trainer  of 
Mr.  W.  M.  Wallace,  when  that  gentleman  was  first 
organizing  his  stable.  His  success  with  Mr.  Wallace's 
horses  has  stamped  him  as  one  of  the  clever  trainers  of 
the  present  generation.  During  his  career  he  has  handled 
many  excellent  horses,  among  them  Pleasantry,  Fannie 
S.,  Potentate,  Harry  Reed,  Ella  Reed,  Applause,  McKee, 
Rossetta,  Jessie  Taral,  Lollie  Easton,  The  Commoner, 
The  Winner,  Orinda  and  many  others. 

353 


As  the  character,  reliability  and  importance  of  a  stable 
may  at  all  times  be  judged  by  the  class  of  men  who 
comprise  its  staff  of  trainers,  riders  and  other  employees, 
so  may  the  standing,  stability  and  honesty  of  a  trainer 
be  measured  to  a  considerable  extent  by  the  fame  of  the 
stable  that  avails  itself  of  his  professional  services.  From 
this  point  of  view  the  connection  of  Mr.  Frank  Kelly 
with  the  stable  of  Mr.  H.  Eugene  Leigh  at  once  locates 
him  in  a  high  place  in  the  profession. 

Mr.  Kelly  is  a  native  of  Woodstock,  Canada,  and  was 
born  in  1863.  Like  most  of  the  men  who  have  been 
connected  with  the  turf  as  active  workers,  he  may  be 
said  to  have  given  his  entire  life  to  the  calling.  The 
society  of  horses  has  been  his  chief  delight  from  the  time 
that  he  was  first  able  to  understand  them.  In  1877, 
when  he  was  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  had  already 
had  experience  as  an  exercise  boy,  having  been  attached 
to  the  stable  of  Mr.  Charles  Boyle,  of  Woodstock.  For 
four  years  he  maintained  his  connection  with  that  estab- 
lishment and  came  out  of  his  apprenticeship  thoroughly 
well  equipped  for  the  work  that  was  before  him.  In 
1881,  he  transferred  his  services  to  Mr.  Erastus  Burgess, 
of  Woodstock.  No  longer  was  he  confined  to  the  tasks 
of  an  exercise  boy,  for  he  was  soon  promoted  to  do 
some  riding  and  faithfully  executed  the  trust  that  was 
placed  upon  him. 

With  the  thorough  experience  that  he  had  now  gained 
he  felt  impressed  with  the  idea  that  opportunities  were 
open  before  him  in  a  broader  field  than  that  in  which  he 
had  up  to  this  time  labored.  Accordingly  in  1883,  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  and,  with  four  horses  that  he 
had  purchased,  Glendower,  Betty  Scott,  George  Gibbs 
and  Traction,  rode  on  all  the  principal  courses  of  the 
South.  One  season,  however,  was  all  that  he  then  gave 
to  personal  ownership,  and,  selling  his  stable  in  1884,  he 
accepted  an  engagement  as  trainer  with  Mr.  F.  E.  Sage, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  four  years.  His  association 
with  the  stable  and  the  La  Belle  Stud  Farm  of  Mr.  Leigh, 
which  began  in  1888,  and  has  been  uninterrupted  down 
to  the  present  time,  has  been  of  the  most  interesting  and 
important  character.  The  great  campaigners  that  have 
so  frequently  carried  Mr.  Leigh's  colors  to  the  front  have 
owed  no  small  part  of  their  winning  power  to  the  care- 
ful and  capable  attention  that  Mr.  Kelly  has  given  to 
them  in  order  to  bring  them  to  the  post  in  fit  condition. 
His  charges  have,  as  is  well  known,  been  identified  with 
many  notable  events,  and  by  their  work  have  reflected 
credit  upon  their  trainer  quite  as  well  as  upon  their 
owner.  Mr.  Kelly  is  an  excellent  judge  of  the  capacities 
or  possibilities  of  the  horses  that  are  placed  in  his  charge, 
and  has  shown  exceptional  skill  in  the  application  of 
good  methods  to  their  treatment.  Although  he  has  con- 
sistently and  closely  applied  himself  to  training,  he  has 
in  later  years  owned  several  prominent  horses. 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


From  the  time  he  was  eleven  years  of  age,  Mr.  Luke 
Pryor,  owner  and  trainer,  has  been  identified  with  the 
turf  world.  He  was  born  in  1861,  near  Corepton,  Eng- 
land, and  at  the  age  of  eleven  years  began  his  duties  as 
exercise  boy  under  the  instruction  of  his  father,  Mr.  John 
Benjamin  Pryor.  The  elder  Pryor  was  born  in  Virginia 
in  1812,  and  died  December  26,  1890.  He  was  one  of 
the  best  known  horsemen  of  his  day,  and,  in  1872,  was 
engaged  as  trainer  for  Mr.  August  Belmont,  and  it  was 
at  this  period  that  his  son  first  entered  upon  his  duties. 

His  services  continued  there  two  yeais,  when  both  the 
elder  and  younger  Pryor  transferred  their  allegiance  to 
the  stable  of  Mr.  Francis  Morris.  This  engagement 
lasted  until  1881,  and  during  that  time  nothing  was  left 
undone  that  might  lend  itself  to  the  perfection  of  the 
young  man's  education  in  a  turf  sense.  He  became 
proficient  in  every  detail  of  his  profession,  and  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  long,  profitable  and  pleasant  term 
at  the  Morris  Stable,  he  was  advanced  to  the  position  of 
assistant  trainer  under  his  father. 

During  this  tenure  of  seven  years  Mr.  Pryor  made 
a  number  of  trips  to  Europe  with  his  father,  traveling 
extensively  in  England  and  France.  All  of  this  served 
to  sharpen  his  understanding  and  widen  his  knowledge 
of  the  necessary  phases  of  his  calling,  and  his  tuition 
Under  his  father  proved  most  fortunate. 

After  closing  his  engagement  with  Mr.  Morris,  he 
joined  his  brother,  Mr.  William  Pryor,  in  a  partnership, 
and  they  became  the  owners  of  Saxony.  This  horse 
they  trained  and  entered  a  number  of  times.  They  fi- 
nally sold  the  horse,  and  soon  afterward  Mr.  Luke  Pryor 
opened  a  public  stable,  which  he  continued  until  1895. 
Disposing  of  this  enterpirse,  he  contracted  as  trainer  with 
Mr.  Johnson,  of  the  Columbia  Stable.  It  may  be  noted 
that  the  horses  trained  by  Mr.  Pryor  during  his  long 
career  included  some  eminent  ones,  particularly  Beck, 
Benedict,  Prairie,  Saxony,  Voltaire,  Daisy  Woodruff  and 
Navigation.  The  horses.  Saxony  and  Atlantic,  were 
among  the  number  that  he  owned.  His  colors,  the 
bright  red-spotted  jacket  and  blue  cap,  have  stood  for 
victory  in  many  an  event,  the  purses  that  he  has  won 
having  mcluded  a  handicap  in  1884,  at  Monmouth  Park; 
two  other  purses  on  this  course,  and  one  with  Saxony 
at  Brighton  Beach  in  1886;  a  big  stake  at  Morris  Park  in 
1895,  and  the  two-year  old  stake  with  Bon  Ami. 

Mr.  Pryor  has  now  retired  from  active  participation  in 
turt  affairs.  His  comfortable  home  in  Holmdel,  N.  J,, 
is  one  of  the  facts  in  evidence  to  prove  the  success  that 
he  won  during  his  career  as  a  turfman.  Certainly  no 
one  had  greater  opportunity  than  he  in  an  educational 
way,  and  the  use  that  he  made  of  it  was  shown  in  the 
results  of  his  work.  His  entire  career  has  been  an  illus- 
tration of  the  value  of  thorough  training  in  youth,  and 
has  earned  for  him  the  respect  of  his  fellow  turfmen. 


Once  a  turfman,  always  a  turfman,  seems  to  be  quite 
as  fixed  a  rule  in  racing  as  it  is  in  most  other  employ- 
ments to  which  men  devote  themselves.  When  a  man 
has  once  been  inspired  by  love  of  the  thoroughbred  and 
by  an  enthusiastic  interest  in  racing,  the  passion  is  likely 
to  last  him  for  his  lifetime.  He  may  make  an  endeavor 
to  break  away  from  it  from  time  to  time,  or  business  or 
other  demands  upon  him  may  make  it  imperative  for 
him  to  drop  from  the  ranks.  Sooner  or  later,  however, 
he  is  certain  to  return  and  take  up  again  the  pursuit  from 
which  he  had  separated  hirnself,  and  he  becomes  as  enthu- 
siastic and  energetic  in  following  the  races  as  ever  before. 

Instances  illustrative  of  this  proposition  will  readily 
occur  to  every  reader.  Attention  need  only  be  called  to 
great  turfmen  who,  like  Messrs.  Belmont,  Lorillard, 
Keene  and  others,  come  in  this  category,  having  now 
and  then  retired  from  the  field  only  to  return,  more 
active  than  before.  It  would  be  possible  to  multiply 
these  instances  many  times  over,  and  the  subject  would 
be  an  interesting  one  to  pursue  would  space  permit.  The 
fact  is,  that  the  thoroughgoing  turfman  rarely,  if  ever, 
voluntarily  retires  from  the  pleasures  of  racing,  for  the 
element  of  sport  in  this  pursuit  gives  it  a  fascination  such 
as  does  not  attach  to  any  other  business.  Only  one 
among  many  of  those  who  have  here  been  classified  in 
this  manner  is  Mr.  James  Fleming,  who  for  many  years 
was  prominent,  especially  upon  some  of  the  smaller  race 
tracks,  and  who  retired  from  the  field  for  some  length 
of  time,  but  again  returned  to  achieve  further  honors  in 
the  occupation  that  has  such  an  attraction  for  him. 

Born  in  Pennsylvania  in  i8=i9,  Mr.  Fleming  became 
identified  with  the  turf  by  forming,  in  the  first  instance, 
in  the  early  nineties,  a  stable  in  which  were  three  good 
horses.  Captain  Spencer,  Con  Lucy  and  Drizzle.  Addi- 
tions were  subsequently  made  to  his  string,  and,  being 
an  experienced  horseman,  with  some  original  ideas 
about  training,  he  handled  his  charges  successfully. 
The  horses  were  first  entered  at  the  Gloucester  track  and 
afterward  at  Washington  in  the  years  1892  and  1893. 
They  won  many  good  races,  and  from  a  financial  point 
of  view  made  two  good  seasons  for  their  owner. 

At  the  end  of  the  season  of  iSg^,  Mr.  Fleming  sold  his 
stable  and  retired.  Within  three  years,  however,  he 
was  back  again  in  the  field,  having  purchased  four  year- 
lings, who  were  expensive,  fashionably  bred  and  very 
promising  youngsters.  These  were  Laura  May,  a  hand- 
some bay  filly  by  Rossington  out  of  Helena  by  Longfel- 
low; Maid  of  Richfield  out  of  Bagatelle;  Warrington,  a 
good-looking  two-year  old  by  Fairview  out  of  Gertrude, 
and  a  Reporter  colt  out  of  Mary  M.  Mr.  Fleming  during 
both  periods  of  his  connection  with  the  turf  has  been  an 
example  of  the  hard-working,  unpretentious  horsemen 
who  have  devoted  themselves  to  racing  as  a  matter  of 
business,  and  have  found  both  profit  and  pleasure  therein. 


354 


THE     AMERICAN     'JURE 


111  suinc  parliculiiis  llu'  liish  luil  has  rivalcil  ihal  of  its  The  little  section  of  Long  Island  that  lies  just  outside 

English  neighbui'  and  pnigeiiilor.     Natuiallv.   racing  in  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn  and  is  popularly  known  under 

Ireland  has  never  attained  to  the  prominence  that  it  has  the   names  of    Gravesend,  Brighton,    Coney  Island  and 

in  England,  for  one  reason,  if  for  none  other,  and  that  is  Sheepshead  Bay,  has  within  the  present  generation  grown 

the  disproportion  in  wealth  between  those  two  important  to  be  a  great  racing  community.     In  fact,  a  very  consid- 


sections  of  Great  Britain.  Nevertheless,  the  Irish  people 
have  always  been  quite  as  enthusiastically  devoted  as 
their  English  brothers  to  "the  sport  of  kings."  They 
have  maintained  a  great  deal  of  good  racing,  have  paid 
considerable  attention  to  breeding,  and  not  a  few  of 
them  are  well  represented  year  after  year  upon  all  the 
great  English  courses.  In  the  matter  of  jockeys  and 
trainers  they  have  succeeded  in  creating  what  may  be 
almost  fairly  considered  a  national  racing  school. 

It  is  an  interesting  and  a  suggestive  fact  that  many  of 
the  greatest  jockeys  and  trainers  known  to  the  English 
and  American  turf  for  generations  past  have  either  been 
natives  of  Ireland  or  of  Irish  descent.  They  have  taken 
naturally  to  the  thoroughbred,  and  with  the  cleverness 
that  is  characteristic  of  their  race,  have  developed  into 
turfmen  of  the  first  class  in  whichsoever  branch  of  rac- 
ing affairs  they  have  been  engaged.  Prominent  in  this 
class  by  reason  of  his  thorough  training,  his  dash  and  his 
general  ability,  has  been  Mr.  John  Kenny,  who  was  born 
at  Kildare,  Ireland,  in  1864.  According  to  the  custom 
that  largely  prevails  among  the  people  of  his  native  place, 
he  was,  when  he  expressed  a  desire  to  prepare  himself 
for  a  racing  career,  apprenticed  to  Mr.  Pat  Dorsey.  His 
master,  who  was  an  old  trainer,  was  considered  in  his 
time  to  be  one  of  the  best  anywhere  in  Ireland.  With 
Mr.  Dorsey,  Kenny  remained  for  five  years,  serving  faith- 
fully and  advancing  in  attainments  until  he  finally  became 
noted  as  a  daring  and  successful  rider,  both  on  the  flat 
and  over  hurdles. 

In  1880,  Kenny  came  to  the  United  States  to  ride 
for  Mr.  August  Belmont  in  flat  races,  but  remained  here 
only  one  year.  Returning  to  Ireland,  he  rode  for  Lord 
Rushmore,  and,  in  1885,  came  back  to  the  United  States. 
His  first  mount  in  America  after  his  return  was  on  Andy 
Woodward,  a  100  to  i  chance,  who  won  his  race,  beat- 
ing Revenge  and  other  prominent  horses.  During  the 
succeeding  two  or  three  years  Kenny  rode  for  several 
owners,  keeping  an  independent  position,  but  finally 
engaged  permanently  with  Mr.  J.  P.  Dawes,  the  Cana- 
dian owner,  who  had  a  fine  string  of  jumpers.  One  of 
Kenny's  most  noteworthy  races  occurred  early  in  his 
American  experiences.  The  occasion  was  at  a  meeting 
in  Boston  when  his  mount,  Puritan,  beat  Frank  Shaw,  a 
noted  crack,  by  a  head,  over  a  long  course. 

In  1896,  Mr.  Kenny  became  trainer  for  the  Honorable 
William  C.  Whitney  at  that  gentleman's  Long  Island 
farm.  He,  however,  finally  decided  to  race  on  his  account, 
and  purchased  a  number  of  carefully  chosen  horses, among 
them  Maretti  by  Macaroon,  and  several  two-vear  olds. 


erable  proportion  of  the  social  and  business  interests  of 
the  locality,  outside  of  that  which  is  solely  identified 
with  the  summer  resort  features  of  the  place,  has  for  a 
long  time  been  exclusively  concerned  with  racing  atTairs. 
The  necessary  industries  that  pertain  to  racing  enterprises 
have  naturally  been  attracted  thither  in  large  numbers  by 
the  presence  of  the  great  race  courses,  and  the  population 
is  engaged  generally  in  catering  to  the  needs  of  those 
who  support  the  race  courses  either  as  active  turfmen  or 
as  interested  patrons  of  the  race  meetings.  Undoubtedly 
a  similar  condition  of  affairs  exists  nowhere  else  in  the 
country,  and  one  may  feel  perfectly  sure  of  speaking 
within  bounds  when  the  statement  is  made  that  its  like 
is  not  to  be  seen  anywhere  in  the  world,  except  perhaps 
at  the  famous  English  Newmarket.  The  situation  is  an 
interesting  one,  and  is  worth  more  than  the  momentary 
consideration  that  can  be  given  to  it  here. 

The  influence  of  the  surroundings  that  attach  to  the 
neighborhood  of  these  Long  Island  tracks  is  really  a  mat- 
ter of  considerable  importance  in  racing  matters.  That 
it  has  developed  many  useful  turfmen  has  already  been 
pointed  out  in  many  instances  that  have  been  recorded 
in  this  volume,  and  it  has  thus  contributed  in  no  small 
measure  to  the  general  activity  in  turf  affairs,  even  out- 
side of  that  particular  region.  A  boy  born  in  Gravesend, 
as  was  George  P.  Kelly,  who  first  saw  the  light  of 
day  in  1869,  is  almost  inevitably  destined  to  a  turf  career 
unless  some  unforeseen  circumstances  arise  to  turn  him 
from  the  straight  and  narrow  way  that  opens  before 
every  one  of  his  kind  and  leads  directly  to  the  race 
course.  Mr.  Kelly's  father  is  the  proprietor  of  a  hotel 
near  the  race  track.  His  house  has  long  had  a  high 
reputation  among  horsemen,  and  has  been  for  years  the 
headquarters  of  many  turfmen  and  other  patrons  of  the 
race  courses.  The  elder  Mr.  Kelly  has  had  an  extensive 
acquaintance  among  frequenters  of  the  races,  and  his 
establishment  is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  Gravesend, 
around  which  cluster  some  of  the  interesting  mem- 
ories   connected    with  the    American    turf. 

Mr.  George  F.  Kelly,  after  receiving  a  good  public 
school  education,  learned  to  ride,  and  for  several  years 
had  mounts  on  the  horses  that  his  father  owned  and  ran 
from  time  to  time.  In  1896,  in  the  Kelly  Stable  were 
three  horses;  one  by  imported  Laureate  and  one  by 
Kingston,  were  promising  animals.  Mr.  Kelly  began 
training  in  1897,  and,  in  addition  to  his  own  horses,  has 
been  engaged  in  training  for  others.  The  Kelly  stable 
adjoins  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club  track,  whereon  the 
elder  Mr.  Kelly's  hotel  stands. 


.355 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Born  at  Richmond,  Va.,  in  i8so,  the  entire  life  of  Mr. 
Albert  Cooper  has  been  devoted  to  riding  and  training 
race-horses.     From    an    apprenticeship   served    in    the 
stable  of  Mr.  Calvin  Green,  and  afterward  with  Colonel 
McDaniel,  covering  a  period  of  some  eighteen  years  in 
all,  Mr.  Cooper  came  to  be  foreman  in  the  stable  of  Mr. 
Wyndham    Walden,    where   he   remained    nearly    four 
years,  up  to  the  time  that  he  engaged  with  Mr.  Joseph 
Donohue  as  trainer.     After  a  year's  service  with   that 
gentleman,  he  resigned  to  accept  a  similar  position  with 
John     O'Donnell,    but 
subsequently     entered 
the   employ   ot   Secre- 
tary J.  E.   Brewster,  of 
the    Washington  Park        , 
course  at  Chicago.    He       \ 
left  the  service  of  Mr. 
Brewster     after    some 
two  and  a  half  years. 
He  began  to  train  the 
horses     belonging     to 
Mr.  E.  J.  Baldwin,  bet- 
ter known  as  ' '  Lucky  " 
Baldwin,      and      with 
whom     he     remained 
eleven  years. 

During  his  engage- 
ment with  Mr.  Bald- 
win, Mr.  Cooper  had 
the  satisfaction  of  see- 
ing many  oi  his 
charges  returned  win- 
ners of  numerous  valu- 
able racing  events,  and 
his  record  availed  to 
secure  for  him  a  posi- 
tion with  Mr.  Theo- 
dore Winters,  with 
whom  he  remained 
nearly  two  years,  and 
until  he  began  training 
for  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin. 
The  same  marked  abil- 
ity that  had  always 
distinguished  him  was 
further  demonstrated 
by  his  handling  of  Mr.  Haggin's  horses,  and  his  services 
were  sought  by  and  secured  by  the  Messrs.  Hough 
Brothers,  with  whom  he  remained  some  two  years, 
when  Senator  George  Hearst  employed  him.  When 
Mr.  Hearst  died,  Mr.  Cooper  bought  several  horses,  and 
continued  racing  them  until  the  Messrs.  Keene  made 
him  an  offer  to  train  their  horses,  which  he  accepted,  at 
the  same  time  disposing  of  his  own  stable.     Thence- 


ALBERT  COOPER 


forth  he  gave  his  attention  to  the  horses  placed  in  his 
charge  by  the  Keenes,  and  after  two  successful  years  in 
the  employ  of  those  gentlemen,  he  opened  a  public 
training  stable,  and  has  since  handled  the  horses  of  Mr. 
W.  A.  Chanler  and  a  number  of  other  owners,  besides 
several  of  his  own. 

Mr.  Cooper  has  ridden  many  noted  performers,  among 
whom  were  Julina,  Oakland,  Blackbird  and  Lady  Bless- 
land,  and  has  trained  such  stars  as  Tournament,  Mollie 
McCarthy,  Clara  D.,   C.   H.  Todd,   Miss  Ford,  Volante, 

Lucky  B.,  Gano,  Fal- 
len Leaf,  Aurelian, 
Stephen  J.,  Set  Fast, 
Caldron,  Rosedale  and 
Hyderabad.  The  last- 
named  horse  he  sold  as 
a  two-year  old  to  the 
Messrs.  Keene  for  $30,- 
000,  having  bought  him 
as  a  yearling  at  the 
Rancho  del  Paso  sale 
for  the  moderate  sum 
of  $375-  The  St.  Louis 
and  the  Chicago  Der- 
bys,  the  Belmont  and 
the  Great  Trial  Stakes, 
and  many  others,  have 
from  time  to  time  been 
won  by  horses  which 
have  been  prepared 
under  the  skilful  care 
and  attention  of  this 
student  of  the  thor- 
oughbred, and  Mr.  Coo- 
per is  to-day  ranked 
among  trainers  of  the 
first  class. 

At  the  present  time 
Mr.  Cooper  is  manag- 
ing a  public  stable, 
where  he  trains  his  own 
horses  and  those  be- 
longing to  several  other 
owners.  He  has  the 
three-year  old  bay  colt 
Murillo  by  Morello  out 
of  Snowdrop,  the  property  of  Mr.  J.  G.  Follansbee,  and 
the  two-year  old  black  colt,  Mr.  Speaker  by  Victory  out 
of  Alabama.  He  has  also  in  his  stable  four  good  ones  of 
his  own.  They  are  the  seven-year  old  bay  horse  Aure- 
lian by  Sir  Modred  out  of  Aurelia;  the  three-year  old 
chestnut  colt  Ison  by  Isonomy  out  of  Camilla;  the  three- 
year  old  chestnut  colt  Sculptor  by  Torso  out  of  Loleta, 
and  the  three-year  old  bay  tllly  Flame  IL 


356 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Mr.  ThoniMs  Ciiecno  was  born  at  (.harleston,  S.  C, 
March  5,  iSsg,  and  when  yet  a  youngster  entered  the 
stable  of  Mr.  Anthony  Hall  as  an  exercise  boy.  But  he 
was  ambitious,  and,  desiring  to  acquire  learning  that 
would  better  fit  him  for  his  battle  with  the  world,  gave 
up  his  position  and  became  a  student  in  the  public 
schools  of  Charleston,  where  he  remained  five  years. 
At  the  end  of  this  period  he  engaged  with  Mr. 
Henry  Horres,  working  with  him  on  and  off  some 
ten  years,  when  he 
entered  the  stable  of 
Mr.  A.J.  Cassatt.  His 
close  application  to 
his  work  soon  fitted 
him  to  assume  a  posi- 
tion as  assistant  train- 
er with  Mr.  W.  P. 
Burch.  In  the  em- 
ploy of  that  gentle- 
man he  remained  un- 
til some  five  years 
later,  when,  at  his 
own  instance,  he  left 
to  join  Mr.  Green  B. 
Morris. 

Afterward  with  Mr. 
W.  C.  Daly,  Mr. 
Greene  served  three 
years,  one  year  each 
at  separate  times, 
and  with  R.  Bradley 
he  served  one  year. 
During  his  engage- 
ment with  the  above- 
named  horsemen  he 
saved  sufficient  to 
enable  him  to  buy 
several  horses  of  his 
own,  which  he  en- 
tered in  many  ot 
the  Eastern  stakes. 
His  success  as  an 
owner  was  not  ex- 
ceedingly profitable, 
and  he  thereupon  en- 
gaged with  the  .Messrs.  Keene  as  toreman,  to  handle  their 
horses  and  to  superintend  the  stable  in  general.  During  his 
career  Mr.  Greene  has  trained  many  horses  whose  names 
are  familiar  to  racegoers,  among  which  may  be  mentioned : 
Civil  Service,  Blitzen,  Count,  Fidelio,  Terrifier,  Bolero, 
Horoscope,  Rhodesia,  Royal  Rose,  Juno,  and  many 
others.  Among  some  of  the  victories  achieved  by  his 
charges  have  been  the  Oriental  Handicap  with  Fidelio, 
at  Sheepshead  Bay  in  1892,  and   the  same  year  many  of 


the  big  stakes  at  the  Sheepshead  Bay  and  the  Brooklyn 
race  courses,  with  Prince  George  and  Count,  as  well  as 
the  Gaiety  Stakes  at  Morris  Park  in  1896,  with  Royal 
Rose.  Mr.  Greene's  experience  has  been  an  extended 
one,  and  it  has  undoubtedly  fitted  him  to  fulfil  his  pres- 
ent position  with  entire  satisfaction  to  those  who  em- 
ploy   him. 

Mr.  Greene  is  now  engaged   with   a   division  of  Mr. 
James  R.  Keene's  stable.    There  he  has  charge  of  several 

of  Mr.  Keene's  most 
distinguished  per- 
formers, besides  a 
good  lot  of  promising 
two-year  olds.  The 
principal  veterans  that 
he  is  looking  after 
are  the  five-year  old 
brown  horse,  Ben 
Brush,  the  great  Su- 
burban winner,  by 
Bramble  out  of  Rose- 
ville;  the  four-year 
old  bay  mare,  Rhode- 
sia, by  Wisdom  out 
ofFaustine;  the  four- 
year  old  bay  mare, 
Royal  Rose,  by  Royal 
Hampton  out  of  Belle 
Rose,  and  the  four- 
year  old  chestnut 
horse.  Horoscope,  by 
Amphion  out  of  Fair 
Vision.  He  also  has 
these  three-year  olds: 
the  bay  colt,  Fugle- 
man, by  Falsetto  out 
of  Queenston ;  the  bay 
filly, Qiieen  of  Beauty, 
by  Tournament  out  of 
Miss  Milly;  the  bay 
colt,  Tickler,  by  Him- 
yar  out  of  Lizzie;  the 
bay  colt.  Loiterer,  by 
Marden  out  of  Lu- 
cille; the  brown  colt. 
Slasher,  by  Simon  Magus  out  of  Vanduara,  and  the 
black  colt,  Game  Boy,  by  Falsetto  out  of  Lucy  Wallace. 
His  two-year  olds  are:  Choral  by  Chorister  out  of 
Royal  Gem ;  Sweet  Caporal  by  Hyderabad  out  of 
Frugal;  Sheik  by  Hyderabad  out  of  Musical  Gem;  St. 
Lorenzo  by  St.  Leonards  out  of  Dart  Maiden ;  Veracious 
by  St.  Leonards;  Warhead  by  Tournament;  Interferer 
by  Meddler;  Red  Clover  by  Kallicrates,  and  Don 
Porfh'io  by  St.   Leonards. 


THOMAS  GREENE. 


357 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Mr.   Henry  Harris   was   born   in   New   Orleans,   La., 
March  7,  1861,  and  inas  devoted  some  twenty  years  of 


^ 


HENRY  HARRIS 


his  life  to  his  profession.  His  first  engagement  was  in 
the  stable  of  Mr.  James  Davis  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and 
after  six  years  of  thorough  work  there  he  divided  his 
time  successively  between  such  well-known  horsemen 
as  Mr.  William  Bird,  Mr.  George  H.  Rice,  of  Nashville, 
and  Mr.  Burnham,  of  Cesadaga,  N.  Y.  After  nine 
months'  service  as  trainer  on  the  staff  of  Mr.  J.  J.  Hyland 
he  resigned,  and  accepted  the  position  as  foreman  with 
Mr.  Frank  Midgley,  who  at  that  time  was  the  trainer  for 
Commodore  J.  E.  Kittson,  of  Chestnut  Hill,  Pa.  There 
he  remained  for  a  period  of  almost  four  years. 

By  this  time  his  work  had  attracted  the  attention  of 
many  turfmen  and  he  was  engaged  by  Mr.  Walton, 
better  known  as  "Plunger  Walton."  Afterward  he 
took-  charge  of  Frank  Seaman's  Strideaway  and  other 
horses,  and  during  the  ensuing  three  years  won  many 
races  with  them.  Then  he  became  connected  with  the 
stable  of  William  M.  Barrick,  who  owned  at  that  time 
Dr.  Hasbrouck.  For  several  years  Mr.  Harris  has  been 
training  the  stable  of  Mr.  J.  E.  McDonald.  There  he  has 
had  charge  of  Albanian,  Flax  Spinner,  Central  Trust, 
Mayor  Grant,  Bettie  Gray,  Belle  of  Troy,  Storm  Cloud, 
A.  N.  B.,  Pickwickian  and  Red  Snapper.  He  also  has 
several  horses  of  his  own  which  have  shown  good  form 
and  are  likely  to  prove  profitable  to  their  popular  owner. 


Born  in  1864,  in  Austin,  Tex.,  Mr.  Robert  M.  Murray 
received  his  first  lessons  in  horsemanship  in  the  stable  of 
Mr.  Daniel  Alexander,  with  whom  he  remained  three 
years;  during  part  of  this  time  he  rode  that  gentleman's 
horses  in  their  races.  Leaving  Mr.  Alexander  he  en- 
gaged with  General  Phillips,  with  whom  he  served  twelve 
years,  and  upon  severing  that  connection  entered  the 
public  schools  to  increase  his  store  of  knowledge.  After 
a  few  years  of  diligent  study  he  engaged  with  Mr.  T.  K. 
Hawkins  as  an  assistant  trainer  under  Mr.  Van  Haggin 
and  remained  there  some  two  years.  Subsequently  he 
engaged  with  Mr.  C.  H.  Pettingill,  and  later  with  Mr, 
George  L.  Lorillard.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Lorillard,  he 
remained  with  the  widow  of  his  late  employer,  and  was 
put  in  charge  of  the  Lorillard  breeding  establishment  at 
Eatontown,  N.  J.,  where  he  had  full  control,  at  the  same 
time  acting  as  general  manager  and  training  the  horses. 

Leaving  Mrs.  Lorillard  in  the  spring  of  i8q6,  he  bought 
a  few  horses  in  connection  with  Mr.  S.  E.  Conover,  of 
Red  Bank,  N,  J.  These  runners  were  entered  under  the 
name  of  R.  M,  Murray  &  Co.  The  list  included  Tinge, 
Dye,  Ed  Taylor,  Kicksywiny  Ebb  Tide,  Onijaand  Peggy 
Sensation.  As  a  two-year  old,  Tinge  won  many  races 
and  as  a  three-year  old  won  ten  times  out  of  seventeen 
starts.  In  the  spring  of  1896,  out  of  eleven  starts  he  won 
nine  races,  Dye,  out  of  three  starts,  won  one  race  at 
Brooklyn,  a  decidedly  easy  victory.  As  a  jockey  Mur- 
ray rode  several  well-known  stars.  Loantaka,  Stride- 
away,  Sea  Drift,  Saunterer,  Flitaway,  Prince  George  and 


ROBERT  M.   MURRAY 


many  other  noted  thoroughbreds  received  their  prepara- 
tion under  his  skilful  care. 


35S 


THE     AMI'.RICAN     TURF 


Born  in  (Ihcvcniu',  Wyo..  in   iSy^.  Mr.  John  A.  Claik 
began  with  race  horses  under  (^,aptain  Moore,  the  trainer 


JOHN    A.    CLARK 


of  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin's  stable.  He  was  then  only  twelve 
years  of  age,  and  remained  with  that  stable,  exercising 
and  riding,  until  1892.  During  this  part  of  his  career  he 
rode  some  of  the  most  important  races  in  which  the  rep- 
resentatives of  Mr.  Haggin's  stable  participated.  His 
mounts  included  such  good  performers  as  Premium, 
Glendora,  Doubt,  Eldorado  and  One  Time.  His  riding 
was  altogether  in  the  West  and  upon  the  Pacific  Coast. 
On  Eldorado  he  won  the  Montana  Cup  in  1886. 

When  Clark  left  the  employment  of  Mr.  Haggin  it  was 
to  give  up  riding  and  .to  accept  an  engagement  as  as- 
sistant trainer  with  the  Messrs.  Burridge  Brothers.  He 
remained  with  this  firm  from  1892  until  1894,  when  he 
joined  the  staff  of  Mr.  H.  Eugene  Leigh,  taking  charge 
of  Airtight,  G.  W.  Johnson  and  California,  with  whom 
he  had  faip  success.  Giving  up  the  employment  of 
trainer  temporarily,  he  engaged  with  Mr.  J.  J.  McCafferty 
as  jockey,  and  rode  a  few  races  for  him,  but  soon  after 
abandoned  riding  for  good  and  opened  a  public  training 
stable,  having  in  his  charge  the  horses  of  Mr.  Edward 
Mahoney  and  Mr.  J.  P.  Nichols,  among  them  being 
Major  Nick,  May  Morning,  Brown  Prince  and  others. 
Branching  out  for  himself  in  1897,  he  bought  Brown 
Prince,  Lightwing,  and  others,  and  has  since  been  en- 
gaged in  training  them.  His  racing  colors  are  old  gold 
and  pink  jacket  and  cap.  He  still  remains  a  good  rider, 
and  receives  many  offers  to  accept  engagements,  but 
prefers  to  train  and  run  his  own  horses. 


The  history  of  the  turf  presents  the  names  of  so  many 
capable  horsemen  who  have  begun  their  careers  at  a 
time  of  life  when  most  boys  have  little  thought  for  else 
than  play  that  a  repetition  of  this  particular  fact  becomes 
in  time  almost  superfluous.  Now  and  then,  however, 
we  come  across  an  instance  of  extreme  youthfulness  in 
early  turf  experiences  that  is  specially  remarkable.  Such 
an  example  is  Mr.  John  Rogers,  who  was  born  in  Texas 
in  1862.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  horseman  of  to-day  can 
rival  him  in  precocity,  for  at  the  age  of  six  years  he 
made  his  acquaintance  with  horses. 

His  first  experience  was  in  exercising  for  Mr.  Van 
Haggin,  who  maintained  a  good  stable  at  Austin,  Tex. 
In  a  short  time  he  grew  in  skill,  so  that  he  was  trusted 
to  ride,  and  in  that  capacity  was  connected  with  the  Van 
Haggin  Stable  for  ten  years.  During  that  period  his 
mounts  included  General  Phillips,  Judge  Hancock, 
Thomas  McKinney  and  others.  When  the  time  came 
that  he  was  too  heavy  to  ride  he  engaged  as  foreman  in 
the  stable  of  Mr.  John  Herkins,  and  was  afterward  sim- 
ilarly occupied  with  Mr.  Green  B.  Morris.  His  first 
training  experience  was  for  Mr.  Louis  Martin,  whose 
stable  he  handled  for  eight  years,  the  horses  in  his 
charge  including  Orange  Blossom,  Topsy  and  Seadrift. 

After  leaving  Mr.  Martin  he  trained  for  Judge  Newton, 
who  owned  Monmouth  and  others,  and  then  for  a  time 
had  a  small  stable  of  his  own.     Later,  he  trained  for  Mr. 
Thomas  Berry,  who  had  Morning  Glory  and  other  win 
ners,  and  also  for  Mr.  William  French.     More  recently 


JOHN    ROGERS 


he  has  trained  for  Mr.  Edward  Lewis,  and  also    has   in 
training  several  horses  of  his  own. 


359 


THE     AMERICAN"     TURF 


From  1874  until  1879,  Mr.  George  W.  Jennings  was 
connected  with  the  stable  of  Mr.  W.  Wyche,  first  as 
exercise  boy  and  afterward  as  jockey.  He  was  born  in 
Sumter,  S.  C,  in  i860,  and  consequently  was  fourteen 
years  old  when  he  entered  upon  his  racing  career.  His 
riding  for  Mr.  Wyche  was  during  the  last  two  years  of 
his  connection  with  that  owner's  stable.  Among  the 
prominent  horses  with  which  he  was  identified  at  that 
time  were  Mary  Long,  Hatteras  and  others.  His  second 
engagement  was  with  Mr.  L.  A.  Hitchcock,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  four  years,  riding  some  of  the  best 
horses  in  that  gentleman's  stable,  which  included  Gal- 
way,  Busy  Bee,  Limestone  and  others. 

Bringing  his  career  as  a  jockey  to  an  end  on  account 
of  increasing  weight,  Mr.  Jennings  accepted  an  engage- 
ment as  assistant  trainer  for  Mr.  Henry  Winters,  with 
whom  he  remained  for  three  years,  following  that  by  a 
two-years'  engagement  with  Mr.  William  C.  Daly. 
With  the  Daly  string  he  had  success  in  handling  such 
horses  as  Swift,  Jim  McGowan,  Belle  of  the  North  and 
Kitty  Clark.  With  those  of  the  stable  that  he  trained  he 
won  about  eighty  races.  Leaving  the  employ  of  Mr. 
Daly,  he  opened  a  stable  of  his  own,  and  in  recent  years 
has  been  training  and  running  for  himself.  Among  the 
horses  that  have  carried  his  colors  have  been  Captain 
Flaherty,  Tony  Foster  and  Alcinora,  with  whom  he  won 
in  two  years  about  fifty  races.  He  also  ran  Plutocrat, 
Belle  of  Corsica  and  Belle  of  France  through  the  West. 


A  native  of  Tennessee,  Mr.  Arthur  Carter  was  born  in 
1876.     He  has  had  something  more  than  ten  years  of 


GEORGE   W.  JENNINGS 


Mr.  Jennings  is  still  active  in  racing, 
orange,  blue  sleeves,  red  sash  and  cap. 


His  colors  are 


jmiiir'iii*'ri  ' 


ARTHUR    CARTER 

active  racing  experience,  first  as  a  jockey  and  in  later 
times  as  a  trainer.  His  first  employment  was  with  that 
distinguished  turfman,  Mr.  Charles  Reed.  He  learned 
so  rapidly  that  he  was  permitted  to  ride  in  less  than  four 
months  after  he  had  become  attached  to  Mr.  Reed's 
Stable.  In  his  first  race  he  finished  third  in  a  good  field, 
which  was  the  best  evidence  of  his  natural  cleverness  as 
a  jockey.  During  the  year  that  he  remained  with  Mr. 
Reed  he  rode  many  other  races  and  was  fairly  successful. 
From  the  Reed  Stable,  after  a  year's  experience,  he  was 
engaged  as  a  jockey  by  Mr.  Michael  Gorman,  for  whom 
he  rode  such  horses  as  Fellowship,  Sally  O.  and  others. 
In  1 89 1,  Mr.  Carter  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  J.  W. 
Smythe,  being  one  of  the  best  jockeys  attached  to  that 
owner's  stable.  He  rode  many  races,  several  hundred 
all  told,  and  a  considerable  number  of  them  successfully. 
On  Fenalon  alone  he  won  fourteen  times.  When  he  be- 
came too  heavy  to  ride  he  still  remained  with  Mr.  Smythe 
as  trainer,  and  has  had  charge  of  several  horses  whose 
names  are  well  known  to  the  public.  Among  them  have 
been  Woodchopper,  Fleurette  and  Fred  Lee.  His  long 
engagement  with  Mr.  Smythe  amply  testifies  to  his  skill 
as  a  trainer  and  to  the  high  esteem  in  which  his  services 
are  generally  regarded.  He  is  successful  in  handling  all 
kinds  of  horses,  and  is  capable  and  conscientious. 


360 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Of   Kentucky   birth  and    early   experience,    Mr.    Isaac 
Johnston  developed  into  a  clever  jockey,  and  has  since 


ISAAC   JOHNSTON 


become  a  trainer  of  established  reputation.  He  was 
born  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  May,  1866,  and  when  a  boy 
of  twelve  years  went  to  work  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  David 
Allen,  exercising  horses.  His  persistency  and  his  relia- 
bility is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  remained  with  Mr- 
Allen  for  seven  years.  During  the  last  three  years  of  his 
connection  with  the  establishment  he  acted  as  jockey, 
riding  most  of  the  prominent  races  in  which  Mr.  Allen 
entered  his  horses  upon  the  Southern  courses  and  win- 
ning his  fair  proportion  of  them.  From  the  Allen  Stable 
he  went  to  that  of  Messrs.  Strain  &  Co.,  where  Mr. 
James  Downey  was  trainer. 

His  year  with  Messrs.  Strain  &  Co.  ended  his  riding, 
and  he  became  engaged  as  assistant  trainer  in  the  stable 
of  S.  W.  Street,  holding  that  position  for  four  years. 
Then  joining  the  stable  staff  of  Mr.  R.  McBride,  he 
trained  some  of  the  best  horses  of  that  owner,  among 
them  being  Major  Daly  and  Major  Pickett.  His  success 
was  of  a  notable  character,  the  horses  that  came  under 
his  hands  winning  some  sixty  races.  After  three  years' 
connection  with  the  McBride  Stable,  he  accepted  a  sim- 
ilar position  with  Mr.  Andrew  Thompson,  and  in  189s 
he  had  the  horses  of  Mr.  R.  V.  Boyle.  His  success  with 
these  horses  was  eminently  satisfactory,  and  especially 
with  Septuor  was  his  training  productive  of  good  results, 
for  with  that  horse  he  won  some  eighteen  races.  In 
the  fall  of  1897,  Mr.  Johnston  took  the  horses  of  Mr. 
John  Barrett,  among  them  being  Babette  and  Altoona. 


Mr.  Douglas  Carter  is  a  Virginian,  having  been  born  in 
Richmond,  December  s,  1872.  When  eight  years  of  age 
he  began  his  connection  with  the  turf  by  being  appren- 
ticed to  Major  T.  W.  Doswell.  After  remaining  with 
him  for  five  years,  Carter  went  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  to 
exercise  horses  for  Mr.  James  Williams,  under  whom  he 
served  for  two  years.  From  there  he  went  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin  to  break  yearlings  and  ride 
valuable  stud  horses.  Shortly  the  son  of  his  first  em- 
ployer, Mr.  T.  B.  Doswell,  sent  for  him  to  take  the  place 
of  foreman  at  the  Hanover  Junction  establishment,  and 
he  accordingly  returned  East.  In  1890,  Mr.  R.  Bradley 
engaged  him  as  foreman,  and  he  spent  two  years  with 
this  stable.  His  ambition  had  been  to  become  a  trainer, 
and  as  Mr.  Bradley  was  his  own  trainer  the  opportunity 
to  learn  was  not  neglected. 

He  next  entered  the  stable  of  Mr.  William  C.  Daly, 
taking  a  subordinate  place,  but  after  a  year  was  promoted 
to  be  foreman,  and  in  a  year  more  reached  the  point  to 
which  he  had  been  striving,  by  being  appointed  trainer. 
Mr.  Carter  has  now  held  his  position  for  several  years, 
and  under  the  influence  of  Mr.  Daly,  who  has  brought  so 
many  trainers  and  jockeys  into  prominence,  has  been 
rapidly  pushing  his  way  to  high  rank  in  his  profession. 
Mr.  Daly's  horses  are,  to  use  a  technical  phrase,  "  always 
in  the  money,"  and  this,  in  the  opinion  of  many  observ- 
ers, is  largely  due  to  the  untiring  labor  that  his  trainers 
put  into  their  preparation.  In  all  that  work  Mr.  Carter 
has  borne  an  active  part,  and  has  fully  demonstrated  his 


DOUGLAS   CARTER 


fitness  as  well  as  his  conscientious  application  to  the 
interests  of  the  stable. 


361 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Born  in  Baltimore  in  1862,  Mr.  Wilson  S.  Taylor  made 
his  acquaintance  with  horses  when,  at  the  age  of  eleven, 


Born  at  Austin,  Tex.,  October  11,  1864,  Mr.  Peter 
Bratton  obtained  his  first  racing  experience  with  Mr. 
Green  B.  Morris  in  1876.  Previous  to  that  time  he  had 
been  engaged  for  several  years  in  rounding  up  cattle  for 
his  father.  After  six  or  seven  months  with  Mr.  Morris, 
he  started  riding  in  the  summer  of  1877,  having  several 
winning  races  in  his  first  season.  He  remained  with 
Mr.  Morris  until  1884,  when  he  became  attached  to  the 
stable  of  John  W.  Loud,  having  Lady  Loud,  Lida  Stan- 
hope, Richard  L.  and  others.  For  a  year  after  1886, 
he  rode  for  Mr.  James  McCormick,  and  then  engaged  as 
trainer  for  Mr.  John  T.  Terry  and  others.  In  1889,  he 
was  engaged  to  train  the  New  York  Stable,  and  a  year 
later  trained  a  public  stable. 

In  i8c)i,  he  became  an  owner,  his  horses  including 
Seadrift,  Bratton  and  others;  but  he  maintained  this 
stable  only  a  year,  when  he  returned  to  training,  first  in 
a  public  stable  and  afterward  for  Mr.  J.  O'Leary,  who 
had  Rancocas,  Sweetbread,  Greenwich,  Merriment,  Turk 
and  others.  After  Mr.  O'Leary  sold  out,  Mr.  Bratton 
took  several  of  his  horses  and  won  with  them,  and  in 
1896,  had  a  public  stable.     He  now  has  in  training  Athy, 


WILSON    S.    TAYLOR 

he  went  to  the  stable  of  Mr.  Hugh  Gaffney  as  exercising 
boy.  In  that  establishment  he  remained  for  five  years, 
when  the  passion  for  riding  took  possession  of  him  and 
he  ran  away  to  bushwhack  around  the  county  fairs. 
Within  two  years  he  returned  to  the  larger  tracks,  enter- 
ing the  employ  of  Mr.  James  Walden  as  foreman  of  that 
horseman's  public  stable.  With  Mr.  Walden  he  re- 
mained three  years,  leaving  him  to  take  charge  of  several 
colts  for  Mr.  Huggins,  who,  at  that  time,  was  training 
for  Mr.  August  Belmont. 

The  connection  of  Mr.  Taylor  with  Mr.  Huggins  con- 
tinued until  1884,  when  he  entered  the  stable  of  Mr. 
George  L.  Lorillard  as  assistant  trainer.  His  next  en- 
gagement was  with  the  horses  of  the  Auburndale  Stable. 
There  he  handled  such  horses  as  Harvard,  Jay  F.  Dee 
and.Huntoon.  In  1889,  Mr.  Taylor  became  attached  to 
the  stable  of  Mr.  D.  A.  Honig,  having  charge  of  such 
horses  as  Censor  and  Can't  Tell.  After  two  years  with 
Mr.  Honig  he  took  charge  of  the  stable  of  a  New  York 
gentleman,  whose  establishment  was  managed  by  Mr. 
Matthew  Sharpe.  Here  he  had  the  handling  of  a  string 
of  good  ones.  For  some  time  after  this  he  had  a  public 
stable,  but  more  recently  has  been  in  charge  of  the 
horses  of  Mr.  William  Boyle.  His  long  and  varied  expe- 
rience, and  especially  his  connection  with  so  many  dif- 
ferent stables,  has  given  to  him  an  exceptional  facility. 


PETER    BRATTON 


Basil,  Charlie  Ross,  The  Camera  by  Bishop,  Lady  Bratton 
by  Spokane,  and  Lucius  by  Tristan. 


362 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Since 
man  or 


boyhood  M 
connected  w 


r.  Richaid  C 
ith  the  turf. 


(illins  lias 
He  w;is  1 


been  a 
lorn  at 


liorsc- 
Bards- 


RICHARD    COLLINS, 


town,  Ky.,  March  \8,  1866,  and  began  his  racing  career 
in  1879,  when  he  was  thirteen  years  old,  by  exercising  for 
a  local  owner  who  had  Bill  Nelson  and  other  thorough- 
breds. In  1883,  he  engaged  with  Mr.  Hardy  Durham,  of 
Louisville,  remaining  with  him  for  two  years,  riding 
Levant  and  other  animals.  Gaining  too  rapidly  in  weight 
and  size  to  remain  longer  in  the  saddle,  he  gave  up  rid- 
ing in  1 88s,  and  entered  the  stable  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Rogers. 
This  establishment  included  Blue  Wing,  who  was  second 
in  the  famous  Dry  Monopole-Blue  Wing-Hidalgo  Brook- 
lyn Handicap;  Stuyvesant  and  other  prominent  horses. 
After  five  years  he  became,  in  i8qi,  foreman  for  Mr.  J. 
J.  Carroll,  in  whose  string  were  Blue  Jeans  and  Vivid. 
In  1894,  he  went  to  the  stable  of  Mr.  W.  M.  Barrick, 
and  in  the  autumn  of  189^,  became  its  foreman,  in  this 
capacity  he  has  had  charge  of  Dr.  Hasbrouck,  Emin  Bey, 
Tom  Rogers,  Figaro,  and  others,  and  in  i8q6  trained 
with  success  Maurice,  a  horse  with  a  surpassing  record. 
Out  of  tlfty-five  starts  he  was  unplaced  but  twice,  his 
victories  including  the  Toronto  Cup  and  several  other 
stake  events.  The  same  stable  has  also  included  other 
horses  of  merit  and  reputation. 


In  a  lifetime  spent  among  horses,  Mr.  Samuel  T. 
Booker  has  acquired  by  experience  the  knowledge  neces- 
sary to  make  him  proficient  in  the  art  of  training  thor- 
oughbreds. Since  he  attained  the  age  of  nine  his  life  has 
been  spent  among  horses.  Mr.  Booker  was  born  Janu- 
ary 2S,  186s,  in  Alabama,  and  first  found  employment 
in  the  stable  of  Captain  William  Cottrill  at  Mobile,  Ala., 
with  whom  he  remained  six  years,  during  which  time 
he  exercised  the  horses  belonging  to  that  gentleman  and 
acted  as  second  trainer.  He  next  rode  for  Mr.  Edward 
Beardsley,  of  Mobile,  and  then  was  second  trainer 
for  Mr.  C.  H.  Pettingiil,  a  position  that  he  filled  until  Mr. 
Pettingill's  engagement  as  starter  caused  his  retirement 
from  racing.  Mr.  J.  A.  Bennett,  of  Parkville,  L.  I.,  then 
engaged  Booker  to  train  for  him,  and  with  that  stable 
he  has  since  been  identified. 

Among  the  horses  which  he  has  had  charge  of  are  such 
well-known  ones  as  Temple,  Restraint,  Economist, 
Doggett  and  Roundsman,  and  a  number  of  others. 
Doggett  and  Roundsman  were  the  pick  of  the  string, 
and  showed  themselves  to  be  horses  of  fine  calibre,  hav- 
ing to  their  credit  such  classic  events  as  the  Capitol  and 
the  Bayside  Stakes,  as  well  as  the  victory  of  Roundsman 
in  winning  the  Washington  Handicap  in  1896.  Mr. 
Booker's  lot  as  a  trainer  has  often  been  a  trying  one.  In 
some  instances  almost  a  complete  resurrection  has  been 
necessary  in  order  to  bring  his  horses  to  the  post  in  fit 


SAMUEL   T.    BOOKER 

condition.     All  the  more  from  these  circumstances  his 
success  has  been  a  full  demonstration  of  his  ability. 


363 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Mr.  John  White  was  bom  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  in 
186s.  At  the  early  age  of  eleven  years  he  began  his  turf 
career  with  Major  B.  G.  Bacon,  of  Georgia,  as  an  exer- 
cise boy,  and  with  that  establishment  he  remained  some 
three  years.  Mr.  John  Harper  was  his  next  employer, 
and  he  remained  with  him  until  the  year  1887,  when  he 
began  to  buy  horses  on  his  own  account.  His  new  pur- 
chases were  numerously  entered  throughout  the  United 
States.  Dame  Fortune  smiled  on  him  from  the  begin- 
ning, and  he  continued  to  buy  until  his  stable  sheltered 
some  valuable  thoroughbreds,  all  bread  winners. .  Lute 
String,  Viniagrette,  Cora  Tanner,  War  Like,  Bank  Cashier 
and  Motorman  all  contributed  to  the  success  of  his  stable, 
War  Like  in  particular  winning  for  him  several  thousand 
dollars  in  a  race  in  which  he  defeated  Restraint,  Beansey, 
Governor  Fifer  and  some  other  good  ones.  Torchlight 
was  another,  whose  race  at  Jerome  Park  was  sensational. 
Starting  in  a  field  of  fourteen  horses,  he  defeated  his 
opponents  inhandy  fashion,  with  odds  of  so  to  i  against 
him,  and  thereby  won  a  large  sum  for  his  owner.  Mr. 
White  has  not  always  been  so  fortunate,  but,  on  the 
whole,  his  turf  careei  has  been  satisfactory  than  other- 
wise. The  reverses  that  he  has  met  have  been  such  as 
befall  all  turfmen  from  time  to  time,  and  his  successes 
have  more  than  compensated  for  them.  Mr.  White 
now  has  in  training   his  own  horse,  the  three-year  old 


Having  been  employed  in  the  stable  of  Messrs.  Whit- 
taker  &  Berwick  for  a  single  year,  Mr.  Matthew  Farley, 


JOHN   WHITE 


black  gelding.    Black    Dude   by   Falsetto, 
colors  are  old  gold,  blue  sleeves,  black  cap. 


His 


racmg 


MATTHEW    EARLEY 

in  1882,  joined  the  staff  of  Mr.  Byron  McClelland.  He 
was  then  fifteen  years  of  age,  having  been  born  in 
Augusta,  Ga.,  May  27,  1867.  With  Mr.  McClelland  he 
remained  five  years,  part  of  that  time  riding  some  of  the 
best  horses  in  the  stable.  More  rapidly  than  many  boys 
he  took  on  flesh,  so  that  before  he  had  been  fully  instated 
as  a  jockey  he  was  too  heavy  to  think  of  being  a  rider. 
Leaving  the  establishment  of  Mr.  McClelland  he  became 
attached  to  that  of  Mr.  J.  McDonald,  where  he  was  as- 
sistant trainer  to  Mr.  Edward  Wall.  In  a  short  time, 
however,  he  found  it  to  his  advantage  to  take  charge  of 
the  horses  of  Mr.  W.  R.  Jones,  the  string  including  Bel- 
wood,  Satisfied,  Babette  and  others. 

With  these  runners  Mr.  Farley  had  a  satisfactory  expe- 
rience in  i889-'90-'9i,  so  much  so  that  the  stable  was 
enlarged  by  the  addition  of  Postmaster  and  Charade. 
The  last  named  was  a  grand  race  horse,  winning  several 
turf  prizes,  among  them  the  Carleton,  the  Daisy,  the 
Congress  Hall  and  the  Tidal  Stakes,  the  Grand  Union, 
the  White  Plains,  the  Brookdale  and  the  Metropolitan 
Handicaps,  and  the  Double  Event.  After  the  death  of  Mr. 
Jones,  in  1807,  Mr.  Farley  continued  training  the  horses 
that  his  former  employer  left.  He  also  has  two  horses 
of  his  own.  Parade  and  Tea-leaf. 


364 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Among  the  practical  men  in  tiie  racing  world  wiio 
have  won  their  way  from  a  place  in  the  stable  to  the 
rank  of  owners  there  is  probably  none  who  is  better 
spoken  of  by  all  classes  of  turfmen  or  whose  career  has 
been  based  on  a  more  thorough  knowledge  of  thorough- 
bred horseflesh  than  Mr.  William  N.  Cloyd.  Born  at 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  November  b.  1868,  he  has  virtually 
passed  his  entire  life  among  horses.  His  school  experi- 
ences were  limited  to  a  few  years,  for  when  a  mere  boy 
of  ten  the  ruling  passion  of  his  life  asserted  itself  and  he 
ran  away  from  home  and  began  his  racing  apprenticeship 
with  Mr.  Geoge  H.  Rice,  for  whom  he  exercised  Glidelia 
and  others.  He  then  became  connected  with  the  estab- 
lishment of  Mr.  Albert  Cooper,  who  had  Queen  of 
Trumps,  Faustina  and  some  other  speedy  animals,  and 
after  remaining  there  for  two  years  came  East  and  trained 
Express,  Merry  Duke  and  a  number  of  two-year  olds  for 
Mr.  W.  P.  Ward,  with  whom  he  remained  for  some 
years.     His  next  engagement  was  with  Mr.  F.  Hadlick. 

In  1884,  Mr.  Cloyd  returned  to  Mr.  Albert  Cooper  and 
went  with  him  to  California  as  second  in  charge  of  Mr. 
Haggin's  stable,  to  which  Cooper  had  become  trainer. 
He  had  a  successful  engagement,  and  returned  East  with 
some  money,  which  he  invested  in  a  horse  named 
Ornus,  which,  when  purchased,  was  a  decided  cripple. 
Under  his  care  the  animal  regained  form  and  speed, 
and  started  in  twelve  races  with  Mr.  Cloyd's  colors, 
being  in  the  money  eight  times.     From  that   time  on 


Among  the  younger  trainers  who  have  played  a  prom- 
inent part  of   late  years  and  whose   energy  has   been 


JOHN    RAMSEY 


WILLIAM    N.    CLOYD 


Mr.  Cloyd  has  been  an  owner,  having  had  some  good 
horses  in  his  string,  and  has  handled  many   winners. 


crowned  by  success,  is  Mr.  John  Ramsey,  who  was  born 
at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  in  1871.  Nine  years  after  Mr.  Ram- 
sey first  saw  the  light  he  entered  the  stable  of  Mr.  George 
H.  Rice,  of  Tennessee,  to  learn  the  art  of  riding.  Like 
all  beginners,  he  was  first  assigned  to  the  work  of  exer- 
cising the  horses  in  the  stable  previous  to  their  races. 
He  soon  acquired  a  good  seat,  and  showed  such  inborn 
aptitude  that  he  was  permitted  to  ride  quite  often  during 
his  stay  with  Mr.  Rice,  which  lasted  four  years.  Mr. 
Hardy  Durham  was  his  next  employer,  and  after  prelim- 
inary work  in  that  stable  for  a  year  he  was  assistant 
foreman  for  five  years,  and  then  resigned  to  join  the 
stafT  of  the  Burridge  Brothers  as  assistant  trainer. 

After  two  years  had  elapsed,  so  well  had  his  work 
suited  his  employers,  that  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
entire  stable.  Burridge  Brothers,  however,  in  their  late 
years  on  the  turf  were  very  unfortunate,  and  the  material 
which  Ramsey  was  obliged  to  work  on,  while  of 
royal  blood,  met  with  many  accidents  which  impaired 
their  racing  qualities.  Still,  during  his  experience  as  a 
trainer  he  has  helped  to  prepare  many  stars.  He  has 
displayed  great  discretion,  and  has  good  qualities  that 
fit    him    for    his    profession. 


365 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Another  representative  of  that  army  of  capable  turf- 
men who  have  come  out  of  Kentucky  is  Mr.  Luther  Carr. 


LUTHER    CARR 

When  it  is  recorded  that  he  was  born  in  Lexington,  in 
the  Blue  Grass  State,  nothing  further  need  be  said  to 
indicate  the  character  of  his  early  associations  and  to 
show  how,  almost  from  necessity,  he  drifted  into  the 
turf  world.  It  was  in  1884  that  his  racing  experience 
began  with  Mr.  Dudley  Allen,  with  whom  he  remained 
seven  years.  During  that  period  he  was  engaged  in 
various  capacities  and  had  experience  in  all  kinds'  of 
stable  work  by  which  he  gained  the  proficiency  that  has 
since  always  characterized  his  work.  In  the  end  he  be- 
came assistant  trainer  in  the  Allen  Stable.  When  this 
engagement  was  at  an  end  he  was  employed  for  a  short 
time  by  Mr.  Patrick  Gilrov.  and  later  on  became  asso- 
ciated with  Mr.  James  E.  Pepper  in  the  handling  of  the 
horses  of  that  well-known  owner.  In  Mr.  Pepper's 
stable  at  that  time  were  several  good  ones,  particularly 
the  noted  runner.  The  Pepper. 

After  a  two  years'  experience  with  Mr.  Lee  Christy, 
the  well-known  Western  turfman,  Mr.  Carr  had  charge 
of  Rudolph  for  Mr.  B.  J.  Johnson,  and  then  was  engaged 
with  Mr.  Charles  Smith,  who  was  best  known  as  the 
owner  of  Buckwa  and  several  others  of  distinction. 
More  recently  Carr  has  been  assistant  trainer  for  Mr. 
Charles  H.  Hughes,  who  had  charge  of  the  stable  of 
Bromley  &  Co.  In  that  connection  Carr  was  espe- 
cially assigned  to  the  handling  of  that  admirable  cam- 
paigner,  First   Mate. 


A  native  of  the  West  Indies.  Mr.  Alexander  Hecior  has 
become  so  thoroughly  assimilated  with  the  racing  life  of 
the  United  States  that  he  has  already  become  numbered 
among  the  accomplished  trainers  of  the  American  turf, 
whose  future  holds  out  abundant  promise  of  extended 
usefulness.  Trinidad,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
fertile  of  Great  Britain's  possessions  in  the  West  Indian 
Archipeligo,  was  his  birthplace.  There  he  saw  the  light, 
April  21,  1877.  Brought  up  in  his  native  island  home, 
that  is  not  far  away  from  the  South  American  coast  and 
that  has  a  decidedly  tropical  climate,  it  was  a  consider- 
able change  for  him,  when,  even  before  he  had  attained 
the  age  of  eleven,  he  came  to  the  United  States.  The 
contrast  between  his  native  land  and  the  country  in 
which  the  lines  of  his  life  were  in  the  future  to  be  laid 
was  particularly  emphasized  by  the  fact  that  his  first 
initiation  into  the  mysteries  of  racing,  which  occurred 
soon  after  he  arrived  in  the  United  States,  coincided  with 
the  great  storm  of  1888,  which  the  people  of  our  Atlan- 
tic seaboard  will  always  remember  as  "the  great  bliz- 
zard. 

Commencing  his  racing  life  at  this  early  age.  Hec- 
tor, like  all  boys  of  his  class,  began  by  exercising 
horses,  succeeding  in  the  course  of  time  to  riding,  and 
finally,  after  a  few  years,  becoming  a  trainer  of  acknowl- 
edged skill  and  promise.  Although  his  riding  in  the  first 
instance  was  on  the  fiat,  soon  after  the  beginning  of  his 
career  he  developed  marked  qualifications  not  only  for 
this,  but  for  other  branches  of  jockeyship.  The  skill, 
nerve  and  judgment  that  he  early  displayed  was  mani- 
fested in  the  difficult  and  often  dangerous  work  of 
piloting  jumpers,  and  he  rode  many  winning  races  over 
the  hurdles,  as  well  as  on  the  fiat.  Among  the  owners 
whom  Hector  has  been  associated  with  since  he  be- 
came connected  with  the  turf  have  been  Mr.  J.  B.  Col- 
lins. Mr.  J.  De  Long,  Mr.  J.  E.  McDonald,  Mr.  William 
M.  Barrick,  Mr.  Walter  C.  Rollins,  Mr.  John  J.  McCaf- 
ferty  and  Mr.  L.  Hunt.  At  present  he  is  employed  by 
Mr.  Benjamin  Weil. 

Mr.  Hector,  in  the  course  of  his  professional  life,  has 
had  experiences  with  a  large  variety  of  animals  that  are 
entitled  to  rank  in  the  list  of  noted  performers  and  best 
horses  of  the  day.  Among  them  have  been  such  cracks 
as  Applegate,  Wishard,  Helen  Nichols,  Sirocco.  Sir 
Walter.  Dr.  Hasbrouck,  Addie,  Lawless.  Midgley, 
Farmer,  Madrid,  Portchester,  l^ingsbridge  and  Eric.  He 
exercised  all  the  above,  and,  in  addition,  has  trained 
a  number  of  animals,  including  Napoleon  Bonaparte, 
Atlanta  and  Newtown  Belle. 

Well  liked  by  all  turfmen  with  whom  he  has  been 
brought  into  contact,  Mr.  Hector  has  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion for  steadiness  and  fidelity  to  the  interests  committed 
to  his  charge.  He  has  made  his  home  at  Gravesend, 
near  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club  track. 


366 


JOCKEYS 


JOCKEYS 


Those    In    Sii.ki'N   Jackets   Who    Ride    thi-:   Thoroughbreds   to   Victory — An    Exacting    Proeession    that    has 

Great  Dangers  With  Great  Rewards — Gilpatrick,   Laird,   Purdy,  Crane  and  Other 

Oi.d-Timers — The  Smart  Young  Men  of  this  Generation. 


f"*HE  professional  jockey  is  a  modern  creation.     In 

^      the   earlier   days   of   tine    English  turf   he   was 

almost  unknown,  and  public  opinion,  to  a  very 

.  ?  large  extent,  frowned  upon  him.  A  change  has 
come  over  the  situation,  however,  and  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century  or  more  the  chief  jockeys  in  England 
have  been  regarded  as  very  remarkable  individuals. 
They  have  been  petted  like  favorite  prima  donnas,  and 
have  been  admitted  to  the  intimate  association  of  the 
sporting  aristocracy,  though  that  often  may  be  regarded 
as  a  doubtful  compliment  and  an  uncertain  advantage. 
They  have  also  reaped  rewards  from  their  professional 
services  that  have  rivaled  even  statesmen  or  great  law- 
yers, it  is  said  that  as  long  ago  as  1846  the  chief  jockey 
of  England  received  more  for  his  skill  in  horsemanship 
than  did  Lord  Beaconsfield  for  conducting  the  Govern- 
ment of  Queen  Victoria.  The  chief  jockey  that  season 
rode  6^7  times  and  won  207  races,  the  most  successful 
record  in  turf  history  down  to  that  time.  Fred  Archer 
and  others  of  contemporaneous  times  have  surpassed 
that  record,  however. 

Extravagant  rewards  for  successful  work  done  upon 
the  race  course  have  always  been  bestowed  upon  the 
English  jockeys  by  their  patrons,  in  1824,  Benjamin 
Swift  received  nearly  five  thousand  dollars,  raised  by 
subscription,  for  his  admirable  riding  of  Jerry  in  the  St. 
Leger.  Ten  years  earlier  the  jockey  who  won  the  Derby 
with  Hermit  received  from  the  owner  $15,000.  One 
admirer  gave  him  what  in  racing  parlance  is  called  "a 
monkey,"  a  sum  of  money  amounting  to  $2,soo,  while 
a  third  individual  gave  him  $soo.  There  were  numerous 
gifts  of  less  value  sent  to  the  hero  of  the  race  on  this 
occasion,  and  he  is  said  to  have  netted  over  $20,000  by 
the  single  effort;  which  was  about  double  the  amount 
paid  to  Sir  Walter  Scott  for  writing  The  Lady  of  the 
Lake.  Other  riders  were  less  fortunate  in  receiving 
princely  gifts.  John  Day,  who  was  a  chief  jockey  in 
his  time,  won  in  the  same  week  two  classic  events. 
The  Duke  of  Grafton,  his  master,  congratulating  him 
upon  the  manner  in  which  he  had  ridden,  gave  him  the 
munificent  sum  of  $100.  This,  however,  was,  on  the 
whole,  a  rather  handsome  present  for  those  days,  when 
a  successful  jockey,  if  he  was  a  married  man,  received 
in  addition  to  his  usual  wages  a  side  of  bacon,  a  bag  of 
potatoes,  a  half  cheese,  or  a  barrel  of  home  brewed  ale. 


Riders  then  were  less  jockeys  than  they  were  grooms. 

Contemporaneous  attention  bestowed  upon  the  jockey 
by  the  sporting  element  of  England  has  been  of  an 
effusive  character,  and  his  rewards  have  been  on  a  scale 
beside  which  those  of  olden  times  pale  in  comparison. 
Presents  made  to  him  by  the  owners  of  the  horses  he 
rides  and  of  bettors  who  have  backed  him,  are  frequent 
and  valuable.  Gold  watches,  diamond  rings  and  scarf- 
pins  set  with  rubies,  riding  horses,  dog-carts  and  yachts, 
suits  of  clothes,  new  hats,  boxes  of  cigars  and  cases  of 
champagne  are  quite  common.  One  noted  jockey  not 
long  since  received  in  two  seasons  enough  cigars  to  have 
stocked  a  modest  shop,  and  the  same  lad  received  during 
his  career,  which,  though  short,  was  quite  brilliant, 
eleven  gold  watches,  seven  diamond  rings  and  other 
valuable  jewels.  Some  of  the  famous  English  jockeys 
of  a  generation  or  more  ago  were  Fordham,  Wells, 
Snowden,  Grimshaw,  Chailoner,  Flatman,  Aldcroft, 
Charlton,  Bray.  Day  and  Creswell,  and  before  their  day 
there  were  Chiffney,  Buckle,  Butler,  Marson,  Robinson, 
Scott  and  others  who  "  witched  the  world  with  noble 
horsemanship." 

George  Fordham  is  particularly  interesting  to  Ameri- 
cans as  having  been  the  first  English  jockey  to  ride  suc- 
cessfully American  horses  on  the  English  turf.  He  was 
engaged  by  Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck  during  several  years 
of  that  turfman"s  English  racing.  He  was  a  prince  of 
light-weight  riders  and  among  the  greatest  English  jock- 
eys that  ever  distinguished  themselves  on  the  turf.  In 
one  year — i8sc) — although  he  had  reached  the  time  when 
he  was  no  longer  able  to  ride  below  102  pounds,  he  won 
no  less  than  1 1 5  races  and  stood  at  the  top  of  the  list  of 
winning  jockeys.  He  started  in  his  extraordinary  career 
of  that  year  on  the  Cheese-cake  Course  and  thence  trav- 
eled all  over  England,  Ireland  and  Scotland,  attending  all 
the  great  meetings  of  the  year  and  carrying  off  a  large 
proportion  of  the  principal  prizes,  winning,  it  is  said,  for 
his  employers  nearly  $iso,ooo.  Of  particular  interest 
from  the  American  point  of  view  were  his  winning  of 
the  Warick  Cup  on  Mr.  Ten  Broeck's  Starke,  his  winning 
of  two  out  of  the  four  events  at  Stockton  on  Umpire,  and 
his  winning  of  the  Queen's  Plates  at  Epsom  and  New- 
castle, on  Prioress.  He  was  a  very  skilful  jockey,  and 
frequently  won  on  inferior  horses  as  a  result  of  his  splen- 
did horsemanship. 


369 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Even  more  than  in  England  the  jockey  has  not  cut 
much  of  a  figure  in  connection  with  American  racing 
until  within  a  comparatively  short  time.  It  is  only  dur 
ing  the  present  period  that  he  has  come  forward  to  any- 
thing like  a  conspicuous  position,  either  in  numbers,  in 
influence  or  in  public  consideration.  In  fact,  American 
jockeyism,  as  a  profession,  is  so  largely  of  modern  origin 
that  it  does  not  go  back  much  further  than  the  days  of 
Hayward,  McLaughlin,  Garrison  and  their  associates, 
which  means  the  present  generation.  In  the  earlier 
period  many  of  the  jockeys  were  Southern  negro  boys 
who  were  brought  up  in  the  stables  and  were  picked  out 
for  mounts,  more  because  of  their  familiarity  with  their 
master's  thoroughbreds  than  because  they  had  trained  to 
the  profession.  To  be  sure,  they  were  subjected  to  the 
regular  training  process  and  preparation  for  riding,  but 
their  appearances  for  the  most  part  were  confined  to 
the  horses  with  which  they  had  an  intimate  stable 
acquaintance. 

At  the  same  time,  we  must  not  forget  that  professional 
jockeys,  even  though  few  in  number,  were  known  to 
the  turf  in  the  first  part  of  the  present  century  and  their 
names  shine  with  peculiar  distinction.  There  were  the 
Purdys,  father  and  son;  the  Lairds,  father  and  son;  Gil- 
patrick,  Littlefield,  Crane  and  a  few  others,  whom  it  de- 
lighted the  elder  generation  of  turfmen  to  remember  and 
to  praise.  Among  these  earlier  jockeys  Gilpatrick  easily 
had  first  place.  The  name  by  which  he  was  profession- 
ally known  was  a  combination  of  his  right  name,  which 
was  Gilbert  Watson  Patrick.  From  Gil  Patrick  it  was 
an  easy  transition  to  Gilpatrick,  which  was  the  racing 
name  that  he  finally  went  by.  Born  in  Poughkeepsie, 
N.  Y.,  in  1817,  he  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  dying  in  1872. 
For  three  generations  he  v/as  intimately  associated  with 
the  American  turf,  and  his  recollections  extended  back  to 
its  most  palmy  days.  Of  the  great  racing  events  that 
made  the  early  days  of  the  turf  in  this  country  a  veritable 
Homeric  period,  he  could  truly  declare,  "  all  of  which  I 
saw  and  a  great  part  of  which  I  was."  He  began  riding 
at  an  early  age,  being  engaged  by  the  Messrs.  Stevens, 
Coster  and  others,  who  were  the  principal  supporters  of 
the  Northern  turf. 

Gilpatrick  rode  in  some  of  the  most  notable  races  that 
took  place  between  1835  and  1850,  and  his  fame  is  iden- 
tified with  many  of  the  champions  of  that  period.  In 
one  of  the  most  celebrated  races  of  the  thirties,  that 
which  was  contested  by  Bascombe  and  Post-boy,  the 
North  against  the  South,  he  rode  Post-boy,  the  loser. 
This  was  in  1836.  Six  years  later,  in  another  great 
match  between  the  North  and  South,  when  Fashion  and 
Boston  met  on  the  Union  Course,  Long  Island,  he  rode 
Boston,  the  Southern  horse,  and  fully  distinguished  him- 
self, although  he  failed  to  win.  Fashion  on  this  occasion 
was  ridden  by  Joseph  Laird,  who  rivaled  even  Gilpatrick 


in  skill.  At  the  same  meeting,  however,  three  days 
later  Gilpatrick  achieved  success  in  a  race  that  was 
second  only  to  that  between  Boston  and  Fashion,  the 
great  struggle  between  Boston  and  Mariner.  On  this 
occasion  he  rode  Boston  to  victory,  four-mile  heats,  win- 
ning the  second  and  third  heats  in  7  minutes,  46  seconds, 
and  7  minutes,  ^8}4  seconds.  Joe  Laird  rode  Mariner, 
and  succeeded  in  winning  the  first  heat  in  8  minutes,  13 
seconds.  The  subsequent  proceedings,  however,  were 
of  little  interest  to  him,  for  Gilpatrick  put  Boston  to  the 
front  so  handsomely  that  Laird  could  make  no  showing 
whatsoever.  Another  favorite  mount  of  Gilpatrick's 
was  Blue  Dick,  but  he  attained  to  his  highest  distinction 
when,  in  i8s5,  at  New  Orleans,  he  successfully  rode 
Lexington  in  the  great  match  against  time  for  four  miles, 
on  which  occasion  he  succeeded  in  breaking  the  record, 
and  gave  both  himself  and  his  mount  an  international 
reputation. 

When  Mr.  Richard  Ten  Broeck  went  to  England  to 
race  against  the  English  thoroughbreds  in  !8s7,  he  took 
Gilpatrick  along  with  him.  The  jockey  was  not  success- 
ful abroad,  however,  and  his  riding  of  Prioress  for  the 
Goodwood  Cup  was  the  occasion  of  a  great  deal  of  dis- 
cussion and  of  unfavorable  criticism.  There  were  some 
things  about  that  race  that  were  never  satisfactorily  ex- 
plained, and  Gilpatrick  returned  at  once  to  the  United 
States  without  having  any  further  opportunity  on  the 
English  turf.  Regarding  this  failure  with  Prioress,  he 
always  declared  that  he  rode  the  best  that  he  possibly 
could  under  the  circumstances,  declaring  that  no  horse 
on  earth  could  have  beaten  Monarque,  the  winner  on 
that  occasion.  As  he  put  it,  "Monarque  passed  me  as 
if  1  had  been  tied  to  a  post."  His  subsequent  career 
was  marred  to  a  considerable  extent  by  his  bad  habits, 
which  had  the  effect  of  making  him  untrustworthy. 
Nevertheless,  he  was  still  held  in  high  esteem  in  certain 
quarters,  and  was  able  to  secure  many  good  mounts, 
especially  in  the  racing  period  immediately  after  the  close 
of  the  war,  when  he  was  managing  to  hold  himself 
under  control.  He  rode  Kentucky  and  Ruthless  to  suc- 
cess in  the  Travers  and  Sequel  Stakes.  With  Kentucky 
his  name  stood  at  the  head  of  the  Saratoga  Cup  winners, 
while  with  Ruthless  it  stood  at  the  head  of  the  Belmont 
Stake  winners.  In  1870,  he  rode  Glenelg  for  the  West- 
chester Cup,  and  his  last  mount  was  on  Hippogriffe  at 
Brighton  Beach.  In  the  latter  years  of  his  life  he  came 
more  and  more  into  disfavor  and  had  comparatively  few 
mounts.  In  his  best  days  there  were  few  jockeys  who 
were  his  superior. 

Contemporary  with  Gilpatrick,  the  Lairds,  the  Purdys 
and  others  was  Gil  Crane,  who  outlived  all  of  his  asso- 
ciates, and  before  he  died  had  the  distinction  of  being 
probably  the  oldest  jockey  in  the  world.  His  experience 
went  back  to  the  days  of  American  Eclipse  and  Henry. 


370 


TLII-:     AMERICAN     TURF 


Early  in  life  he  was  attached  to  the  stable  of  Mr.  John  C. 
Stevens,  for  whom  he  rode  O'Kelly,  Mary  Randolph, 
Medoc  and  other  cracks.  But  the  turf  world  resounded 
with  his  fame  when  he  rode  Black  Maria  in  that  phe- 
nomenal twenty-mile  race — five  four-mile  heats — on  the 
Long  Island  Union  Course  in  18^2,  against  Trifle  and  Lady 
Relief.  Few  more  stubborn  contests  than  this  have  ever 
been  recorded  in  turf  history,  and  Gil  Crane  won  fade- 
less laurels  for  the  physical  endurance  and  the  marvelous 
skill  in  jockeyship  which  he  displayed  in  bringing  the 
mare  safely  through  to  the  finish  at  the  head  of  the  field 
in  the  first  and  fifth  heats.  After  old  age  had  ended  his 
career  he  was  not  a  frequenter  of  the  races,  although  to 
the  end  of  his  life  he  preserved  all  his  fondness  for  it, 
while  nothing  delighted  him  more  than  to  talk  of 
the  days  when  Colonel  Johnson,  Colonel  Corbin,  Com- 
modore Stockton,  the  Messrs.  Stevens,  Botts,  Bathgate, 
Gibbons  and  others  were  in  the  forefront,  and  with  all 
of  whom  he  was  intimately  associated. 

Good  jockeys  began  to  be  more  frequent  ten  years  or 
more  after  the  new  era  of  racing  set  in,  immediately  fol- 
lowing the  Civil  War.  That  brilliant  period  of  racing 
naturally  developed  strong  elements  in  every  department 
of  turf  affairs.  There  was  a  stimulus  to  breeding,  train- 
ers felt  the  increased  demand  upon  them,  and  the  jockeys 
could  not  fail  to  be  influenced  by  the  widespread  enthu- 
siasm that  was  the  dominant  characteristic  of  everything 
that  then  related  to  racing.  The  improvement  that  was 
made  from  year  to  year  in  horsemanship  attracted  more 
than  ordinary  attention,  and  the  prediction  was  freely 
made  that  it  would  not  be  long  before  the  American 
jockeys  would  succeed  in  attaining  to  as  high  a  standard 
as  that  maintained  in  England  and  elewhere. 

Barrett  was  generally  accepted  as  one  of  the  chief 
jockeys  in  the  seventies,  when  he  wore  the  cherry, 
black  and  gold  tassel  of  the  Rancocas  Stable,  and  when 
he  rode  such  champions  as  Parole,  Bombast,  Zoozoo  and 
others.  He  was  so  eminently  successful,  even  when  he 
had  a  poor  mount,  that  betting  followed  him  to  a  very 
exceptional  extent.  Hughes,  a  good  safe  rider,  carried 
the  blue  and  orange  of  the  Westbrooke  Stable  and  chal- 
lenged attention  with  Barrett.  The  elder  Hayward 
made  his  American  debut  and  rode  himself  into  promi- 
nence, winning  a  big  reputation  for  energy  and  bold- 
ness. William  Brown,  who  went  to  England  with  Mr. 
Lorillard  to  ride  Parole  and  others  from  the  Rancocas 
Stable,  was  highly  trusted. 

After  Barrett  left  the  Rancocas  Stable  Barbee  and 
Evans  came  to  that  establishment.  The  former  was 
skilful  and  brilliant,  while  the  latter,  with  less  dash  to 
him,  could  be  depended  upon  for  solid,  regular  work, 
and  did  not  easily  lose  his  head.  Barrett  afterward  rode 
for  the  Rhode  Island  Confederacy,  controlled  by  Mr.  W. 
R.  Babcock,  that  ran    Ferncliffe,  Pawnee,   Sioux,  Rachel 


and  others.  Feakes,  who  had  been  absent  from  the  turf 
for  some  time,  returned  in  1879,  and  was  very  success- 
ful, his  skill  on  Molly  McCarthy  in  Chicago  fixing  him 
in  popular  favor. 

But  Barrett.  Hughes,  Barbee,  Feakes,  Hayward,  Spill- 
man  and  others,  who  for  many  years  had  been  popular 
favorites,  were  rapidly  becoming  heavy  weights  at  the 
time  of  which  we  are  treating,  and  the  turf  had  its  eyes 
fixed  upon  many  newcomers,  whom  it  was  expected 
would  soon  supersede  the  old-timers.  Among  the 
lighter  weights  were  McLaughlin,  he  of  resolute  finish 
and  excellent  judgment,  and  Costello,  clear-headed  and 
well  trained,  who  was  a  growing  rival  of  McLaughlin- 
Among  other  light  weights  then  just  coming  forward 
were  Shauer,  Purcell,  Sayres,  Halloway,  Donohue,  Blay- 
lock,  Fisher,  Quantrell,  Wolfe  and  Hennessy.  These 
and  many  others  who  preceded  or  were  contemporary 
with  them  have  not  yet  passed  out  of  the  recollection  of 
turfmen.  Now  and  then  we  find  one  who  is  still  in  the 
field  and  doing  good  work.  Most  of  them,  however, 
have  graduated  from  the  ranks  of  jockeys  and  are  to-day 
owners  or  trainers,  with  only  the  memory  of  their  riding 
days  left  with  them.  Some,  indeed,  have  dropped  out 
of  sight  entirely  into  other  employments  disassociated 
with  the  turf.  A  few  of  them  are  dead.  There  was 
William  J.  Fitzpatrick,  better  known  as  "Daredevil 
Fitz,"  who  passed  away  only  recently.  Barrett  (Billy 
Barrett),  who  died  in  1883,  after  he  had  made  himself 
and  the  Rancocas  Stable  famous,  has  not  yet  been  for- 
gotten. Others  there  have  been  who  have  had  their  day, 
sometimes  short  and  sometimes  long,  in  this  last  quarter 
of  a  century,  and  whose  work  added  much  to  the 
brilliancy  of  racing  affairs  in  their  day  and  time. 

The  players  on  the  stage  of  jockeydom  shift  frequently 
and  rapidly.  A  single  era  of  the  turf  sees  several  gen- 
erations of  jockeys  come  upon  the  scene,  have  their  short 
day  and  pass  off  to  make  room  for  their  successors. 
Few  of  the  men  and  boys  who  are  in  the  saddle  in  the 
closing  five  or  six  years  of  the  century  go  back  more 
than  a  decade  or  so  in  their  experiences.  They  have 
taken  the  places  of  those  to  whom  reference  has  already 
been  made,  and  of  many  others  who  were  also  active  in 
the  days  gone  by,  and  shortly  they  will  give  way  to 
others,  many  of  whom  have  already  come  in  sight,  while 
many  are  yet  to  make  their  first  appearance.  At  no 
previous  time  in  the  history  of  the  American  turf  have 
there  been  more  successful  jockeys  or  a  larger  number 
of  them  who  are  entitled  to  attention  than  in  the  imme- 
diate present.  Brief  consideration  to  some  of  those  who 
have  been  most  prominent  and  who  are  also  still  active 
in  the  work  is  presented  in  the  ensuing  pages.  A  pe- 
rusal of  their  careers  will  sufficiently  indicate  the  char- 
acter of  this  particular  element  of  turf  life  and  the  very 
important  and  brilliant  part  played  by  the  riders. 


371 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


An  interesting  study  of  turf  life  is  presented  in  the 
career  of  tiie  famous  jockey,  James  F.  Sloan.  He  was 
born  August  lo,  1873,  at  Bunker  Hill,  Ind.  His  Christian 
name  of  James  has  virtually  given  place  in  his  public  life 
to  the  nickname  of  his  boyhood,  "  Tod,"  by  which  he  is 
known  far  and  wide.  Removing  with  his  parents  to 
Logansport,  Ind.,  he  entered  the  Normal  School  there  at 
an  early  age  and  pur- 
sued his  studies  until 
he  was  fifteen.  He 
was  noted  as  a 
diligent  student,  and 
attributes  no  small 
part  of  the  success 
which  he  has  reached 
in  his  profession  to 
his  liberal  education 
and  to  the  habits  of 
reflection  and  reason- 
ing which  his  ac- 
q  u  a  i  n  t  a  n  c  e  with 
books  has  induced. 

Horsemanship  has, 
however,  been  the 
only  pursuit  in  which 
Sloan  ever  engaged. 
His  entrance  into  the 
ranks  of  riders  was 
due  to  his  elder 
brother,  who  was  rid- 
ing for  Messrs.  Tracey 
andLevy,  ofSt.  Louis, 
who  sent  for  him  and 
proposed  that  he,  too, 
should  become  a  pro- 
fessional rider.  The 
idea  struck  "  Tod  ' 
favorably,  and  he 
went  to  St.  Louis 
where  he  received  his 
first  instructions.  He 
remained  but  a  short 
time  with  his  brother 
and  secured  an  en- 
gagement in  Kansas 
City,  going  also  to 
Colorado,  whence  he 
returned  in  the  spring  of  1888  to  take  a  place,  in  the  stable 
of  Mr.  John  Campbell.  In  the  autumn,  Mr.  Campbell,  who 
had  noticed  the  lad's  remarkable  courage,  skill  and  judg- 
ment, called  him  to  New  Orleans,  and  there  he  received  his 
first  mount  in  a  race  on  Lovelace.  His  success  was  such 
that  Mr.  Campbell  at  once  offered  to  contract  for  his 
exclusive  services  for  five  years,  which  Sloan  promptly 


JAMES    F.    SLOAN 

IN  RIDING  COSTUME 


and  wisely  declined.  He  then  rode  for  a  time  for  Mr. 
Thomas  Kiley,  and  for  two  years  was  engaged  with 
Mr.  J.  M.  Brown,  who  afforded  him  the  opportunity  for 
rapid  advancement  in  his  work.  On  Mr.  Chris  Smith's 
Van  Buren,  he  performed  the  double  feat,  at  the  Garfield 
track,  Chicago,  of  riding  a  dead  heat  in  one  race  and 
making  a  new  record  in  another  in   one  day.     Having 

been  prudent  as  well 
as  industrious,  Sloan 
now  became  an  own- 
er. He  purchased 
several  horses,  among 
them  Hominy  Bill, 
with  whom  he  won 
two  races.  He  also 
made  a  good  invest- 
ment in  the  shape  of 
h'eland,  and  after  win- 
ning several  races 
with  this  horse  sold 
him  to  Mr.  Fred  Fos- 
ter, of  Dr.  Rice  fame. 
His  next  engagement 
as  a  rider  was  with 
Messrs.  "West  and  Mc- 
Grane,  with  whom  he 
remained  till  they  dis- 
solved, in  1892.  He 
then  joined  Mr.  Camp- 
be  1 1  at  Monmouth 
Park,  but  another  ef- 
ort  on  the  latter's  part 
to  induce  the  jock- 
ey to  contract  with 
him  for  a  term  of  years 
proved  a  failure.  In 
fact,  Sloan  had  by  the 
character  of  his  work 
and  confidence  which 
he  inspired  firmly  es- 
tablished his  reputa- 
tion, and  his  services 
were  in  constant  de- 
mand by  the  most 
prominent  owners  on 
the  turf.  At  this  pe- 
riod of  his  life  he  made 
a  record  which  has  never  been  excelled.  It  occurred  at 
the  Parkway  track,  Brooklyn,  when,  with  the  exception 
of  the  jumping  race,  he  rode  every  winner  on  th_e  pro- 
gramme. One  striking  feature  of  his  riding  is  that  his 
judgment  never  deserts  him  at  any  stage  of  the  race. 
From  start  to  finish  he  uses  headwork,  placing  his 
mounts  in  a  way  to  secure  every  possible  advantage. 


372 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


The  winters  of  1894  and  1S95  were  passed  by  Sloan  in 
California,  where  he  rode  a  few  races,  returning,  how- 
ever, on  the  advent  of  spring,  to  the  East.  During  the 
season  of  i8q6  he  repeated,  and  in  fact  improved  upon, 
his  former  triumphs,  and  by  his  performances  placed 
himself  even  higher  in  the  esteem  of  owners  and  the  rac- 
ing public.  His  mounts  were  from  among  the  best 
horses  of  the  day,  while  nearly  every  stable  that  could  do 
so  has  availed  itself  of 
his  services.  He  was 
particularly  successful 
with  the  horses  of  the 
Fleischmann  Stable,  and 
during  the  autumn  of 
1896  was  partially  un- 
der contract  to  ride  for 
Mr.  E.  J.  Baldwin. 
During  the   season   ot 

1896,  his  mounts  were 
442  in  number,  of 
which  he  won  132,  or 
about  thirty  per  cent., 
placing  his  horses  an 
equal  number  of  addi- 
tional times.  In  the 
early  part  of  1897,  he 
rode  at  Ingleside,  Cali- 
fornia, and  performed 
another  of  his  phenom- 
enal feats,  that  of  cap- 
turing four  races  in  a 
single  day,  three  of 
them  being  nose  fin- 
ishes. 

During  the  season  ot 

1897,  Sloan  was  en- 
gaged by  Mr.  George 
E.  Smith  and  continued 
on  his  wonderfully  bril- 
liant career.  He  stood 
near  the  head  of  the  list 
of  winning  jockeys  of 
the  year,  and  when  the 
proportion  of  his  win- 
ning races  to  his  total 
number  of  mounts  is 
considered,  none  of 
the  riders  of  the  year 
approached  him.  For  i 
Sons   secured    first   call 


JAMES    F.    SLOAN 

AFTER   THE    RACES 


Messrs.  C.  Fleischmann's 
on  his  services.  One  of  the 
greatest  triumphs  of  his  career,  and  in  many  re- 
spects regarded  by  him  with  more  satisfaction  than 
anything  else  that  has  ever  come  to  him,  was  his 
experience  in  England,  whither  he  went  in  the  fall  of 


1897.  His  appearance  there  was  at  tirst  the  occasion  for 
a  great  deal  of  unfavorable  comment  and  his  style  of  rid- 
ing was  severely  criticised.  In  the  end,  however,  he 
carried  everything  before  him,  showing  himself  again  and 
again  superior  to  the  best  English  jockeys  and  achieving 
a  triumph  that  was  at  last  freely,  even  though  tardily, 
acknowledged  by  his  severest  critics.  That  episode  in  his 
career  unquestionably  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  the 

greatest  jockeys  of  this 
generation,  whether 
English  or  American. 
Successful  as  Mr. 
Sloan  has  been  in  his 
riding  and  in  his  per- 
sonal fortunes,  it  has 
all  been  deserved  and 
worthily  supported  by 
the  conscientious  dis- 
charge  of  profes- 
s  i  o  n  a  1  engagements 
and  a  constant  adher- 
ence to  honorable  turf 
methods.  In  this  he 
has  set  a  laudable  ex- 
ample to  the  members 
of  his  profession.  At 
the  same  time  his 
record  is  a  shining  ex- 
ample of  the  certain 
rewards  that  the  turf 
holds  forth  to  men  of 
his  calibre. 

During  the  season  of 
1898,  Sloan  has  added 
many  more  notable 
races  to  his  credit.  At 
Morris  Park  he  won  the  . 
Fashion  Stakes  on  High 
Degree;  the  National 
Stallion  Stakes  on  Jean 
Beraud  ;  the  Laureate 
Stakes  on  Dr.  Eichberg ; 
the  Eclipse  Stakes  on 
Jean  Beraud,  and  the 
Gaiety  Stakes  on  Orna- 
mental. At  Gravcsend 
he  won  the  Expecta- 
tion Stakes  on  Kingdon 
and  the  Brooklyn  Handicap  on  Ornament,  winning  five 
out  of  the  six  events  on  that  day;  also,  at  Gravesend, 
won  the  Spring  Special  on  Hamburg  and  the  Tremont 
Stakes  on  Jean  Beraud.  At  the  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club  Spring  Meeting,  on  three  successive  days,  he 
carried  off  three  out  of  the  six  races  on  the  card. 


373 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Few  jockeys  of  any  period  have  devoted  themselves 
more  assiduously  to  their  work,  or  have  ridden  more 
conscientiously  than  Fred  Taral.  Unlike  some  other 
noted  riders,  he  has  not  branched  into  side  lines,  but 
has  steadfastly  adhered  to  his  one  chosen  pursuit.  With 
mounts  numbering  fully  5,000,  and  with  more  than 
1,000  winning  races  to  his  credit  during  his  brilliant 
career,  he  has,  as  can  be  readily  understood,  found  little 
leisure  for  thought  of  anything  outside  of  his  professional 
work.  This  eminent  jockey  was  born  in  Peoria,  111.,  in 
1867.  His  father  was 
proprietor  of  a  hotel  and 
livery  stable,  and  the 
boy  thus  had  opportuni- 
ties which  he  fully  im- 
proved to  acquire  a  good 
knowledge  of  horses.  At 
the  same  time  he  secured 
a  thorough  education, 
but  when  he  was  about 
fifteen  years  of  age  was 
attacked  by  the  spirit  of 
adventure  and  ran  away 
from  home. 

His  first  experience  in 
independent  life  was  in 
riding  quarter-races 
among  the  cowboys  of 
the  Indian  Territory,  but 
his  cleverness  so  fully 
displayed  itself  that  Mr. 
Lew  Elmore  took  him 
to  the  Washington  Park 
track,  at  Chicago,  where 
he  had  his  first  thor- 
oughbred mount  on  Mr. 
Elmore's  Loupe.  In  this 
first  race  he  was  a  win- 
ner, and  his  perform- 
ances were  at  once  of 
such  a  notable  character 
that  his  fame  spread 
throughout  the  turf 
world.     In    1884  and  in 

1885,  he  continued  in  Chicago,  riding  for  Mr.  McGinty, 
a  prominent  horseman  of  the  Garden  City.  The  follow- 
ing season  he  rode  for  Mr.  D.  A.  Honig,  and  in  1887. 
for  the  Messrs.  Labold  Brothers.  While  exercising  Linda 
Payne,  in  the  spring  of  1887,  he  fractured  his  arm  and 
for  six  months  or  more  was  laid  up.  Then  in  Chicago 
he  returned  to  the  saddle,  and  with  his  arm  still  in  band- 
age rode  thirty  winning  races  for  the  Labold  Stable  in 
one  month.  He  was  not  able  to  ride  again  until  the 
latter  part  of  1889,  when  he  again  engaged  with  the  La- 


FRED  TARAL 


bold  Brothers.  In  the  same  year  he  joined  the  Bever- 
wyck  Stable  under  the  ownership  of  Messrs.  Campbell 
&  Nolan,  and  subsequently  rode  for  Messrs.  Walcott  & 
Campbell. 

From  this  point  his  reputation  began  to  be  interna- 
tional, and  he  has  ridden  some  of  the  most  famous  win- 
ning races  of  modern  times.  To  record  all  the  notable 
events  that  stand  to  his  credit  would  require  many 
pages.  On  Cassius  he  was  second  in  Salvator's  Subur- 
ban, and   in    1893,   won    the  Brooklyn  Handicap  with 

Diablo.  Late  in  1893, 
he  engaged  with  the 
Messrs.  Keene,  forwhom 
he  rode  Domino  in  the 
great  races  of  that  turf 
wonder.  The  following 
year,  being  still  with  the 
Keene  Stable,  he  won 
three  handicaps — the 
Brooklyn,  the  Suburban 
and  the  Metropolitan,  a 
feat  never  equaled  by  any 
jockey  in  one  season. 
He  remained  with  the 
Keene  Stable  until  1896, 
when  he  signed  with 
Mr.  Marcus  Daly  and 
still  continued  on  his 
victorious  career.  In 
that  year,  for  the  third 
time,  he  won  the  Brook- 
lyn Handicap,  piloting 
Sir  Walter  to  victory,  as 
he  had  Diablo  in  1893 
and  Dr.  Rice  in  1894. 

Recently  Messrs. 
Bromley  &  Co.  have  had 
first  call  upon  Taral's 
services,  and  he  has  also 
ridden  for  Mr.  Marcus 
Daly  and  other  owners. 
During  all  his  turf  ex- 
perience he  has  seldom 
been  unplaced  in  any  of 
the  big  events,  an  exception  being  when  he  rode 
Pessara,  who  broke  down  in  the  Suburban  of  1893.  He 
must  be  considered  one  01  the  greatest  jockeys  of  this 
period.  Not  only  is  he  a  popular  favorite,  but  he  also 
enjoys  the  respect  and  confidence,  as  well  as  the  ad- 
miration, of  his  professional  associates.  He  is  wholly 
reliable  in  his  work  and  thoroughly  understands  the 
science  of  jockeyship.  Industry,  thrift  and  temperance 
have  made  him  comfortably  well  off.     He  has  a  pleasant 


home  and  his  domestic  life  is  one  of  his  greatest  delights. 


374 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


An  international  reputation  is  an  object  tiiat  is  eagerly 
sought  for  by  every  rider,  and  when  once  gained,  is  as 
faithfully  guarded  by  him  as  it  is  earnestly  coveted  by 
his  rivals.  Few  American  jockeys  have  ever  succeeded 
in  adding  this  peculiar  distinction  to  their  other  glories. 
In  this  small  class  stands  William  Sims,  who,  although 
still  a  young  man,  has  won  honors  on  the  turf  both  in 
the  United  States  and  in  Europe  that  have  given  him 
title  to  rank  as  one  of  the  greatest  jockeys  of  the  pres- 
ent age.  Born  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  January  i6,  1870,  this 
clever  rider,  like  the  ma- 
jority of  Southern  boys,        ■     -  

manifested  an  early  lik- 
ing for  horses,  so  that  it 
may  be  said  that  turf  life 
is  really  second  nature 
to  him.  After  some  pre- 
li  mi  nary  association 
with  horses  he  became 
attached  to  the  stable  of 
Mr.  C.  H.  Pettingill, 
with  whom  he  came 
East  and  remained  some 
two  years. 

The  preliminary  work 
that  he  went  through 
was  of  such  a  character 
as  to  give  him  a  sound 
knowledge  of  the  pri- 
mary details  of  his  call- 
ing, and  when  the  op- 
portunity came  to  him 
to  mount  Saluda,  the 
first  horse  that  he  ever 
rode,  he  was  in  perfect 
trim  and  admirably  per- 
formed his  duties.  In 
1888,  he  accepted  an  en- 
gagement with  the  Hon- 
orable William  L.  Scott, 
for  whom  he  rode  in 
many  victorious  events, 
this  engagement  lasting  — - 
two   years.     The    year 

1891,  he  gave  up  to  open 

dates,  his  services  being  called  for  by  such  owners  as 
Messss.  Walter  Jennings,  Andrew  Thompson,  P.  J. 
Dwyer  and   the   Labold   Brothers.     For  one  season  in 

1892,  he  signed  with  Mr.  P.  J.  Dwyer,  and  afterward  did 
excellent  work  for  a  single  season  with  Mr.  Pierre  Loril- 
lard.  Sims'  great  success  came  to  him  in  1894  and  1895. 
His  riding  had  already  made  him  distinguished,  and  in 
1894,  he  was  prominent  in  many  brilliant  events,  includ- 
ing a  mount  on  Dobbins  in   the  famous   match    with 


WILLIAM  SIMS 


Domino.  Greater  honors  were  also  in  store  for  him, 
for  he  was  engaged  by  Mr.  Richard  Croker  and  Mr. 
Michael  F.  Dwyer  to  accompany  their  stables  to  Eng- 
land to  ride  in  that  country.  Upon  the  English  turf  he 
achieved  a  triumph  never  before  accomplished  by  an 
American  jockey.  He  enjoys  the  particular  distinction 
of  having  been  the  first  native  American  rider  who  ever 
won  an  event  on  an  English  racecourse  with  an  Ameri- 
can horse  whose  owner,  trainer  and  complete  outfit  were 
American.     He  remained  in   England  four  months,  and 

while  there  won  some 
I  good  races.  He  received 
great  commendation  for 
his  clever  work,  and  his 
importance  as  a  jockey 
immediately  rose  in  the 
estimation  of  turfmen, 
for  it  was  more  clearly 
shown  than  ever  before 
that  he  was  possessed 
of  sound  judgment,  ex- 
cellent foresight  and 
undaunted  courage. 

Many  offers  bidding 
for  his  services  promptly 
came  to  him  from  both 
English  and  American 
owners,  but  he  returned 
to  America,  and  was 
welcomed  as  one  of  the 
turf  heroes  of  the  day. 
Mr.  Michael  F.  Dwyer 
recognized  more  than 
ever  before  the  value  ot 
his  services,  and  re- 
tained him  in  connec- 
tion with  his  stable.  At 
the  same  time, however, 
he  reserved-  for  himself 
the  privilege  of  riding 
for  other  owners,  and 
therefore  his  name  has 
been  connected  with 
that  of  many  other 
stables.  Recently  h  e 
has  done  a  great  deal  ot  riding  for  Mr.  August  Belmont, 
and  has  also  had  mounts  from  Messrs.  John  E.  Madden, 
James  R.  Keene,  M.  F.  Stephenson  and  others.  Sims  is 
a  steady,  reliable  and  conservative  jockey,  and  has  to  his 
credit  the  winning  of  some  of  the  closest  margin  races 
on  record.  His  superior  skill  is  likely  to  be  demon- 
strated many  years  in  the  future  as  it  has  been  in  the  past. 
He  has  many  followers,  and  the  opinion  is  firmly  fixed 
that  he  will  rank  as  one  of  America's  greatest  jockeys. 


375 


The     AMERICAN     TURE 


It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  Edward  H.  Gar- 
rison had  in  his  day  as  wide  a  national  reputation  as 
any  one  individual  connected  with  racing  in  the  United 
States.  None  of  his  profession  ever  enjoyed  a  greater 
popularity  with  the  racing  public  here,  and  his  record 
can  only  be  contrasted  with  those  of  the  greatest  jock- 
eys who  have  graced  the  English  turf.  His  appearance 
in  the  saddle  was  almost  always  certain  to  produce  a 
sensation  among  the  spectators  at  any  of  our  great  tracks, 
while  the  expression,  "a  Garrison  finish,"  which  passed 
into  general  speech  throughout  the  land,  was  a  tribute 
to  one  of  the  most 
marked  features  of  his 
style  as  a  rider. 

Edward  Henry  Gar- 
rison, or  to  recall  the 
title  by  which  he  is 
known  far  and  wide  to 
the  racing  community, 
"Snapper,"  was  born  in 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1868.  He  was 
educated  at  the  public 
schools,  but  from  his 
earliest  days  horses 
seemed  to  possess  an 
overpowering  attraction 
for  him.  Being  em- 
ployed in  a  blacksmith 
shop  when  a  mere  child, 
he  was  able  to  gratify 
this  passion  by  riding 
horses  to  and  fro,  but 
his  real  experience  with 
horseflesh  began  in  1880, 
when  he  was  taken  in 
charge  by  "  Father  Bill" 
Daly,  who  instructed  him 
in  the  art  in  which  he 
was  to  excel,  it  was  in 
Mr.  Daly's  Stable,  too, 
that  in  some  mysterious 
way  his  famous  sobri- 
quet. "Snapper"  was 
originally    introduced. 

His  rise  to  f;une  as  a  knight  of  the  pigskin  was  rapid. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  give  in  detail  either  his 
mounts,  his  victories  or  the  owners  for  whom  he  has 
ridden.  As  to  the  latter  it  may  be  briefly  stated  that 
after  spending  three  years  with  Mr.  Daly,  he  rode  for 
Mr.  H.  O.  Barnard  in  1884,  and  in  the  succeeding  year 
for  Captain  Samuel  S.  Brown.  In  1886,  he  was  with  the 
Honorable  William  L.  Scott,  of  Erie,  but  in  1887  paid 
most  of  his  attention  to  his  own  horses,  which,  among 


Cyclops   and   Speedwell. 
B.  Haggin  was  made  in  1^ 


An 


he  rode  for  the  Honorable  August  Belmont. 


EDWARD  H.  GARRISON 


others,  included  Eolian, 
engagement  with  Mr,  J. 
and  in  i< 

Mr,  Haggin  again  secured  his  services  in  1890  and  1891, 
and  Mr.  Marcus  Daly  enjoyed  them  in  1892-94.  In 
1894,  his  salary  was  the  highest  ever  received  by  an 
American  jockey,  aggregating,  as  it  did,  $23,500.  Three 
of  the  most  prominent  owners  shared  his  services,  Mr. 
Daly  having  the  first,  Mr.  Belmont  the  second,  and  Dr. 
Gideon  Lee  Knapp  the  third  call  upon  him.  He  rode  in 
1895  for  Colonel  Ruppert,  and  in  the  season  of  1896  de- 
lighted his  old-time  ad- 
mirers by  a  notable  vic- 
tory with  Ornament,  in 
which  all  the  qualities 
of  that  riding  which  won 
him  fame  were  still  ap- 
parent, indeed,  at  all 
times  where  weights  per- 
mitted, he  could  have  the 
pick  of  the  best  mounts. 
It  is  interesting  to 
know  that  Garrison  con- 
siders Tammany  the 
greatest  horse  among 
his  innumerable  mounts, 
while  Montana's  Subur- 
ban Handicap,  in  1892, 
was,  in  his  opinion,  the 
most  remarkable  win- 
ning race  in  which  he 
ever  rode.  Personally 
popular,  alike  with  his 
associates,  with  the  offi- 
cials of  the  tracks  and 
with  owners,  he  fully 
enjoyed  the  confidence 
of  the  racing  public, 
whose  enthusiasm  he 
never  failed  to  arouse  by 
his  performance  in  the 
saddle.  The  success 
which  Garrison  enjoyed 
was  due  in  the  first  place 
to  a  natural  aptitude  for 
the  profession.  At  the  same  time,  he  possessed  all  the 
other  qualifications  necessary  in  a  successful  jockey,  in- 
cluding confidence  in  himself,  good  judgment  and  an 
instinctive  knowledge  of  horses,  which  was  strengthened 
by  years  of  close  application  and  study  of  the  subject. 
His  final  retirement  from  an  active  participation  in  riding 
has  never  ceased  to  be  regretted  by  thousands  of  fre- 
quenters of  the  race  track  who  had  learned  to  admire 
his  brilliant  performances. 


376 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


To  achieve  success   in  tiie  saddle  a  jocl<ey  must  be 
possessed   of  many   sterling  qualities.     A  complete  ac- 
quaintance with  his  work  and  an  accurate  knowledge  of 
thoroughbreds  are  not  the  only  requirements.     There  is 
a  personal  quality  in  the  problem   that  cannot  be  over- 
looked.    Many  temptations  lie   in  his  way,  temptations 
that  unless  he  be  an  individual  of  strong  character  are 
very   likely  to   prove  his  ruin.     Dissipations   that  too 
often  result  from  sociability  and  from  the  popularity  that 
attaches  to  every  successful  rider  may  in  the  end  be  the 
bane  of  his  existence,  and  an  absence'of  integrity  will  also 
surely  undermine  his  career.     If  a  jockey  expects  to  be 
in  the  first  class,  he  must  certainly  keep  himself  in  per- 
fect   condition,  physically, 
and    be     recognized     as 
straightforward     and    reli- 
able,   professionally.     Add 
these  qualifications  to  the 
technical  skill  that  he  must 
possess  and  he  may  fairly 
expect  that  both  fame  and 
handsome  financial  returns 
shall  be  his  reward. 

Among  those  jockeys  of 
the  present  who,  by  strict 
attention  to  these  princi- 
ples, have  fairly  earned 
the  distinction  of  being  in 
the  first  class,  Harry  Lewis, 
who  has  had  many  years  of 
experience,  is  probably  as 
good  a  rider  as  ever  had  a 
"  leg  up"  upon  any  course. 
He  is  a  native  of  England, 
having  been  born  in  Glou- 
cestershire in  1869,  but  his 
entire  life  has  been  passed 
in  the  United  States.  When 
he  had  attained  the  age  of 
thirteen,  he  yielded  to  the 
passion  for  horses  and  en- 
tered the  stable  of  Mr. 
James  Jennings  at   Sheeps- 

head  Bay  as  an  exercise  boy.  After  one  year,  he  went  to 
Kentucky,  and  became  attached  to  the  stable  of  Mr. 
John  Ray,  of  Lexington,  with  whom  he  served  for  a 
single  season.  A  short  period  of  employment  with  Mr. 
P.  H.  Duffy  followed,  and  then  a  year  in  the  stable  of 
that  prince  of  turfmen,  Mr.  James  R.  Keene,  and  a  year 
with  the  Messrs.  Dwyer  Brothers. 

By  this  time,  the  young  man  had  perfected  himself  so 
well  in  his  work  that  he  was  recognized  as  being  pos- 
sessed of  all  the  best  qualities  necessary  to  the  making 
of  a  good  jockey.     Mr.  R.  Bradley,  best  known  perhaps 


as  "Virginia"  Bradley,  gave  him  his  first  mount  on 
King  B.  He  easily  proved  himself  capable  of  riding  with 
the  best  boys  of  the  time,  and  as  often  as  opportunity 
presented  itself  his  employer  continued  to  allow  him  to 
ride.  Judge  Elliott  then  secured  first  call  on  Lewis'  serv- 
ices, but  during  the  two  years  that  he  rode  (or  that 
owner  he  had  many  outside  mounts.  At  the  expiration 
of  his  services  with  the  Elliott  Stable,  Lewis  made 
no  regular  engagement,  but  rode  whatever  suitable 
mounts  offered  themselves.  He  was  successful  in  car- 
rying many  horses  to  victory,  and  his  reputation  as  a 
first-class  rider  was  steadily  on  the  increase.  His  serv- 
ices  were    then  sought  by   Mr.   W.  H.  Timmons,  fOf 

whom  he  rode  for  two 
seasons.  Then  desiring  to 
work  for  himself  he  bought 
Prince  Albert,  whom  he 
trained  and  rode  with  very 
fair  success.  Not  conten- 
ted, however,  with  this 
somewhat  circumscribed 
field  of  operations,  he 
signed  with  Mr.  H.  Sim- 
mons, of  Lousville,  Ky., 
but  remained  with  that 
stable  for  a  short  time  only, 
when  he  was  engaged  by 
Mr.  P.  McGIade,  for  whom 
he  rode  several  good 
horses  at  the  Gloucester, 
N.  J.,  race  course. 

During  his  career  in  the 
saddle  he  has  ridden  the 
winner  in  many  of  the  im- 
portant stakes.  He  rode 
for  Mr.  J.  E.  Seagram  in 
1896,  and  again  in  1897, 
and  in  those  two  seasons 
added  materially  to  his 
winning  mounts.  He  car- 
ried off  the  Wayne  Hotel 
Stakes  and  the  Cadillac 
Hotel  Stakes  in  1895,  and 
won  the  Queen's  Plate  at  Toronto  two  years  in  succes- 
sion, on  Mr.  Seagram's  Millbrook  in  1896,  and  upon  the 
same  ov/ner's  Fernandine  in  1897.  More  recently,  Lewis 
has  been  engaged  with  Mr.  James  McLaughlin,  and  has 
also  ridden  for  other  owners,  including  Messrs.  M.  F. 
Dwyer,  J.  J.  Harrison  and  William  C.  Daly.  He  is  still 
able  to  ride  at  medium  weight  and  retains  his  good 
form.  He  has  an  excellent  record  as  a  fair  and  square 
rider.  Many  turfmen  recall  numerous  terrific  finishes  in 
which  he  has  successfully  participated,  while  other  good 
work  from  him  is  confidently  looked  for  in  the  future. 


HARRY  LEWIS 


377 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Some  boys  have  devoted  years  to  apprenticeship  before 
they  have  attained  sufficient  knowledge  to  enable  them 
to   ride.     Others   seem   to   have  an    intuitive   sense   of 
jockeyship  without  long  preliminary  training.     It  is  not 
often,  however,  that  one  is  able  to  enter  the  profession 
with    practically    no     familiarity    with    horses.      Such 
instances,   however,  we  run  across  now  and  then,  but 
rarely,  if  ever,  has  there  been  a  more  striking  example 
of  this  class  than  John  Lamly.    To  what  is  commonly 
denominated  an  apprenticeship,  he  really  devoted  two 
months  of  time.     For  eight  weeks  he  was  an  exercise 
boy  and  then  graduated  to  the  saddle.      The  success 
that   he   has   achieved   as   a  jockey   seems   even   more 
remarkable  when  we  thus  consider  the  circumstances 
under  which  he  entered  upon  his  career.     It  was  some- 
thing to  his  advantage,  however,  that  he  came  of  a  family 
of  crack  riders,  and,  undoubt- 
edly,  the  aptitude   for   racing 
was   born    in    him.      He   is   a 
nativeof  Babylon,  L.  1.,  having 
been   born    in    1871.      As    a 
youngster  of  only  twelve  years 
of  age,  he  entered  the  stable  of 
the    Honorable    August    B  e  1- 
mont,  and  was  put  astride  of  a 
thoroughbred  for  the  first  time. 
It  was  there  that   he   had   his 
two  months'  service  as  an  ex- 
ercise boy,   preliminary  to  his 
promotion   to   the  position  of 
rider.     That  was  in   1883,  but 
his  turf  career  was  not  contin- 
uous from  that  date.     After  a 
time  he  gave  up  stable  work, 
and,  returning  home,  attended 
school,  applying  himself  closely 
to  his  studies  for  the  next  four 
years.     But  the  love  for  horses 
and     the     turf   was     inherent 
in    him,     and    finally    he    left 

home  again  and  became  attached  to  the  stable  of  Mr. 
William  C.  Daly.  In  the  service  of  Mr.  Daly  he  was 
engaged  somewhat  in  exercising,  but  the  greater  part  of 
the  time  saw  him  riding.  For  five  years  he  remained 
with  the  Daly  Stable  and  gained  a  wide  and  valuable 
experience.  He  had  mounts  upon  all  the  principal 
courses  of  the  country,  and  soon  came  to  have  a  great 
deal  of  public  recognition  for  his  admirable  performances. 

Even  before  the  public  came  to  a  clear  appreciation  of 
his  cleverness,  his  work  attracted  the  favorable  notice  of 
Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer,  who  gave  him  a  year's  engagement. 
After  his  splendid  service  there,  he  transferred  his  alle- 
giance to  Colonel  Jacob  Ruppert,  Jr.,  for  whom  he  rode 
two  years,  winning  many  notable  events.     In  1895,  he 

378 


JOHN    LAMLY 


changed  to  the  stable  of  the  Messrs.  Keene,  and  wear- 
ing the  famous  white  and  blue-spotted  jacket  and  cap, 
was  for  several  seasons  the  centre  of  attraction  in 
many  interesting  events.  Those  who  saw  his  perform- 
ances upon  such  cracks  as  Kingston,  Banquet,  Long- 
street,  Yorkville  Belle,  Dobbins,  Raceland,  Civil  Service, 
Counter  Tenor,  Don  Alonzo,  Potomac  and  many  others, 
have  had  an  understanding  of  brilliant,  serviceable  riding. 
His  victories,  in  number  and  in  character,  during  the 
time  that  he  has  been  riding,  will  compare  favorably 
with  those  of  any  other  jockey,  and  some  of  the  richest 
stakes  and  purses  have  been  pulled  oft"  by  him.  On  Mr. 
Richard  Croker's  Prince  George  he  won  the  Toboggan 
Slide  Handicap,  at  Morris  Park,  in  1893;  on  Mr.  M.  F. 
Dwyer's  Raceland  he  won  the  Hudson  River  Handicap, 
and  with  Major  Domo  won  nine  out  of  ten  consecutive 

starts.  With  Civil  Service  he 
won  the  Scramble  Stakes  in 
iSqi,  and  again  in  1892;  the 
Breckenridge  Stakes,  in  1891, 
on  Major  Domo;  the  Expecta- 
tion Stakes,  in  1893,  on 
Chatham,  and  the  United 
States  Hotel  Stakes,  in  1894, 
on  Peacemaker.  His  Metropol- 
itan Handicap,  with  Mr. 
Keene's  Voter,  in  1897, 
when  he  led  by  the  post  such 
speedy  ones  as  The  Winner, 
Casseopia  and  others,  over  the 
Withers  Mile  in  i  minute,  41  ]4 
seconds,  was  only  one  of  the 
many  brilliant  achievements 
that  have  distinguished  his 
long  and  eventful  career. 

In  the  fall  of  1897,  Lamly 
was  principally  engaged  with 
-  Mr.  Marcus  Daly,  riding  on  the 
Montana  circuit,  and  was  lit- 
tle, if  any,  seen  on  the  Eastern 
courses.  More  recently  he  has  been  under  engagement 
to  Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer,  his  old  employer  of  several  years 
ago,  and  has  also  occasionally  ridden  for  other  stables, 
when  Mr.  Dwyer  has  not  had  need  of  his  services.  At 
the  Spring  Meeting,  at  Morris  Park,  in  1898,  he  won  the 
Bouquet  Stakes  on  Kingdon.  He  is  a  thoroughly  good 
jockey,  who  has  worked  long,  persistently  and  honestly, 
and  has  attained  to  the  position  that  he  now  holds 
through  his  undoubted  merit.  He  is  held  in  high  esteem 
by  the  public  and  is  respected  and  trusted  by  those 
owners  who  have  had  occasion  to  avail  themselves  of 
his  clever  talent.  Racing  is  made  more  interesting  to 
the  public  and  of  more  moment  to  owners  by  reason  of 
the  service  of  such  jokeys  as  Lamly. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


That  intelligence  and  education  count  for  much  toward 
success  as  a  jockey  is  demonstrated  in  repeated  instances. 
It  is  no  easy  task  to  guide  a  horse  safely  through  a  field 
of  struggling  rivals.  To  accomplish  this  requires  some- 
thing more  than  mere  courage  and  physical  strength. 
The  jockey  who  hopes  to  be  successful  must  not  only 
have  made  a  particular  study  of  his  profession  and  have 
acquired  a  complete  knowledge  of  the  thoroughbred,  but 
he  must  also  be  master  of  himself  and  a  good  judge  of 
other  men.  These  qualifications  call  for  more  than 
ordinary  intelligence.  In  the  broadest  sense  a  good 
jockey  must  be  a  great  general,  with  all  the  masterful 
power   of  brain   and   hand   which   that  term   implies. 

Having  been  a  well-known 
and  justly  popular  jockey  for 
something  like  ten  years 
Charles  A.  Ballard  has,  in 
natural  qualifications  and  in 
special  attainments,  quite 
met  the  demands  of  his  ex- 
acting profession.  He  was 
born  in  October,  1874,  at 
Englewood,  N.  J.,  and,  un- 
like many  horsemen  whose 
careers  have  been  followed 
with  interest,  received  a  sub- 
stantial public  school  educa- 
tion. In  respect  to  learning, 
he  IS  considerably  above  the 
average,  and  since  leaving 
school  has  missed  no  oppor- 
tunity that  has  presented  it- 
self for  self-improvement. 
His  turf  experiences  date 
from  the  time  when  he  was 
fourteen  years  of  age.  Then 
he  entered  the  establishment 
of  the  Messrs.  Dwyer  Broth- 
ers as  an  exercise  boy.  He 
at  once  showed  that  he  had 
an  aptitude  for  his  chosen 
work,  and  being  bright  and 
observant,  the  stable,  that  was  then  under  the  charge  ot 
Mr.  Frank  McCabe,  proved  to  be  an  excellent  school  for 
him.  From  the  outset  intelligence  and  fidelity  to  his 
important  trusts  characterized  all  his  work,  and  these 
same  qualities  have  always  been  the  particularly  dis- 
tinguishing features  of  his  career,  and  have  gone  far  to- 
ward winning  for  him  the  substantial  reputation  that  he 
has  achieved. 

Having  served  the  Dwyer  Stable  well  and  acquired 
whatsoever  benefit  could  be  derived  therefrom  in  the 
way  of  mastery  of  his  profession,  Ballard's  services  were 
next,  for  a  short  time,  employed  by  Mr.  Jeter  Walden. 


CHARLES    A.    BALLARD 


His  first  important  connection,  however,  was  with  the 
stable  of  McMahon  &  Co.,  those  owners  having  been 
attracted  to  him  by  a  knowledge  of  his  skill  and  reliabil- 
ity. His  first  mount  for  this  stable  was  Ariel,  at  the 
Clifton.  N.  J.,  Course,  in  a  race  in  which  he  came  in 
third.  During  the  season  of  1890,  he  rode  for  Mr. 
Thomas  F.  Barrett  at  the  Guttenberg  track  and  also  for 
the  Glen  Island  Stable.  The  horses  that  were  in  the 
stable  of  Mr.  Barrett  included  some  very  good  performers. 
In  1893,  Ballard  went  West  and  rode  some  important 
races  in  that  section,  including  several  at  the  Hawthorne 
Park  Course  during  the  World's  Fair.  For  the  latter  part 
of  the  season  of  1894  and  throughout  the  season  of  1895, 

his  services  were  secured  by 
Mr.  H.  Eugene  Leigh.  As  is 
well  known,  the  stable  of 
Mr.  Leigh  held  some  of  the 
most  celebrated  runners 
known  to  this  decade  of  the 
American  turf.  Those  of 
the  string  ridden  by  Ballard 
included  such  excellent  per- 
formers as  Ducat,  Urania, 
Handspun,  Chant  and  Haw- 
t  h  0  r  n  e  .  With  the  last 
named  horse  he  was  par- 
ticularly successful,  out  of 
thirteen  starts  winning  no 
less  than  nine  races.  After 
he  had  closed  his  engage- 
ment with  Mr.  Leigh,  he 
contracted  to  ride  for  Col- 
onel James  E.  Pepper,  al- 
though, for  a  time,  his 
former  employer  still  re- 
tained the  first  call  upon  his 
services  when  required.  In 
1896,  he  attached  his  for- 
tunes, principally,  to  the 
stable  of  Mr.  J.  J.  McCaf- 
ferty. 

While  Ballard's  career  has 
not  been  as  conspicuously  brilliant  as  that  of  some  other 
jockeys,  it  has  been  altogether  worthy  and  has  been  par- 
ticularly notable  at  several  points.  His  ability  has  been 
demonstrated  on  more  than  one  occasion  by  his  success 
with  horses  that,  in  other  hands,  had  proved  poor  or  un- 
certain performers.  One  example  of  this  was  in  Charade, 
as  it  is  well  known  he  was  the  most  successful  rider 
that  ever  had  a  "leg  up"  on  that  son  of  Charaxus. 
Agreeable  in  manner,  Ballard  has  a  wide  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  turfmen,  among  whom  he  has  always 
enjoyed  the  best  reputation,  while  his  skill  has  commended 
him  to  owners  and  to  the  race-going  public. 


379 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Light  weight  jockeys,  it  is  well  recognized  by  all  turf- 
men, are  in  many  cases  quite  unable  to  give  the  most 
desirable  results  with  heavy  headed  horses.     Animals  of 
this  class  possess  all  the  important  requisites  for  high 
class  racing,  but  everything  depends  upon  their  handling. 
Perhaps  this  is  an  altogether  trite  saying,  for  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  upon  the  correct  handling  of  every  horse  his  suc- 
cess in  a  great  measure  depends.     But  in  some  particu- 
lar cases,  as,  for  example,  those  just  referred  to,  this  need 
is  more  than  ordinarily  apparent.     A  jockey,  in  order  to 
get  the  best  out  of  the  animal  that  he  rides,  must  be  fully 
adapted  to  him.     It  might  be  more  correct  to  say  that  he 
must  be  able,  in  every  instance,  to  adapt  himself  to  his 
mount,  for  that,  after  all,  is  the  real  secret  of  the  matter. 
Some  jockeys,  it  is  true,  seem 
to  be  peculiarly  fitted  for  rid- 
ing certain  particular  kinds  of 
horses.     This  is  admirable  as 
far  as  it  goes,  but  when  all 
that  can  be  has  been  said,  he 
is   the  best  rider   who,  after 
barring  certain  obvious  quali- 
fications     and      limitations, 
mostly  pertaining  to  weight, 
has  the  natural  talent  of  adapt- 
ing himself  to  any  mount  that 
comes  in  his  way. 

Referring  again  to  the  gen- 
eral difficulty  of  light  weight 
jockeys  with  heavy  headed 
horses,  Frank  O'Leary  is  a 
conspicuous  and  notable  ex- 
ception to  the  somewhat  gen- 
eral rule.  He  is  one  of  the 
very  few  of  his  class  who  have 
again  and  again  demonstrated 
their  ability  to  ride,  and  to  ride 
well,  that  particular  kind  of 
thoroughbred.  It  might,  in 
fact,  be  said  that  he  is  pos- 
sessed of  a  somewhat  remark- 
able faculty,  perhaps  an  almost  intuitive  power,  in  this 
respect.  On  many  occasions  he  has  fully  displayed  his 
power  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  owners  and  to  other 
frequenters  of  the  race  courses,  whose  familiarity  with 
such  matters  has  made  them  sufficiently  astute  to  recog- 
nize his  exceptional  skill  in  connection  with  such 
mounts. 

Numerous  instances  might  be  cited  of  the  work  of  this 
capable  jockey,  as  proof  of  his  skill.  Perhaps  as  notable 
a  case  as  can  be  readily  recalled  was  his  really  clever  rid- 
ing of  the  well-known  mare.  Sue  Kittle,  who  was  owned 
by  Mr.  O.  A.  Jones  and  Mr.  W.  P.  Burch,  when  O'Leary 
rode  her.     Under  his  riding   she  ran    many   successful 


/ 


FRANK    O'LEARY 


races,  defeating  some  of  the  best  horses  now  on  the  turf 
In  1895,  at  St.  Asaph,  she  ran  6^  furlongs  in  i  minute, 
2414  seconds,  beating  The  Scalper  with  Keefe  up  and 
Reform  with  Doggett  up.  At  Brighton  Beach  she  traveled 
a  mile  in  i  minute,  42  seconds,  beating  Doggett  with 
Doggett  up.  Corncob  with  Garrigan  up  and  others.  At 
Baltimore,  the  same  season,  she  beat  Mabel  Glenn,  Juan- 
ita,  Lady  McCann  and  others  in  mile  races  easily  by  three 
to  ten  lengths.  In  1896,  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  she  ran 
I  Yi  miles  on  the  turf  in  2  minutes,  37  seconds,  piloted  by 
O'Leary  and  beating  Sir  Dixon  with  Ballard  up.  Long 
Beach  with  Sims  up,  Mirage  with  Sloan  up  and  Jeffer- 
son with  Lamly  up.  Upon  many  other  occasions  with 
worthy  competitors,  O'Leary  brought  her  in  at  the  head 

of   the    field    in    remarkably 
good  time. 

Although  he  was  born  at 
Prescott,  Ont.,  his  birth  occur- 
ring March  18,  1879,  O'Leary's 
connection  with  the  domain 
of  horseflesh  has  been  almost 
entirely  during  his  residence 
in  the  United  States.  His 
record  has  been  made  upon 
the  tracks  and  in  the  employ 
of  stables  located  on  this  side 
of  the  international  boundary 
line.  He  came  to  this  country 
when  he  was  only  thirteen 
years  of  age  and  at  once  en- 
tered upon  his  racing  career, 
passing  through  the  prelim- 
inary apprenticeship  of  exer- 
cising, before  he  attained  to 
the  position  of  jockey.  He 
was  not  slow  to  demonstrate 
the  fact  that,  in  addition  to 
natural  qualifications  for  the 
position,  he  possessed  special 
faculties,  as  has  just  been 
noted,  for  the  handling  of  diffi- 
cult horses,  and  this  has  had  much  to  do  with  making  his 
success  as  a  jockey.  He  has  shown  his  ability  on  so  many 
occasions  in  sharply  contested  events,  that  there  is  no 
question  of  the  high  rank  that  he  holds  in  his  pro- 
fession. 

The  first  mount  that  O'Leary  had  was  Blue  Garter,  a 
horse  owned  by  D.  Higgins.  The  race  was  at  the  Gut- 
tenberg  track.  From  that  time  on  he  has  been  in  con- 
stant service  riding  for  several  owners,  latterly  for  Mr. 
Burch  and  for  Messrs.  F.  R.  and  T.  Hitchcock.  He  rides 
an  exceptionally  strong  finish,  and  those  who  have 
watched  him  most  closely  believe  that  he  has  within 
himself  the  making  of  a  notably  successful  future. 


380 


THE     AMERICAN     TUKF 


A  native  of  Canada,  Henry  Spencer,  although  he  has 
not  yet  passed  out  of  his  teens,  has  had  a  wide  experience 
and  is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  brightest  and  most 
promising  boys  that  have  ever  ridden  a  horse  to  victory. 
He  was  born  in  iS8o,  and  had  his  first  acquaintance 
with  racing  affairs  when,  in  the  spring  of  1894,  he  en- 
tered the  employ  of  Mr.  A.  P.  Miller,  of  California.  He 
was  quick  to  master  all  the  pomts  of  the  business,  and 
early  displayed  a  natural  skill  in  riding  that  plainly 
pointed  to  his  ultimate  success  as  a  jockey.  Before  the 
close  of  his  tlrst  year 
with  Mr.  Miller,  he 
received  a  mount  and 
had  the  opportunity 
to  show  what  quali- 
ties he  possessed.  His 
success  on  Favory  on 
that  occasion  was 
gratifying  to  himself 
and  to  all  who  had  an 
eye  upon  him  as  a 
coming  rider.  For 
another  year  he  rode 
with  Mr.  Miller,  hav- 
ing a  small  number 
of  mounts,  out  of 
which  he  secured  a 
fair  proportion  of  win- 
ners. His  next  en- 
gagement was  with 
Mr.  William  Dona- 
van,  for  whom  he 
rode  one  season,  and 
continued  to  have  a 
success  that  amply 
justified  his  choice  of 
vocation. 

When  the  period 
of  his  engagement 
with  Mr.  Donavan 
had  expired,  he  felt 
sufficient  confidence 
in  himself,  and  his 
services  were  so  gen- 
erally in   demand  by 

those  who  had  come  to  appreciate  his  talent,  that  he 
determined  to  ride  as  a  free  lance,  and  was  thus  oc- 
cupied for  one  season.  Speaking  of  this  experience, 
he  says  that  he  considers  he  had  the  best  good  fortune 
of  his  career,  for  he  rode  about  three  hundred  races, 
winning  some  seventy  of  them.  Recently  he  has  signed 
to  ride  for  the  stable  of  Messrs.  L.  S.  &  W.  P.  Thomp- 
son, under  the  direction  of  that  past  master  of  racing 
and  training,  Mr.  James  G.  Rowe.     He  has  also,  when 


his  services  have  not  been  required  by  the  Thompson 
Stable,  ridden  for  Messrs.  John  Sandford,  L.  O.  Appleby, 
J.  Rowe  &  Co.,  John  Daly,  J.  E.  McDonald,  W.  C.  Daly, 
W.  B.  Landsberg,  W.  B.  Sink,  Jr.,  and  others.  He  has  of 
late  been  very  successful,  having,  during  the  early  season 


of  1898,  won  a  large  proportion  of  the  races  in  which 
he  rode.  One  of  his  noted  feats  was  in  winning  the 
Withers  Stakes  on  The  Huguenot,  piloting  the  win- 
ner over  the  Withers  mile  in  i  minute,  43  seconds.  The 
same  day  he  rode  the  Messrs.  Thompson's  Reprisal  to 

victory  over  the 
Eclipse  course  in  1 
minute,  13  seconds. 
He  also  won  the 
Claremont  High 
Weight  Handicap,6>4 
furlongs,  on  Warren- 
ton,  in  1  minute,  23 
seconds,  and  a  5  fur- 
longs race  at  Grave- 
send,  on  Formero,  in 
I  minute,2>^  seconds. 
Spencer  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  best 
riders  that  have  come 
out  of  California  in 
many  years,  for  al- 
though he  was  born 
in  Canada,  his  train- 
ing, as  has  been  al- 
ready seen,  began  on 
the  Pacific  Coast  and 
practically  continued 
there  until  his  form  as 
a  jockey  had  been 
fully  established  and 
his  reputation  assured. 
The  Golden  State  has 
given  to  the  rest  of 
the  country  m  any 
very  capable  horse- 
men, especially  train- 
ers and  jockeys,  as 
well  as  owners.  The 
magnitude  of  turf  op- 
erations in  that  section  has  naturally  developed  a  class 
of  capable  stable  employees,  and  many  of  them  have 
made  reputations  for  themselves  that  have  extended 
throughout  the  country.  It  speaks  well  for  Spencer  that 
those  who  have  watched  him  closest  arid  are  most 
familiar  with  his  work,  hold  that  he  will  not  be  second 
even  to  the  greatest  representative  American  jockeys. 
He  is  a  quiet,  unassuming  boy,  and  has  every  prospect 
of  a  brilliant  future. 


HENRY  SPENCER 


381 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


As  the  domain  of  the  thoroughbred  has  broadened 
and  new  sections  of  the  United  States  have,  from  year  to 
year,  come  into  the  racing  field,  it  is  becoming  a  tasl<^ 
more  and  more  difiFicult  to  speak  with  complete  confi- 
dence of  any  particular  part  of  the  country  as  being  the 
nursery  of  either  runners  or  riders.  Predominance  in 
these  respects  naturally  remains  more  or  less  with  those 
localities  where  breeding  and  racing  have  long  been 
fixed  as  an  institution.  Nevertheless,  as  the  investigator 
into  American  turf  history  finds,  and  is  often  obliged 
gladly  to  acknowledge,  the  newer  parts  of  the  country 
are  not  altogether  devoid  of  interest  and  importance  in 
these  matters.  Many  good  horses,  many  good  turfmen, 
and  many  good  jockeys  have  come  from  out  of  the  West. 

Particularly  is  that  true  of  Ohio,  although  that  State  is 
not,  however,  so  f;ir  from  the 
early  and  natural  home  of  the 
thoroughbred  as  to  make  it 
quite  fair  to  regard  it  as  be- 
longing to  the  West  when 
the  particular  matter  now  un- 
der consideration  is  brought 
up.  The  sentiment  for  the 
thoroughbred  has  extended 
over  the  line  from  Kentucky 
into  the  more  Northern  State, 
so  that  the  people  of  Southern 
Ohio  are  scarcely  less  infused 
with  a  liking  for  the  blood 
horse  than  their  neighbors  of 
the  blue  grass  territory.  The 
proximity  of  Lexington 
and  Louisville,  the  great 
thoroughbred  centres,  has 
had  an  undoubted  influence 
upon  the  people  of  Ohio,  and 
the  young  men  and  boys  in 
and  around  Cincinnati  look 
upon  a  racing  career  quite  as 
eagerly  as  though  they  had 

been  born  further  South.  Among  the  Western  jockeys, 
who  are  so-called  from  the  place  of  their  origin,  but  who 
are  really  Southern  in  the  spirit  that  pertains  to  racing, 
no  one  has  recently  attracted  more  attention  than  Joseoh 
Scherrer.  He  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  August  8,  1876. 
After  receiving  a  good  common  school  education,  he  was 
engaged  in  selling  papers  on  railroad  trains.  His 
brightness  attracted  the  attention  of  many  who  came  in 
contact  with  him,  and  Mr.  John  Hoffman,  the  well- 
known  turfman,  took  a  special  fancy  to  him,  believing 
that  he  had  in  him  the  making  of  a  first-class  rider.  He 
was  engaged  by  Mr.  Hoffman  for  a  short  time  as  a  stable 
boy,  but  did  not  long  continue  to  be  thus  employed, 
returning  to  his  home  in  order  to  engage  in  other  occupa- 


JOSEPH    SCHERRER 


tions.  By  this  time,  however,  the  passion  for  racing  was 
firmly  fixed  in  him,  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  formed 
another  racing  connection,  going  to  Chicago  and  enter- 
ing the  stable  of  Frank  Van  Ness,  who  will  be  long 
remembered  as  the  owner  of  that  sensational  horse, 
Morello.  For  some  five  months  the  young  man  remained 
with  Mr.  Van  Ness,  but  in  the  autumn  of  1894  he  went 
to  New  Orleans,  where  he  took  a  position  with  Mr. 
Sidney  Berry.  Finally,  he  signed  to  ride  for  Mr.  F.  C. 
Fisher,  and  this  engagement,  which  was  a  wholly 
agreeable  one  to  him,  extended  over  a  period  of  two 
years.  His  career,  while  riding  for  Mr.  Fisher,  was  of  a 
notable  character,  and  stamped  him  as  a  jockey  of  the 
first  class.  Not  only  in  the  West  and  South  was  he 
successful,  but   his  achievements    in   those  sections    of 

the  country  were  supple- 
mented by  equally  notable 
performances  in  the  saddle 
upon  the  various  Eastern 
courses.  He  was  easily  in  the 
class  of  the  first  winning 
jockeys  of  the  season,  and 
his  riding  was  watched  with 
as  keen  an  interest  as  was 
bestowed  upon  that  of  any  of 
his  competitors.  No  rider 
known  to  the  turf  in  recent 
years  has  been  a  harder  or 
more  conscientious  worker. 
It  has  been  nothing  for  him  to 
run  up  the  number  of  his 
races  during  a  season  to 
several  hundred,  and  his  wins 
have  been  proportionately 
large  in  number. 

Messrs.  Bromley  &  Co., 
having  observed  Scherrer's 
brilliant  riding  and  the  great 
success  that  so  frequently 
crowned  his  work,  made 
overtures  for  his  services  while  he  was  employed  by 
Mr.  Fisher,  and  he  finally  entered  into  a  contract  with- 
them,  beginning  with  the  season  of  1897.  For  the 
Bromley  Stable  he  rode  some  good  races,  but  did  not 
confine  his  services  to  those  employers  alone.  He  also 
had  mounts  from  the  Sensation  Stable,  the  Kensico 
Stable,  Messrs.  J.  A.  Bennett,  Charles  Fleischmann, 
George  E.  Smith,  G.  W.  Innes,  A.  H.  &  D.  H.  Morris, 
M.  F.  Dwyer  and  many  others.  His  work  in  this,  his 
first  season  on  the  metropolitan  tracks,  amply  fulfilled 
the  expectations  that  the  knowledge  of  his  Western 
performances  had  aroused  in  regard  to  him.  He  pos- 
sesses remarkable  finishing  power  and  judgment  of  a 
hio-h  order. 


382 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Few  professions  are  more  lucrative  than  that  of  the 
jockey.  A  successful  jockey  of  the  highest  class  can 
easily  earn  many  thousands  of  dollars  a  year,  while  at 
the  same  time  numerous  and  valuable  gratuities  are  con- 
tinually coming  to  him  from  appreciative  owners  and 
admirers.  For  youngsters — and  it  is  a  noticeable  fact 
that  by  fiir  the  larger  number  of  jockeys  are  of  youthful 
age,  or,  at  the  most,  comparatively  young  men — these 
annual  incomes  constitute  very  comfortable  sums.  In 
ftict,  there  are  many  successful  business  and  professional 
men  who  would  con- 
sider themselves  very 
well  offindeed  if  they 
were  able  to  put  that 
amount  to  their  credit 
every  year.  It  is  un- 
doubtedly these  rich 
rewards  that  pertain 
to  the  profession  that 
make  one  of  itsstrong- 
est  allurements.  The 
young  men  and  boys 
who  are  thus  so 
handsomely  recom- 
pensed could  scarcely 
expect  to  make  as 
much  in  any  other 
employment,  or,  o  n 
the  whole,  to  make  it 
more  agreeably  or 
more  according  to 
their  natural  tastes. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of 
the  profession  that 
notwithstanding  the 
rich  emoluments  that 
come  to  them,  most 
jockeys  do  not  lose 
their  heads  over  their 
good  fortune,  but 
take  it  seriously  and 
conservatively.  There 
are  exceptions  to  this 
rule,  of  course,  and 
any  old  turfman  will 
point  out  to  you  not  a 

few  examples  of  knights  ot  the  pigskin  to  whom  pros- 
perity has  proved  a  bane.  That  these  are  exceptions, 
however,  only  serves  to  make  more  plain  the  excellent 
personal  character  of  the  young  men  who  sport  the 
silken  jacket.  On  the  whole,  they  are  not  carried  away 
by  the  glamour  of  their  positions  and  the  brilliancy  of 
its  rewards,  but  are  hard-working,  reliable  and  thrifty. 
Most  of  them,  in  the  course  of  time,  accumulate  some- 


THOMAS  H.  MURPHY 


thing  from  their  earnings,  and  are  thus  able  to  enjoy  a 
somewhat  independent  future  after  their  riding  days 
have  closed. 

In  this  large  class  of  ambitious  and  promising  young 
lightweights,  Thomas  H.  Murphy  is  another,  who,  by 
virtue  of  his  public  performances,  is  abundantly  entitled 
to  consideration.  Murphy  was  born  in  Chicago,  July 
29,  1876.  When  he  was  about  fifteen  years  old,  he 
entered  the  employ  of  Chinn  &  Morgan,  with  whom 
he  remained   during  the  season  of   1892.      Before  the 

season  was  ended,  he 
rode  a  few  races, 
several  of  them  suc- 
cessfully, his  first  win- 
ning mount  being  on 
Erect.  The  following 
season  he  was  en- 
gaged as  lightweight 
jockey  for  the  stable 
of  Patrick  Dunne,  and 
had  excellent  success, 
riding  several  hundred 
races  and  winning 
about  thirty  or  more 
The  following  year  he 
was  booked  to  ride  for 
the  Whitten  Brothers 
for  two  seasons. 
While  with  that  sta- 
ble, he  rode  something 
over  eight  hundred 
races,  winning  more 
than  one-quarter  of 
them,  several  of  his 
successes  being  for 
important  stakes  and 
handicaps.  On  Assig- 
nee he  won  the  In- 
augural Stakes,  on 
Tartarin  the  Golden 
Rod  Stakes,  and  also 
other  events  on  Nick 
and  similar  good 
horses.  In  1897,  Mur- 
phy was  engaged  to 
ride  for  J.  W.  Schorr 
&  Son,  and  during  the  year  he  won  nearly  one-half  of  the 
our  hundred  races  which  he  attempted.  On  Meadow- 
thorpe  particularly  he  had  good  success,  winning  at  Cin- 
cinnati, on  that  horse,  the  Moerlin  Stakes  in  2  minutes, 
I  second,  and  the  Moerlin  Handicap  in  i  minute,  53 
seconds.  More  recently,  he  has  been  engaged  to  ride 
for  Turney  Brothers,  and  has  made  a  very  favorable  im- 
pression in  the  East. 


383 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Edmund  J.  Jones,  who  is  equally  well  known  upon 
the  great  race  courses  of  far  away  California,  as  well  as 
upon  those  of  the  East,  is  a  newcomer  among  the  Eastern 
jockeys.  Nevertheless,  although  he  has  been  in  the  sad- 
dle only  a  few  years,  he  has  already  begun  to  make  a 
reputation  for  himself  and  to  show  that  he  is  possessed 
of  the  true  qualities  requisite  for  success  in  his  chosen 
profession.  He  is  a  native  of  the  West,  having  been 
born  in  Iowa,  in  January,  1878.  Like  so  many  other  in- 
dividuals of  whom  it 
has  been  the  good 
fortune  of  these  pages 
to  treat,  he  began  his 
experience  with  thor- 
oughbreds very  early 
in  life.  In  fact,  he  had 
scarcely  attained  the 
age  of  fifteen  when, 
in  1893,  he  entered 
the  employ  of  that 
well-known  and  en- 
ergetic turfman, 
Frank  Van  Ness.  In 
the  establishment  of 
Mr.  Van  Ness  he  re- 
mained two  years  and 
had  the  customary  ex- 
perience of  youngsters 
who  aimed  to  learn 
the  business.  First 
he  was  set  to  exercis- 
ing but  remained  thus 
engaged  for  the  short 
space  of  three  months 
only.  By  that  time  it 
was  clear  that  he  had 
made  no  mistake  in 
his  choice  of  vocation 
and  when  he  received 
his  first  mount  on 
Netwood  and  won 
the  race,  there  was  no 
longer  any  question 
as  to- his  future. 

He  remained  with 
the  Van  Ness  Stable  a  little  more  than  a  year  and  a  half 
after  this,  his  first  success,  and  was  as  hard  working  a 
jockey  as  had  a  seat  in  the  saddle  anywhere  in  the 
United  States.  The  races  he  rode  in  that  time  ran  up 
to  the  number  of  several  hundred  and  of  these  he  had  a 
percentage  of  winnings  that  was  eminently  creditable. 
Mr.  Adolph  Spreckles,  the  California  turfman,  saw  his 
work  upon  the  tracks  on  the  Pacific  Coast  and  was  so 
pleased  with  it  that  he  engaged  him  for  his   stable   and 


there  he  rode  for  one  year.  In  that  time  he  had  some 
SCO  mounts  and  won  nearly  100  races,  among  them  be- 
ing several  important  stakes  and  handicaps,  in  which  he 
contended  with  horses  and  jockeys  of  the  first  class. 
From  the  stable  of  Mr.  Spreckles  he  went  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  Messrs.  Burns  &  Waterhouse  and  rode  for 
those  gentlemen  for  one  year.  His  record  for  that  year 
was  over  600  races,  of  which  number  he  was  successful 
in  winning  about  140,  several  of  them  being  of  very  im- 
portant character. 

Like  all  jockeys 
who  have  won  their 
way  to  a  place  of  dis- 
t  i  n  c  t  i  o  n  on  the 
strength  of  their  mer- 
its, Jones  was  not  in- 
clined to  longer  attach 
himself  exclusively  to 
the  fortunes  of  a 
single  stable.  Accord- 
ingly, upon  the 
termination  of  his 
services  with  Messrs. 
Burns  &  Waterhouse, 
he  decided  to  ride 
on  his  own  account 
as  a  free  lance.  Sev- 
eral large  owners 
were  glad  to  employ 
him  and  he  had  a 
mount  some  450 
times  during  the  sea- 
son. His  winning 
races  ran  up  to  be- 
tween sixty  and  sev- 
enty. In  the  winter 
of  1897,  while  rid- 
mg  on  the  Southern 
and  California  courses 
he  had  very  good  suc- 
cess. In  particular 
on  Satsuma,  he  estab- 
lished three  records  in 
California;  the  mile 
record  at  i  minute, 
39/'2  seconds;  the  y?,  of  a  mile  in  i  minute,  27  seconds, 
and  the  %^  of  a  mile   in  i  minute,  12  seconds. 

In  the  season  of  1898,  riding  for  the  Sensation 
Stable  on  the  Eastern  courses,  he  made  an  excellent  im- 
pression. His  riding  weight  is  100  pounds  and  among 
jockeys  of  his  class  he  has  already  taken  good  position. 
If  he  shall  maintain  the  pace  that  he  has  marked  out 
for  himself,  he  is  more  than  likely  to  be  classed  as  one 
of  the  most  capable  riders  of  his  day. 


EDMUND    J.  JONES 


384 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Tlie  young  men  who  pilot  the  gi"e;it  thoroughbreds  to 
victory  in  these  days  are  as  hard-working  as  they  are 
clever.  Expansion  of  racing  interests  and  increasing 
number  of  racing  meetings,  with  consequent  addition  to 
the  number  of  races  that  are  run,  have  resulted  in  a  de- 
mand for  jockeys  such  as  it  is  scarcely  possible  for  the 
supply  fully  to  meet.  In  spite  of  all  that  may  be  said,  it 
is  reasonably  doubtful  if  the  conditions  of  the  turf  that 
make  it  necessary  to  call  upon  a  jockey  to  ride  three,  four 
or  five  times  a  day  and,  comparatively  speaking,  almost 
without  cessation  throughout  the  entire  year,  is  alto- 
gether advantageous,  either  to  the  public,  the  racing 
men  or  to  the  jockeys  themselves.  Nevertheless,  it  is 
doubtful  if  any  change  would  be  possible  or  advisable, 
all  things  considered,  so  long  as  the  number  of 
really  efficient  jockeys  is  lim- 
ited. An  enlargement  of  the 
corps  of  riders  and  the  less 
frequent  appearance  of  indi- 
■  viduals  might,  after  all,  be  less 
agreeably  received  by  the  pub- 
lic, since  the  popularity  of  a 
jockey  is  now  one  of  the  most 
engaging  elements  of  the 
sport. 

He  who  rides  a  great  num- 
ber of  races  is  always  in  the 
public  eye  and  his  ability  is 
clearly  demonstrated  beyond 
the  possibility  of  cavil.  In  a 
matter  which  is  always  so 
open  to  inspection  as  riding 
must  necessarily  be,  the  pub- 
lic cannot  long  be  deceived. 
The  jockey  of  inferior  calibre 
is  soon  relegated  to  secondary 
position  and  it  is  only  those 
whose  merit  is  of  the  highest 
quality  that  are  in  demand  by 
owners  and  the  public.  The 
test  of  the  ability  of  a  jockey 

is  not  only  in  his  occasional  successful  riding,  or  his 
brilliant  finish  now  and  then,  but  it  must  also  be  meas- 
ured by  the  number  of  mounts  with  which  the  owners 
are  inclined  to  favor  him  and  in  which  the  public  is  eager 
to  welcome  him.  While  a  great  jockey  may  be  able,  if 
he  so  wishes,  to  limit  himself  to  some  extent  in  the 
number  of  mounts  that  he  takes  during  the  season,  it  is, 
on  the  other  hand,  indisputable  that  the  inferior  jockey 
can,  under  no  circumstance,  aspire  to  a  large  number  of 
mounts.  The  jockey  who  rides  in  a  great  number  of 
races  must  be  one  of  good  calibre. 

Measured   by   this   standard,    William   S.    O'Connor, 
although  one  of  the  youngest  members  of  his  profession, 


WILLIAM   S.    O'CONNOR 


has  already  won  a  position  in  the  foremost  ranks.  He 
is  a  native  of  Brooklyn,  where  he  was  born  in  1881.  He 
is  another  one  of  that  large  company  of  "Father  Bill" 
Daly's  youngsters,  and  his  entire  racing  career  has  been 
under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Daly  and  his  brother,  Mr. 
Michael  Daly.  The  young  man  began  his  experience  in 
the  employ  of  Mr.  Michael  Daly  in  the  spring  of  1892. 
There  he  was  set  to  exercising  horses,  and  continued  in 
that  work  for  more  than  three  years.  Naturally  he  was 
anxious  to  advance,  but  not  having  much  opportunity 
to  ride  in  races,  even  after  he  knew  he  was  capable,  he 
succeeded  in  being  transferred  to  Mr.  William  C.  Daly's 
stable  and  started  in  to  ride  at  once.  His  first  mount 
was  on  Mr.  Daly's  Emotional  and  he  finished  third.  His 
first  winning  race  was  also  on  Emotional.     During  the 

three  months  that  he  rode  in 
the  season  of  1896,  he  had 
something  more  than  200 
mounts,  out  of  which  num- 
ber he  was  15  or  20  times 
successful.  The  next  year, 
1897,  saw  considerable  im- 
provement in  him.  He  was 
put  up  in  about  350  races 
and  out  of  that  number  won 
about  45  or  more. 

During  the  season  of  1898, 
his  work  showed  a  still  further 
improvement,  his  percentage 
of  winning  mounts  being 
far  above  the  average. 
His  stamina  has  been 
fully  displayed  on  more  than 
one  occasion,  especially,  per- 
haps, at  the  fall  meeting  at 
the  Aqueduct  Course  in  1897, 
when,  in  one  day,  he  won 
three  races,  each  of  them  by 
a  head,  and  all  of  them 
long  shots.  The  steady 
growth  in  form  and  power 
that  he  has  shown  while  actively  engaged  in  riding 
during  the  last  three  years,  shows  that  he  is  one  of  the 
coming  lightweights,  and  unless  all  appearances  are  de- 
ceptive, there  is  a  star  career  before  him.  His  riding 
weight  is  79  pounds,  and  there  are  no  present  indi- 
cations of  that  terror  of  all  lightweight  jockeys,  in- 
creasing flesh.  He  is  still  engaged  with  Mr.  Daly,  to 
whom  he  has  been  apprenticed,  while  Messrs.  Burns  & 
Waterhouse  have  second  call  upon  his  services.  As 
both  Messrs.  Daly  and  Burns  &  Watehouse  have  large 
stables,  a  very  busy  career  seems  to  be  certainly  marked 
out  for  him.  That  he  will  be  fully  equal  to  his  oppor- 
tunities there  should  be  little  doubt. 


385 


THE     AMERICAN     TURE 


That  Lexington,  Ky.,  should  certiiinly  produce  a  pro- 
portionately larger  number  of  distinguished  horsemen 
than  any  other  place  in  the  United  States,  has  long  ago 
been  a  foregone  conslusion.  So  often  has  reference  to 
that  interesting  fact  been  made  in  the  pages  of  this 
volume  that  further  comment  upon  it  has  naturally  be- 
come superfluous.  The  matter  is,  however,  more  or 
less  interesting  to  recall  whenever  the  career  of  one  of 
these  Kentuckians,  be  he  breeder,  owner,  trainer,  jocl^ey 
or  otherwise  identified  with  racing,  is  brought  promi- 
nently to  attention. 
In  the  case  of  James 
Perkins,  the  well 
known  and  success- 
ful jockey,  another 
example  of  the  result 
of  thoroughbred  en- 
vironment conspicu- 
ously presents  itself. 

Being  a  native  of 
Lexington,  that  home 
of  racing  and  thor- 
oughbreds, Perkins  na- 
turally absorbed  from 
infancy  that  knowl- 
edge of  horses  which 
is  part  of  the  child- 
hood training  of  every 
Kentucky  youngster. 
As  far  back  as  he  can 
remember,  he  was 
thrown  more  or  less 
into  association  with 
thoroughbreds,  and 
as  soon  as  he  was 
able  to  maintain  a  seat 
upon  a  horse,  his  in- 
itiation into  the  mys- 
teries of  riding  had 
their  beginning.  Be- 
ing a  promising  lad 
and  displaying  a  great 
deal  of  nerve  and 
good  judgment,  es- 
pecially of  pace,  he 
was  looked  upon  with  abundant  favor  by  the  turfmen 
under  whose  inspection  he  came  and  who  were  always 
on  the  outlook  for  new  and  promising  youngsters. 

His  first  actual  engagement  was  with  Peter  Wimmer 
and  his  first  mount  was  on  Ordrain,  with  whom  he 
finished  second  in  the  race,  a  feat  that  more  than  evei 
convinced  those  who  had  put  faith  in  him  that  he  had 
all  the  elements  of  a  good  future  before  him.  His  first 
winning  mount  was  on  the  mare  Caroline  Kinney.    The 


JAMES     PERKINS 


more  that  was  seen  of  his  work  in  the  early  days  of  his 
career,  the  more  his  exhibition  of  skill  attracted  the  no- 
tice of  prominent  owners,  and  after  a  short  time  he  was 
engaged  by  the  Messrs.  Scroggan  Brothers  to  ride  their 
horses.  He  did  not  remain  long  connected  with  this 
stable,  and  when  his  contract  had  expired  he  engaged 
as  a  free  lance,  being  employed  to  ride  by  such  well- 
known  and  exacting  owners  as  Captain  S.  S.  Brown,  the 
Messrs.  Fleischmann  and  others  of  similar  standing. 
Mr.  Byron  McClelland  sought  his  services  next,  be- 
lieving that  he  would 
be  a  very  valuable  ad- 
junct to  his  racing 
stable.  At  that  time 
Mr.  McClelland  was 
the  owner  cf  the  re- 
nowned Henry  of  Na- 
varre and  other  thor- 
oughbreds who  were 
almost  in  the  same 
class.  He  made  a  con- 
tract with  Perkins, 
and  the  arrangement 
was  one  that  was  mu- 
tually advantageous. 
The  great  horses  that 
Mr.  McClelland  raced 
gave  Perkins  the  best 
opportunity  that  he 
had  thus  far  had,  and 
he  showed  himself 
fully  equal  to  the  sit- 
uation, winning  many 
desirable  stakes  for 
his  employer.  After 
leaving  the  McClel- 
land Stable,  he  rode 
for  several  other 
prominent  owners, 
but  finally  made  a 
contract  with  Messrs. 
Graves  &  Co.  His 
appearance  at  Morris 
Park,  in  the  spring  of 
1897,  when  he  tied 
the  4>2  furlongs  record,  on  George  Keene,  attracted  re- 
newed attention  to  him.  "Soup,"  as  he  is  known,  is 
considered  one  of  the  best  middle  weight  jockeys 
now  in  the  saddle.  He  is  clever  and  painstaking,  and 
especially  smart  in  finishing.  His  services  have  always 
been  greatly  in  demand  and  his  mounts  have  been  from 
among  the  great  turf  champions  of  this  period.  His 
winning  races  have  included  many  of  the  most  notable 
events  of  modern  times, 


386 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Precocity  in  tiie  young  men  who,  in  silken  jacket  and 
cap,  pilot  the  great  thoroughbreds  past  the  judges'  stand, 
amid  the  applause  of  onlooking  thousands,  has  come  to 
be  well  nigh  proverbial.  It  is  interesting  to  consider 
that  in  no  other  profession  are  boys  able  to  attain  to  such 
prominence  and  to  win  such  valuable  returns  in  fame 
and  money,  even  before  they  are  out  of  what  should  be 
their  school  days.  All  this  shows  not  only  the  remark- 
able opportunity  offered  by  the  racing  field,  but  it  also 
indicates  the  existence  of  a  class  of  youngsters  who, 
even  before  they  have 
come  to  maturity,  are 
in  possession  of  quali- 
ties of  physique  and 
of  intellect  which 
might  well  be  the 
envy  of  many  of 
their  elders. 

Jockeyship  is  an  ex- 
acting profession  and 
calls  for  more  than 
the  mere  ordinary 
ability  to  keep  a  seat 
in  the  saddle.  The 
courage,  the  vitality, 
the  quickness  of  per- 
ception, and  the  rare 
good  judgment  of 
pace  and  of  other  de- 
tails,  are  proof  of 
something  more  than 
ordinary  ability  in  the 
persons  of  those  in- 
dividuals who  are 
thus  possessed  of 
them.  An  explana- 
tion of  this  phenome- 
non would  be  inter- 
esting to  seek,  but 
must  be  left  to  other 
students.  Neverthe- 
less, one  cannot  re- 
frain from  constant 
admiration  at  the  ster- 
ling ability  displayed 
by  these  lads,  even  before  they  are  really  well  into  their 
teens.  One  of  these  successful  young  men  is  John  H. 
Jackson,  who  was  born  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  1879,  and 
who  began  his  racing  experience  in  1894,  being  em- 
ployed in  the  stable  of  Lee  Christy.  Although  he 
remained  in  the  establishment  of  that  horseman  for  a 
year,  he  was  kept  at  exercising  only  about  six  months, 
so  quickly  did  he  display  his  skill  for  riding.  Some 
good  mounts  were  offered  to  him  at  once,  and  during 


JOHN     H.  JACKSON 


the  remaining  six  months  that  he  remained  with  Mr. 
Christy  he  rode  about  seventy-five  races,  winning  eighteen 
of  them.  His  first  winning  mount  was  on  Martin,  and 
afterward  he  won  on  Manchester,  Howard  Mann  and 
others  of  the  same  class.  His  work  in  his  first  season 
was  of  good  quality,  and  marked  him  as  a  boy  of  more 
than  ordinary  skill.  His  winnings  were  generally  the 
result  of  intelligent  hard  work,  and  he  soon  came  into 
the  class  of  those  jockeys  who  have  a  special  following 
of  race  track  frequenters.     Signing  a  contract  in  189510 

ride  for  Samuel  C. 
Wagner,  he  had  bet- 
ter success  during 
that  year  than  ever 
before.  The  races 
that  he  rode  n  u  m- 
bered  about  150,  and 
of  these  he  pulled  off 
about  forty.  The 
horses  that  he  rode 
included  Umbrella, 
Alice  W.  and  others. 
In  1896,  he  signed  to 
ride  for  J.  R.  Bradley, 
and  had  fair  success 
with  the  representa- 
tives of  that  turf- 
man's stable,  riding 
such  horses  as  Buck- 
e  y  e  and  numerous 
other  good  ones. 
More  recently,  Jack- 
son has  ridden  for 
Mr.  J.  A.  Bennett, 
who  has  retained  first 
call  on  his  services. 
In  1897,  he  rode  about 
140  races,  of  which 
he  carried  off  about 
thirty,  making  a  very 
good  record.  He  has 
developed  strongly 
since  he  first  began  to 
ride,  and  has  shown 
that  he  is  possessed 
of  some  very  good  qualifications  that  give  promise  for 
his  future.  He  is  a  firm,  strong  rider,  and  is  capable  of 
keeping  his  place  in  good  company.  Turfmen  are 
watching  him  closely  to  see  to  what  measure  of  success 
he  may  ultimately  attain. 

It  will  not  escape  notice  that  many  aspirants  for  jockey 
honors  never  succeed  in  securing  a  firm  hold.  It  is,  there- 
fore, agreeable  when  a  lad  like  Jackson  comes  forward  in 
whom  there  seems  to  be  a  substantial  basis  for  success, 


387 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Jockeys  are  born,  not  made.  As  we  have  so  frequently 
seen,  most  of  the  men  and  boys  in  the  saddle  have  risen 
from  the  ranks  of  stable  boys  and  have  had  few  oppor- 
tunities, either  for  general  education  or  for  special  in- 
struction in  their  profession  save  such  as  they  have  been 
able  to  pick  up  in  the  stable.  That  this  has  been  the 
best  possible  school  in  developing  great  riders,  the  prac- 
tical experience  of  years  has  demonstrated  beyond  the 
possibility  of  question.  There  have  been  theorists  who 
have  long  and  persistently  maintained  the  proposition 
that  young  men  of  edu- 
cation would  more  than 
hold  their  own  as  jock- 
eys, if  they  entered  into 
the  business  with  the 
same  zest  as  is  displayed 
by  the  lad  who  is  em- 
ployed in  a  great  stable 
as  an  exercise  boy  and 
who  knows  that  he  has 
his  future  in  his  own 
hands. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  how- 
ever, this  proposition 
has  never  been  seriously 
put  to  test.  Nothing  has 
yet  been  found  superior 
to  the  experience  gained 
in  knocking  around  the 
stable  and  the  youngster 
who  should  attempt  to 
come  to  the  saddle  with- 
out this  experience  and 
relying  altogether  on 
his  general  knowledge 
and  education,  would  find 
himself  at  a  great  dis- 
advantage when  brought 
into  competition  with 
rivals  who  have  run 
after  horses  almost 
from  the  time  that  they 
were  able  to  walk.  Oc- 
casionally there  is  an  ex 

ception  to  this  rule,  but  the  exceptions  have  never 
been  numerous  nor  important  enough  to  call  for  anything 
more  than  momentary  attention,  It  is  not  likely  that  this 
condition  of  things  will  soon,  if  ever,  change.  The  suc- 
cessful jockey  will  probably  long  continue  to  be  the 
natural  outgrowth  of  the  stable  and  of  practical,  rough 
everyday  experience  with  horses.  Some  years  ago,  it 
is  true,  the  theorists  went  so  far  as  to  propose  that  a 
school  for  the  instruction  of  jockeys  should  be  established 
in  New  York  City.     Nothing   ever   came   ot  this   plan, 


JAMES  T.  R.  JOHNSTON 


however,  and  probably  less  than  nothing  would  have  re- 
sulted from  it,  had  it  been  possible  to  put  it  into  practical 
working. 

James  T.  R.  Johnston  is  a  type  of  the  young  irishman 
who  has  grown  up  with  horses  almost  from  the  time 
that  he  was  an  infant,  and  whatsoever  success  he  has  at- 
tained has  been  based  upon  his  boyhood  experience.  He 
was  born  in  the  County  Tyrone,  November  12,  1878. 
His  father  was  a  well-known  horseman,  and  the  boy 
when  he  was  ten  years   of  age   began   exercising  the 

horses  in  his  father's 
stable.  The  same  year 
he  rode  his  first  race  on 
Fairy  Queen  and  con- 
tinued riding  thereafter. 
Although  so  young  that 
it  seemed  as  though  he 
could  scarcely  keep  his 
place  in  the  saddle,  he 
displayed  exceptional 
proficiency  and  had  ex- 
cellent success  with  all 
his  father's  horses  that 
he  undertook  to  pilot. 
On  the  turf  of  Ireland  he 
was  considered  one  of 
the  best  lightweights. 
His  ability  was  strikingly 
displayed  by  the  fact  that 
he  was  successful  in  win- 
ning with  his  first  three 
mounts. 

Johnston's  riding  was 
not  confined  to  the  stable 
of  his  father,  but  he  was 
engaged  by  many  other 
owners  in  Ireland  and  in 
England,  among  them 
being  Messrs.  Henry 
Hamilton,  O'Neil  and  P. 
Kane,  Dr.  Leitch  and 
others.  In  1893,  he  be- 
gan to  ride  jumpers  and 
has  been  quite  as  suc- 
cessful in  this  class  of  racing  as  he  had  been  previously 
on  the  flat.  In  1896,  he  rode  the  champion  high  jumpers 
of  England  and  Ireland.  His  advent  in  the  United  States 
has  been  very  recent,  but  since  he  came  to  this  country 
he  has  had  success  quite  commensurate  with  the  reputa- 
tion that  he  enjoyed  abroad.  He  has  been  especially  en- 
gaged to  ride  for  Messrs.  E.  &  A.  Craven,  who  have  a  stable 
ofhalf  a  dozen  good  horses.  His  riding  weight  is  130 
pounds,  and  the  public  may  look  forward  with  pleasurea- 
ble  anticipation  to  seeing  him  in  many  interesting  contests. 


388 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


It  is  only  justice  to  Harry  Martin,  tiie  popular  light- 
weight, to  say  that  the  position  which  he  holds  to-day 
has  been  won  by  thoroughly  good  work  in  the  saddle, 
a  decided  aptitude  for  his  profession  and  a  correct  ap- 
preciation of  the  duties  devolving  upon  him.  Born  at 
Titusville,  Pa.,  January  25,  1875,  "  Skeets "  Martin,  as 
he  is  popularly  known,  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  then,  at  the  age 
of  fifteen,  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world. 
Eventually,  he  landed  in  California,  and  it  was  there  that 
he  had  his  first  experience  with  horses  in  the  stable  of 
Mr.  Appleby,  who  em- 
ployed him  to  exercise. 
After  a  year  passed  in  this 
occupation,  he  entered 
the  establishment  of  Mr. 
D.  Smith  in  a  similar  capac- 
ity. 

Already,  however,  young 
though  he  was,  he  had 
been  considered  reliable 
enough  to  be  entrusted  oc- 
casionally with  a  mount 
for  the  Appleby  Stable.  In 
this  capacity  he  rode  in 
three  races,  his  first  mount 
being  on  a  mare  named 
Emma  D.  It  was  not, 
however,  until  he  became 
fully  associated  with  the 
stable  of  Mr.  Smith  that  he 
had  a  real  chance  to  dis- 
play his  mettle  and  dem- 
onstrate his  aptitude  for 
the  professional  career  that 
he  had  marked  out  for 
himself.  Mr.  Smith  early 
recognized  his  latent  abil- 
ity, and  gave  him  the  op- 
portunity that  was  really 
the  making  of  him.  His 
first  winning  mount  was 
on  Last  Chance,  and  from 
that  time  on  his  skill  was 
duly  recognized,  and  he 
became  a  figure  of  much  interest  in  the  racing  world. 

In  the  course  of  time,  it  was  inevitable  that  his  per- 
formances upon  the  tracks  in  California,  that  so  clearly 
demonstrated  his  skill  as  rider,  should  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  prominent  Eastern  horsemen  who  now  so  often 
make  a  winter  pilgrimage  to  that  section  of  the  country 
a  part  of  their  yearly  itinerary.  Among  those  who 
watched  the  boy  most  critically  was  Mr.  David  Gideon, 
who  was  so  impressed  with  his  merit  that  he  gave  him 


HARRY    MARTIN. 


an  engagement.     He  then  came  East,  and  made  his  ap- 
pearance on  the  leading  New  York  courses. 

Upon  the  Eastern  tracks  heat  once  displayed  the  same 
skill  and  reliability  that  in  earlier  years  in  California  had 
won  him  fame  and  promotion.  His  winning  mounts 
have  been  large  in  number  and  important  in  character. 
Among  the  stakes  that  he  has  won  was  the  Shreve  Cup, 
which  he  took  on  Lucky  Dog,  while  he  was  the  hero  in 
several  important  and  exciting  races  on  Damien  and  St. 
Lee,  including  two  handicaps  on  the  last-named  horse. 
His  riding  weight  is  100  pounds,  and  this  gives  him  a  de- 
cided advantage  that  has 
stood  him  in  good  stead  on 
many  important  occasions. 
At  the  same  time,  he  has 
combined  with  this  and 
other  natural  and  valuable 
qualifications  perfect  cool- 
ness, even  when  in  the 
most  trying  situations,  and 
exceptional  good  judgment 
as  to  pace  and  the  position 
of  his  mount. 

Wherever  he  has  ap- 
peared, he  has  made  a 
most  favorable  impression, 
both  with  owners  and  with 
followers  of  the  racetracks 
generally.  Throughout  his 
entire  career  he  has  con- 
ducted himself  with  pru- 
dence and  in  a  manner  that 
has  been  admirably  calcu- 
lated to  win  and  retain  the 
confidence  of  his  many  ad- 
mirers. Of  late  he  has 
again  been  more  identified 
with  the  West  than  with 
the  East,  and  has  secured  a 
large  personal  following. 
The  magnitude  and  im- 
portance of  his  work  can 
be  best  understood,  per- 
haps, by  the  simple  state- 
ment of  his  engagements 
during  the  year  1897,  fof"  example.  In  that  season  alone 
he  had  1,257  mounts.  His  winning  races  were  269.  He 
was  second  242  times,  third  181  times,  and  unplaced  56s 
times.  This  would  be  a  creditable  record  for  an  old  and 
matured  jockey  with  a  lifetime  of  experience  behind 
him.  For  a  comparatively  young  man,  who  in  all  prob- 
ability has  a  long  future  to  look  forward  to,  it  stamps  him 
as  a  high  class  member  of  his  profession  and  fixes  his 
position  beyond  question. 


389 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


There  is  no  nationality  in  jockeydom  and  no  sectional- 
ism. Our  English  cousins  naturally  claim  pre-eminence 
in  this  respect,  as  they  do  in  regard  to  all  other  mat- 
ters of  the  turf,  but  again  and  again  even  they  have 
been  met  upon  their  own  grounds  and  their  colors 
lowered  by  experienced  riders  who  were  not  to  the  Eng- 
lish manner  born.  In  the  United  States  the  record  of 
jockeys,  as  respects 
place  of  birth  and 
early  training,  have 
been  altogether  var- 
ied. It  might  natu- 
rally be  thought  that 
the  South,  where 
thoroughbred  inter- 
ests have  been  of  such 
overwhelming  impor- 
tance for  generations, 
would  furnish  the 
most  proficient  jock- 
eys and  by  far  the 
larger  number.  In- 
vestigation shows, 
however,  that  this 
supposition  scarcely 
holds  true.  The 
American  turf  has  had 
many  celebrated  rid- 
ers, who,  in  the 
splendor  of  their  ac- 
complishments, have 
rivaled  even  the  best 
English  jockeys,  and 
they  have  come  to 
their  fame  from  all 
parts  of  the  country. 
The  South  has  fur- 
nished many  of  them, 
others  have  come 
from  the  far  West  and 
even  New  England 
has  contributed  a 
few,  while  New  York 
has  been  specially 
noted  in  this  respect. 

Henry  P.  Griffin  is 
one  of  the  New  York 

jockeys  of  distinction.  He  was  born  in  New  York, 
December  13,  1876,  and,  when  he  was  about  15  years 
of  age,  was  taken  in  charge  by  Mr.  James  Shields  and 
initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  racing.  Of  course  he 
began  as  an  exercise  boy,  but  his  restriction  to  this 
work  lasted  a  short  time,  for  he  was  soon  promoted 
to  the   saddle  and  made  an  almost  instantaneous  hit. 


HENRY    F.   GRIFFIN 


Few  riders  ever  enjoyed  greater  popularity  than  he 
when  he  was  at  the  height  of  his  career,  a  popularity  that 
was  in  every  way  merited. 

The  first  horse  that  he  rode  was  Alaric,  who  belonged 
to  Mr.  Shields  and  was  raced  at  Gloucester.  During  the 
time  that  he  was  riding  for  Mr.  Shields  and  other  owners, 
his    ability    was    recognized    by    Mr.    David    Gideon, 

who  secured  his  serv- 
ices, and  in  that  sta- 
ble he  had  opportun- 
ity befitting  his  talents, 
and  soon  demon- 
strated that  he  was 
among  the  best  in  the 
country.  Not  only 
did  he  pilot  winners 
for  Mr.  Gideon,  but  he 
also  rode  for  the 
Messrs.  Keene,  Dwyer 
Brothers,  P.  Lorillard, 
Gideon  L.  Knapp,  E. 
j.  Baldwin,  Edward 
Corrigan  and  others. 
When  Mr.  August 
Belmont,  Jr.,  had  as- 
assembled  his  grand 
collection  of  thor- 
oughbreds, he  e  n- 
gaged  Griffin  as  pre- 
mierjockey.  That  this 
engagement  was  a 
wise  one  for  the  Bel- 
mont Stable  no  one 
familiar  with  the  turf 
history  of  recent  years 
can  for  a  moment 
doubt.  Griffin's  suc- 
cess with  the  Belmont 
horses,  until  the  time 
of  his  retirement  in 
1896,  was  of  a  nota- 
b  1  e  character.  For 
Mr.  Belmont  and 
others  he  rode  such 
great  champions  a  s 
Lady  Violet,  Henry  of 
Navarre,  Ramapo,The 
Butterflies,  Requital,  Clifford,  Handspring,  Hastings,  and 
many  others.  Financial  prosperity  naturally  followed 
Griffin  and  the  full  reward  of  his  ability  came  to  him. 
Although  too  heavy  longer  to  ride,  he  still  maintains  a 
deep  interest  in  turf  matters,  and  in  the  future  he  may  be 
still  further  identified  conspicuously  in  the  sport  in  which 
he  has  borne  such  an  important  and  brilliant  part. 


390 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


horses    he  has 
5  has  been  of  very  great 


Although  Jimmy  Michael  lias  attained  to  greater  fame 
as  a  bicyclist,  there  seems  to  be  no  good  reason  why  he 
should  not  also  achieve  success  in  the  saddle.  The 
same  qualities  of  stamina,  courage  and  acuteness  that 
have  enabled  him  to  win  on  the  wheel,  are  those  which 
are  the  essential  qualifications  for  successful  jockeyship. 
During  his  experience  in 
found  that  his  bicycle  trainin 
benefit  to  him.  One  of  the  most  important  things  for  a 
jockey  is  to  know  how 
to  pace  the  animal 
that  he  is  riding.  It 
is  the  same  thing  with 
the  bicyclist,  and  Mi- 
chael, who  has  shown 
himself  so  clever  in 
respect  to  the  latter, 
says  that  he  does  not 
find  any  difference  be- 
tween the  two  and  is 
sure  that  he  can  tell 
just  exactly  how  fast 
he  is  going  when  on  a 
horse  as  he  can  when 
riding  a  wheel. 

Born  in  Aberman, 
Wales,  in  November, 
1876,  this  clever 
young  man  already 
has  an  international 
reputation.  He  is  one 
of  the  champion  bi- 
cycle racers  of  the 
world,  having  met 
and  defeated  the  best 
men  in  that  branch  of 
sport  in  Europe  and 
the  United  States. 
He  has  always  had  an 
ambition  to  become  a 
jockey,  and  when  a 
boy  in  his  native 
Wales  was  accus- 
tomed to  riding  on 
horseback,  even  be- 
fore he  had   made  the 

acquamtance  of  a  bicycle.  Although  for  a  time  the 
pursuit  that  has  brought  him  fame  has  most  engrossed 
his  attention,  it  has  never  alienated  him  from  his  early 
liking  for  horses,  and  in  coming  again  to  the  saddle  pro- 
fessionally, he  will  but  return  to  that  pursuit  that  seemed 
first  to  attract  him. 

It  has  been  remarked  of  him  that  he  takes  kindly  to 
the  new   pursuit  and  has   been   exceedingly   quick   in 


JIMMY     MICHAEL 


learning  how  to  ride  and  in  acquiring  a  knowledge  of 
all  the  details  of  successful  jockeyship.  As  yet,  he  has 
not  actually  retired  from  the  field  of  bicycling,  a  circum- 
stance that  is  undoubtedly  pleasing  to  his  many  admir- 
ers, who  have  followed  his  career  with  something  more 
than  ordinary  interest.  He  does  not  think  that  bicvcling 
is  likely  to  interfere  seriously  with  his  riding  or  con- 
versely. The  same  system  of  training  and  adherence  to 
good  habits  that  are  found  necessary  to  keep  him  in  con- 
dition for  bicycle  rac- 
ing are  also  the  impor- 
tant elements  in  the 
life  of  the  hard  work- 
ing jockey.  He  cer- 
tainly has  this  advan- 
tage, that  his  occupa- 
tion heretofore  has 
been  of  a  character  to 
peculiarly  fit  him  for 
the  pursuit  in  which 
he  contemplates  en- 
tering. The  bicycle 
engagements  that  he 
has  will  take  him  from 
the  race  course  dur- 
ing the  season  of  1898, 
but  will,  on  the 
whole,  he  expects, 
tend  to  improve  his 
condition  for  riding, 
rather  than  to  inter- 
fere with  it.  It  is  like- 
ly, moreover,  as  time 
goes  on  and  he  finds 
his  interests  more 
and  more  absorbed  by 
the  turf,  he  may  be 
heard  less  and  less  fre- 
quently in  that  sport 
with  which  he  has 
heretofore  been  prin- 
cipally identified. 

Michael  is  a  light- 
weight, w  e  i  g  h  i  n  g 
even  when  not  in 
training,  only  108 
pounds.  With  that  natural  weight  there  would  seem 
to  be  no  reason  why  he  should  not  be  able  to  reduce  to 
98  pounds,  thus  putting  himself  in  a  class  of  the  most 
useful  lightweights.  The  exercising  and  practicing 
that  he  has  followed  up  in  the  Dwyer  Stable,  under  that 
excellent  trainer,  Mr.  Frank  McCabe,  have  given  abun- 
dant promise  of  his  future.  His  career  will  be  watched 
with  great  interest. 


391 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


It  has  probably  not  escaped  the  notice  of  those  who 
have  given  careful  consideration  to  the  subject,  that  the 
far-away  Southwest  has  taken  no  inconsiderable  part  in 
racing  affairs  in  the  present  generation.  That  the  sport, 
as  it  is  conducted  in  other  parts  of  the  country  should 
assume  very  conspicuous  prominence  in  that  section  is, 
to  be  sure,  scarcely  to  be  expected.  The  racing  institu- 
tion is  an  object  of  comparatively  slow  growth.  In  the 
North  and  in  the  South,  where  it  has  been  most  fully 
developed,  it  has  had  more  than  a  century  of  existence, 
without  which  there  is  no  sufficient  reason  to  believe 
that  it  could  ever  have  succeeded  in  attaining  to  its  ptes- 
ent  proportions.  Long  years  are  necessary  for  its  fullest 
development  and  also  for  the  creation  of  an  interested 
community  that  shall  give  to  it  the  generous  financial 
suppor  necessary  to  its  stability. 

In  the  newer  sections  of  the  country  which  have  been 
settled  only  a  short  time,  as  compared  with  the  older 
States,  the  conditions  precedent  to  the  full  and  success- 
ful instalment  of  this  sport  must  necessarily  be  largely 
absent.  Even  as  it  was  in  the  old  colonial  days  of  the 
Atlantic  seaboard,  and  later  on  in  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
the  settlers  of  our  great  Southwest  have  been  engrossed 
with  the  mighty  task  of  subduing  nature  and  of  building 
up  a  great  material  prosperity.  They  have  come  forward 
with  marvelous  strides,  and  in  everything  that  goes  to 
make  up  enterprise  and  successful  business  have  long 
rivaled  even  the  older  parts  of  the  United  States.  That 
they  have  not,  as  yet,  given  that  attention  to  the  particu- 
lar sport  of  racing,  is,  under  the  circumstances,  perhaps, 
not  altogether  surprising.  Furthermore,  that  section  of 
the  country,  quite  as  much  as  New  England  and  the 
Northwest,  is  wholly  lacking  in  the  inspiring  traditions 
that  pertain  to  the  thoroughbred  and  his  performances 
and  that  have  been  for  several  generations  the  whole- 
some and  powerful  stimulus  in  developing  racing  inter- 
ests in  other  parts,  where,  as  we  have  seen,  they  have 
become  firmly  fixed  in  the  hearts  of  the  people. 

At  the  same  time,  however,  the  people  of  the  South- 
west have  shown  to  some  extent  that  they  are  by  no 
means  devoid  of  that  passion  for  racing  that  characterizes 
their  fellow-countrymen  elsewhere.  They  have  given 
considerable  attention  to  the  trotter,  and  the  perform- 
ances on  their  trotting  tracks  have  been  often  of  a  notable 
character.  The  running  horse  also  has  had  his  followers 
among  them,  and  while  there  have  been  almost  no  large 
and  important  courses  there,  the  small  racing  meetings 
have  been  very  considerable  in  number.  Especially  is 
this  true  of  Missouri,  Kansas  and  Texas.  In  many  years 
in  Missouri,  for  instance,  there  have  been  a  dozen  or 
more  racing  meetings  during  the  season,  those  at  St. 
Louis  and  Kansas  City  being  the  most  important,  and 
really  of  national  character.  Such  places  as  St.  Charles, 
St.  Joseph  and  others  of  lesser  note  must  also  be  included 


among  those  which  have  given  favor  to  meetings  for  the 
thoroughbreds.  In  Kansas  there  have  been  frequent 
meetings  in  such  places  as  Atchison,  Wichita,  Leaven- 
worth and  elsewhere.  Texas,  too,  has  come  into  the 
ranks  of  racing  States,  the  meetings  at  Houston,  Dallas, 
Victoria,  Denton,  and  other  centres  of  population  having 
attained  to  a  character  that  entitles  them  to  more  than 
passing  notice. 

From  this  section  of  the  country  also  have  come  a  few 
of  the  leading  American  turfmen  of  this  period,  and  their 
names  are  known  and  respected  wherever  the  thorough- 
bred is  followed.  Texas,  in  particular,  has  raised  some 
good  horsemen.  The  horse  interests  of  that  State,  thor- 
oughbred and  otherwise,  have  developed  strong  riders 
and  trainers,  men  who  have  been  familiar  with  horses 
from  their  earliest  youth,  and  who  have  a  complete  and 
accurate  understanding  of  the  equine  nature.  Some  of 
them  have  been  the  outgrowth  of  cowboy  experience, 
and  it  is  interesting  to  note  in  passing  that,  among  cow- 
boys of  the  Southwest,  the  old-fashioned  quarter  racing 
that  was  so  much  practiced  in  the  colonies,  a  century  or 
more  ago,  has  continued  much  in  vogue  even  in  the 
present  time.  It  is  not  from  this  class  of  horsemen, 
however,  that  the  turfmen  whom  the  country  has  learned 
to  know  so  well  have  been  drawn.  They  are  those  who 
have  been  associated  from  the  very  first  with  the  thor- 
oughbred and  whose  later  career  has  been  but  an  advance 
along  the  same  lines  as  those  upon  which  they  started. 

Among  these  of  the  Southwest  who  hold  excellent 
rank  among  modern  turfmen  stands  that  successful 
jockey,  Henry  Shields,  who  was  born  in  Dallas,  Tex., 
December  2,  1875.  He  began  his  racing  experience  in 
1889  as  an  exercise  boy  for  Mr.  James  M.  Brown.  In 
the  course  of  time  he  was  promoted  to  the  saddle,  and 
rode  for  Mr.  Brown  for  several  years.  The  first  horse 
on  which  he  won  was  Giveaway.  After  the  death  of 
Mr.  Brown,  his  son,  Mr.  J.  E.  Brown,  continued  racing 
the  stable  of  his  father,  and  with  him  Shields  remained 
two  years,  his  term  of  service  with  the  Brown  Stable 
covering,  altogether,  four  years.  After  that  he  rode 
independently  for  two  years,  his  services  being  engaged 
by  several  owners,  and  for  them  he  rode  winning  races. 
During  his  long  career  he  has  ridden  upon  all  the  great 
courses  of  the  country,  including  those  around  New 
York,  as  well  as  those  in  Louisville,  New  Orleans,  Mem- 
phis, Nashville,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis  and  Chicago,  as 
well  as  in  California  and  in  Canada. 

More  recently  Shields  was  engaged  to  ride  for  Mr.  W. 

B.  Sink,  whose  horses  were  in  the  care  of  Mr.  Samuel 

C.  Hildreth.  In  1896,  he  won  the  Gunst  Selling  Stakes 
of  the  California  Jockey  Club,  riding  Service.  On  the 
same  horse  and  other  members  of  Mr.  Sink's  stable, 
and  also  for  other  owners.  Shields  has  been  success- 
ful, and  many  good  races  have  been  placed  to  his  credit. 


392 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Samueljesse  Doggett  was  born  November  29,  1871, 
near  Falmouth,  111.     At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  had  a  mount 


Born  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  May  28,  1876,  William  Hani 
began  his  racing  experience  in  1889,  when  he  was  a  lad 
of  only  thirteen  years  of  age.  For  several  years  he  was 
apprenticed  to  William  Rogers.  His  first  win  was  on 
the  horse  Oberlin  in  a  handicap  on  the  Gloucester,  N.J., 
course,  and  for  several  years  he  was  principally  identi- 
fied with  that  track.  He  won  an  extraordinary  num- 
ber of  races  there,  and  was  very  successful  financially. 
Dnring  his  reign  at  Gloucester,  he  was  really  the  premier 
jockey.  In  1893,  for  example,  he  won  2^6  races,  and 
was  only  unplaced  37  times. 

Nor  was  his  success  limited  to  Gloucester.  At  St. 
Louis,  he  won  37  races  in  30  days;  at  St.  Paul,  he  won 
47  races;  at  Latonia,  21  races;  at  New  Orleans,  47  races; 
at  Newport,  Ky.,  11  races;  at  Windsor,  Canada,  9  races, 
and  at  Joliet,  Ind.,  19  races.  At  Milwaukee,  he  rode 
three  races,  winning  two  of  them.  A  severe  accident 
laid  him  up  for  some  time,  but  later  in  the  season  he 
rode  21  races  and  only  finished  twice  outside  the 
money.  For  the  season  of  1897,  he  signed  with  Mr. 
Marcus  Daly.  His  hard  work  has  brought  him  a  com- 
fortable competence,  and  he  has  a  pleasant  home  in 
Auburn,  N.  Y.     He  has  been  an  enterprising,  energetic 


SAMUEL  J.  DOQQETT 

at  a  county  fair,  and  has  virtually  been  riding  ever  since. 
His  first  professional  engagement  was  with  Mr.  J.  P. 
Smallwood.  Going  next  to  the  stable  of  Mr.  David 
Waldo,  of  Chicago,  he  was  afterward  connected  with 
Mr.  Frank  A.  Ehret,  Dr.  Gideon  L.  Knapp,  and  Mr. 
Francis  D.  Beard.  He  has  also  ridden  for  other  owners, 
having  had  mounts  from  many  prominent  stables,  while 
the  horses  he  has  successfully  piloted  compose  a  host  of 
the  famous  cracks.  This  list  might  be  supplemented  by 
an  equally  striking  selection  from  the  stakes  and  events 
he  has  won. 

As  an  owner,  Doggett  has  also  figured  successfully, 
his  plan  being  to  purchase  yearlings,  train  them  and  sell 
them  to  other  turfmen.  Among  the  number  that  have 
in  this  way  passed  through  his  hands  are  Montpelier, 
The  Bully,  Doggett  and  others.  Throughout  his  career, 
Doggett  has  been  noted  for  his  temperance,  attention  to 
business  and  frugality.  As  a  reward,  he  has  an  ideal 
home,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  at  Gravesend, 
Brooklyn.  Here,  in  addition  to  a  fine  house,  surrounded 
by  shaded,  well-kept  lawns,  is  a  broad  expanse  of 
pasture  expressly  adapted  to  keeping  horses.  He  en- 
joys every  comfort  that  life  affords,  in  company  with  a 
helpmate  whose  devotion  has  aided  greatly  in  building 
his  reputation  and  fortune.  In  all  his  professional  and 
personal  relations,  his  sterling  integrity  has  made  him 
one  of  the  highly  esteemed  men  of  the  turr. 


WILLIAM     HAM 


worker,  and  during  his  career  has  been  a  conspicuous 
figure  in  many  exciting  contests. 


393 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Alonzo  Clayton  was  born  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  in  1876, 
and  lil<e  many  boys,  had  a  fondness   for  riding  horses. 


ALONZO     CLAYTON 


His  ambition  to  become  a  jockey  soon  asserted  itself, 
and  he  prevailed  upon  his  parents  to  permit  him  to  go 
with  Mr.  E.  J.  Baldwin.  He  remained  with  the  Bald- 
win Stable  one  year,  when  he  came  East  and  engaged 
with  Mr.  D.  A.  Honig,  who  at  that  time  had  a  string  at 
Clifton,  N.  J.  It  was  at  this  track  that  he  had  his  first 
mount,  riding  Redstone.  For  two  years  afterward  he 
continued  with  Mr.  Honig  and  then  Mr.  Donovan,  of 
Elizabeth,  engaged  him.  Clayton  continued  in  his  em- 
ploy until  he  secured  a  position  with  Mr.  Ross,  of  Sara- 
toga, with  whom  he  remained  one  season,  after  which 
he  was  engaged  with  Richmond  Smith,  the  Bashford 
Manor  Stable  and  the  Pastime  Stable. 

Subsequent  to  this,  however,  Clayton  rode  some  of  the 
famous  horses  owned  by  Mr.  Byron  McClelland,  among 
them  being  The  Commoner  and  Halma  and  that  star  per- 
former Henry  of  Navarre.  When  Mr.  James  G.  Rowe 
was  engaged  to  train  Col.  W.  P.  Thompson's  horses, 
he  entered  into  negotiations  with  Clayton  to  ride  for  the. 
Brookdale  string.  There  is  a  record  of  many  stakes 
where  his  name  as  the  winning  jockey  appears,  among 
which  are  the  Brooklyn  Handicap  in  1894,  the  Futurity 
in  1894,  the  Cotton  Stakes  at  Memphis,  in  1895,  and 
the  Saratoga  Stakes  in  1895.  His  brilliant  win  on  Tillo 
in  the  Suburban  of  1898,  is  fresh  in  the  mind  of  the  turt 
world.  Clayton  will,  no  doubt,  add  many  laurels  to 
his  credit  before  he  ceases  to  be  active. 


In  looking  over  the  history  of  the  turf  for  any  great 
number  of  years  one  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the 
fact  that,  more  than  any  other  class  of  individuals  con- 
nected with  racing,  the  jockeys  have  only  a  short  day. 
The  exactions  of  their  work  have  a  tendency  to  wear 
them  out,  but  that  is  not  the  principal  thing  that  lies  in 
the  way  of  their  permanency  in  the  saddle.  No  matter 
how  small  a  boy  may  be,  or  how  promising  in  the  way 
of  limited  growth  or  meagre  flesh,  the  time  is  very  likely 
soon  to  come  when  he  has  passed  beyond  the  limit  of 
usefulness  in  size  and  weight.  Few  of  them  can  avoid 
growing,  however  much  they  may  wish  to  attain  that 
much  desired  consummation.  Consequently  the  men  of 
years  who  are  still  in  the  saddle  are  comparatively  few  in 
number. 

One  of  the  oldest  jockeys  now  in  active  work  and  as 
capable  as  any  in  his  class  is  Robert  Williams,  who  is 
better  known  perhaps,  by  his  favorite  nickname,  "Tiny." 
He  was  born  in  Chillicothe,  O.,  December  10,  1868.  His 
racing  experiences  began  in  1879.  with  the  Messrs.  Mace 
Brothers  and  later  he  was  engaged  with  other  prominent 
owners  of  that  time.  He  had  his  first  mount  in  1883, 
and  his  first  winning  race  was  on  Lillie  Dale  at  New 
Orleans.  Among  the  owners  who  have  employed  him 
have  been  Messrs.  W.  L.  Scott,  E.  S.  Gardner,  Scroggan 
Brothers,  E.  J.  Baldwin  and  Turney  Brothers.  More 
recently  Mr.  J.  E.  Seagram,  the  great  Canadian  turfman. 


ROBERT    WILLIAMS 


has  had  the  first  call  upon  him.     He  is  a  good,  service- 
able  rider,   hard-working  and  reliable. 


3  94 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


Few  men  known  to  the  tarf  have  had  more  rapid 
progress  or  higher  or  more  marked  reputation  at  the  age 
of  twenty-nine  than  Anthony  Hamilton.  He  was  born 
in  Columbus,  S.  C,  in  1866.  He  is  a  jockey  to  the 
manner  born,  having  from  his  young  days  been  familiar 
with  the  saddle.  His  apprenticeship  began  in  the  stable 
of  Mr.  William  Lakeland,  for  whom  he  rode  until  1886. 
His  next  engagement  was  with  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  1S88.  Important  assignments 
followed  this  one,  including  services  with  Senator  George 
Hearst,  the  senior  August  Belmont  and  Messrs.  M.  F. 
Dwyer,  Pierre  Lorillard,  J.  R.  Keene  and  August  Bel- 
mont, Jr.,  and  he  has  also  ridden  independently. 

It  is  a  high  compliment  to  pay  to  a  man  to  say  that 
he  has  ridden  a  winner  in  every  important  event  on  the 
American  turf,  but  that  assertion  may  correctly  be  ap- 
plied to  Hamilton.  All  patrons  of  the  great  races  remem- 
ber his  exciting  victories,  and  the  events  in  which  he 
participated  have  been  enriched  by  exhibitions  of  his 
riding,  such,  for  example,  as  the  Brooklyn  Handicap, 
which  he  won  with  Exile,  in  1889,  and  in  1895  with 
Hornpipe;  the  Suburban,  with  Lazzarone,  in  1895,  and 
the  Metropolitan,  with  Counter  Tenor,  in  1896.  During 
his  career  of  twelve  years  he  has  accomplished  a  greater 


Love  of  horses  is  the  prime  element  in  the  success  ot 
every  jockey,  and  James  Irving,  who  has  been  connected 


ANTHONY     HAMILTON 


amount   of  work  than   many  men  have   succeeded   in 
getting  through  with  in  a  long  lifetime. 


JAMES     IRVING 

with  some  of  the  best  American  stables,  manifested  this 
disposition  from  his  earliest  boyhood.  He  was  born  in 
New  York  City,  in  1873,  and  his  first  definite  connec- 
tion with  thoroughbreds  was  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  J.  B. 
Haggin,  under  that  great  trainer,  Matthew  Byrnes. 
From  the  stable  of  Mr.  Haggin  he  went  to  that  of  Mr. 
G.  Walbaum,  continuing  as  exercise  boy  altogether  for 
two  years.  But  during  this  time  he  received  his  first 
mount,  and  also  recorded  his  first  winning,  which  was 
on  Pat  Donovan.  Mr.  David  Waldo,  of  Chicago,  next 
engaged  his  services,  and  he  remained  there  for  two 
years,  to  his  own  advantages  and  that  of  his  employer. 
Among  the  winning  mounts  that  he  had  from  the  Waldo 
Stable  were  Carlsbad,  Ida  Pickwick  and  others. 

An  engagement  with  the  Chicago  Stables  of  Messrs. 
Hankin  &  Johnstone  followed,  and  during  the  three 
years  that  he  maintained  this  connection  he  had  special 
good  fortune,  winning  an  unusually  large  number  of 
stakes  and  handicaps,  among  them  being  the  Columbus 
Handicap,  the  Detroit  Derby  and  the  Blue  Grass  and  the 
Ladies'  Stakes.  Latterly  he  has  been  engaged  with 
Thomas  J.  Healey.  He  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the 
coming  jockeys,  and  his  career  will  be  followed  with 
interest    by    his    admirers. 


395 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Albert  Songer  is  one  of  the  many  capable  young  men 
who  have  come  from  Canada  to  win  distinction  in  con- 
nection with  the  turf.  He  was  born  in  Toronto,  October 
4,  1880.  Entering  the  stable  of  Mr.  J.  Doyne  in  the 
spring  of  1894,  when  he  was  only  a  little  over  thirteen 
years  of  age,  he  got  his  first  taste  of  the  business  to 
which  he  has  since  devoted  himself.  He  remained  with 
Mr.  Doyne  for  one  year,  being  employed  in  exercising, 
and  when  he  gave  up  that  position  it  was  to  enter  the 
employ  of  Mr.  R.  Burger,  where  he  continued  for  two 
years.  He  was  not  long  confined  to  the  less  important 
work  in  the  Burger  Stable,  for  he  commenced  to  ride 
very  soon,  and  with  good  success. 

In  the  fu'st  two  years  of  his  riding  he  had  several  hun- 
dred mounts,  and  won  a  reasonably  fair  proportion  of 
the  races  in  which  he  was  engaged.  He  has  piloted  to 
victory  many  prominent  horses  and  has  been  the  central 
figure  in  numerous  exciting  finishes.  Most  of  his  career 
has  been  through  the  West  and  in  Canada,  but  his  ap- 
pearance upon  the  Eastern  courses  in  the  fall  of  1897  was 
of  very  satisfactory  character,  although  he  was  so  un- 
fortunate as  to  meet  with  a  fall  at  the  Aqueduct  Meeting 
which  temporarily  incapacitated  him  for  work.  Recently 
he  has  been  engaged  to  ride  for  the  stable  of  Mr.  James 
Galway,  a  circumstance  that  is  the  strongest  testimony 
to  the  reputation  that  he  has  achieved  as  a  capable  light- 
weight.   Songer  rides  at  9s  pounds,  and  it  is  believed  that, 


One  of  the  jockeys  who  has  come  decidedly  to  the 
front  in  the  past  few  seasons  is  Joseph  S.  Hewitt.     In 


ALBERT   SONQER 


barring  accident,  he  has  a  long  and  useful  career  before 
him.     His  services  will  probably  be  much  in  demand. 


JOSEPH   S.    HEWITT 


fact,  his  record  has  already  established  his  right  to  a 
place  among  the  most  prominent  members  of  his  profes- 
sion, and  possessing,  as  he  does,  the  natural  qualifica- 
tions, including  coolness,  skill,  good  judgment  and  light 
weight,  together  with  the  confidence  of  some  of  the 
most  prominent  owners  on  the  turf,  there  is  every  reason 
to  expect  that  his  career  will  be  successful  and  prosper- 
ous. He  comes  by  his  qualifications  as  a  matter  of  in- 
heritance. He  was  born  at  Westbury,  Long  Island, 
where  his  father  was  superintendent  of  the  famous 
Meadowbrook  Hunt  Club.  He  attended  school  regularly, 
but  at  the  same  time  was  constantly  among  horses  and 
imbibed  horse  lore  and  an  enthusiasm  for  thoroughbreds. 
He  was  carefully  instructed  by  his  father,  a  respected  and 
experienced  horseman,  so  that  his  finished  style  is  the 
outcome  of  no  ordinary  training. 

In  1893,  he  entered  upon  real  work  by  engaging  with 
Mr.  August  Belmont  to  exercise  horses,  and  profited  by 
his  experience  with  the  crack  material  composing  the 
famous  Blemton  Stable.  In  1895,  he  had  his  first  mount 
in  public,  riding  Right  Royal  at  the  Sheepshead  Bay 
Course.  Although  he  has  been  largely  in  Mr.  Belmont's 
service,  he  has  ridden  successfully  for  many  owners  and 
made  a  trip  to  California  with  Harry  Griffin,  and  while 
there  rode  for  Messrs.  Burns  &  Waterhouse.  Among 
the  noted  horses  he  has  piloted  are  Tragedian,  Merry 
Prince,  FlorettalV.,  Howard  Mann,  Patrol  and  Octagon. 


396 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Lightweight  jockeys  who  combine  with  this  advantage 
not  only  si<ill  and  judgment,  but  the  necessary  amount 


THOMAS   POWERS 


of  physical  force,  are  sought  for  in  the  racing  world 
much  more  frequently  than  they  are  found.  Thomas 
Powers  is  one  of  the  few  now  in  the  saddle  who  can 
be  classed  in  this  category.  Riding  at  about  ninety-five 
pounds,  he  has  given  evidence  of  some  superior  ability 
in  his  profession.  Powers  began  his  turf  career  with 
George  Newton,  for  whom  he  exercised,  and  it  was 
while  employed  by  Mr.  Newton  and  on  that  owner's 
horses  that  he  made  his  initial  appearance  as  a  rider  on 
the  track.  After  a  year  and  a  half's  experience  he  en- 
gaged with  Mr.  W.  J.  Roche,  who  owned  Free  Lance, 
Sir  Knight,  Blue  Knight  and  other  good  horses,  and  then 
became  connected  with  the  stable  of  R.  Bradley,  for 
whom  he  rode  Panway,  Cliquot,  Second  Chance,  Lady 
Greenway  and  other  members  of  the  string. 

At  the  same  time  his  services  have  been  in  request  for 
other  owners  than  those  with  whom  he  has  been  per- 
manently connected.  Among  the  mounts  with  which 
he  has  been  intrusted  are  such  horses  as  Petrel,  Crom- 
well, Urania,  Set  Fast,  Jefferson,  Refugee,  Sir  Vassar  and 
a  great  number  of  others,  in  a  majority  of  instances  scor- 
ing victories  upon  them.  When  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard 
lately  transferred  his  racing  interests  from  the  American 
to  the  English  turf,  he  made  Powers  a  flattering  offer  to 
cross  the  ocean  and  ride  upon  the  courses  of  the  Old 
Country.  This  offer  was  declined  for  personal  reasons, 
but  it  is  generally  thought  that  the  American  rider,  had 
he  decided  to  go,  would  have  made  a  good  record  in 
competition  with  the  best  leading  jockeys  of  England. 


During  a  period  covering  almost  ten  years  Wil- 
liam H.  McDermott  has  been  identified  with  racing 
in  and  about  New  York  and  also  on  the  other  great  tracks 
of  the  country.  He  is  one  of  that  large  class  of  horse- 
men who  are  natives  of  New  York  City  and  get  their 
first  inspiration  in  racing  matters  on  the  great  Eastern 
tracks.  He  was  sixteen  years  of  age  when  he  entered 
the  ranks  in  1890,  being  employed  by  William  McMahon, 
who,  by  the  way,  is  the  father-in-law  of  the  celebrated 
jockey,  "  Snapper  "  Garrison.  With  Mr.  McMahon  he 
remained  for  three  years,  at  the  outset  as  exercising  boy. 
The  art  of  jockeyship  came  to  him  quickly,  however,  and 
before  he  had  served  a  full  year  of  his  apprenticeship  he 
began  to  ride  in  races.  While  he  remained  with  Mr. 
McMahon  he  was  favored  with  some  three  hundred 
mounts  and  came  in  winner  about  fifty  times.  The  most 
prominent  horses  that  he  rode  were  Prince  Edward,  Long 
Jack  and  others  of  similar  class. 

After  leaving  the  employ  of  Mr.  McMahon  he  had  an 
engagement  with  Mr.  Frank  Engeman  for  one  year,  win- 
ning about  40  races  for  that  owner's  stable;  on  Chateau 
alone  he  won  12  races.  His  next  engagement  was  with 
Mr.  William  Phillips,  during  which  he  won  about  30  races 
out  of  200  mounts,  the  best  horses  that  he  piloted 
being  Lottie  A.,  Schoolmarm  and  Sir  Clifton.  During  the 
season  of  1897,  he  was  engaged  with  Mr.  Jere  Dunn,  riding 
Sunny  Slope,  Ruby  Lips,  Blissful,  Diana's  Daughter  and 
others.     On  the  whole,  he  has  had  a  very  good  record, 


««w 


WILLIAM     H.   McDERMOTT 


holds  a  fixed  position,  and  seems  likely  to  be  heard  from 
in  the  near  future.      His  riding  weight  is  ninety  pounds. 


397 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Born  in  Fordham,  N.  Y.,  November  12,  1877,  Robert 
Harrison  was  fortunate  in  being  brought  up  in  the  racing 
atmosphere  that  has  long  pertained  to  Westchester 
County,  and  especially  to  the  neighborhood  of  Jerome 
Park  and  Morris  Park.  His  racing  experience  began  in 
1889,  when  he  was  engaged  in  the  stable  of  W.  J. 
Spiers.  His  maiden  race  was  won  on  Lansdale.  In 
i8q5,  after  having  been  with  Mr.  Spiers  for  several  years, 
he  engaged  with  Robert  Clare,  who  was  then  training 
the  stable  of  Mr.  Arthur  White,  and  he  rode  Challenger, 
Christmas,  Titmouse  and  other  horses.  His  next  en- 
gagement was  with  John  Hynes,  who  in  recent  years  has 
had  such  good  horses  in  training  as  Brisk,  Declare,  Pass- 
over, Ma  Petite  and  others. 

Harrison  has  won  on  Brisk,  Lida  Woodlands,  Ma 
Petite,  Watercress  and  many  others,  his  successes  being 
generally  of  a  clever  character  and  showing  good  skill 
and  self-possession.  His  average  riding  weight  is  ninety- 
eight  pounds.  Besides  the  horses  mentioned  he  has  rid- 
den others  of  distinction,  and  has  won  many  races. 
He  has  been  particularly  successful  in  the  West,  where 
he  is  regarded  in  good  favor.  He  is  skilful  in  his  work, 
and  his  career  has  been  characterized  by  strict  attention 


Coming  of  a  racing  family,  Eugene  Van  Keuren  has 
fully  justified  his  name  by  his  turf  exploits.     His  brother, 


■"or 


•^ 


ROBERT    HARRISON 

to  business  and  careful  consideration  of  the  best  interests 
of  the  stables  with  which  he  has  been  connected. 


EUGENE    VAN    KEUREN 

William  Van  Keuren,  will  be  recalled  as  a  former  jockey, 
and  now  as  one  of  our  owners  and  trainers.  Eugene 
Van  Keuren  was  born  in  Port  Jervis,  N.  J.,  October  18, 
1 87 1.  He  began  his  racing  experience  in  1886  in  the 
stable  of  the  Messrs.  Dwyer  Brothers.  After  a  brief 
term  of  service  for  the  Chicago  Stable,  he  returned  to 
his  former  employers  and  was  also  promoted  to  ride. 
His  first  mount  was  on  Battery,  and  his  first  win  was  on 
Winona. 

Subsequently  he  rode  for  W.  H.  Timmons,  when  that 
turfman  had  One,  False  Ahrens  and  other  noted  thor- 
oughbreds. Next  Van  Keuren  signed  with  Mr.  E.  J. 
Baldwin,  and  then  went  with  the  Springhurst  Stable. 
Beginning  with  the  season  of  1897,  he  engaged  with 
Covington  &  Kent.  Still  later  he  has  been  again  with 
the  stable  of  Mr.  Timmons.  He  has  ridden  on  nearly 
all  the  tracks  in  America,  has  had  good  mounts  and  cor- 
respondingly good  success.  His  average  riding  weight 
is  102  pounds.  The  fact  that  he  has  already  attained  his 
full  growth  should  enable  him  to  ride  for  many  years  to 
come,  while  with  the  skill  that  he  has  shown,  there  is 
every  reason  why  he  should  be  expected  to  hold  a  good 
position  in  his  profession. 


398 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


Born  in  New  York  City,  Ciiarles  O'Donnell,  wiio  is 
one  of  tile  good  lightweigiit  jockeys  of  this  period, 
began  his  racing  experience  with  the  stable  of  W.  H. 
Roller.  At  that  time  Mr.  Roller  owned  Azrael,  Little 
Fred,  Lestei'and  other  horses  of  prominence,  and  in  their 
company  O'Donnell  had  a  very  good  introduction  to  the 
thoroughbred  family.  With  Mr.  Roller,  O'Donnell  re- 
mained for  a  single  year,  and  then,  in  1893,  engaged  to 
ride  for  James  Shields.  He  was  occupied  in  exercising 
only  a  comparatively  short  time  before  he  was  promoted 
to  ride  in  races.  His  maiden  race  was  on  Juliette,  and 
it  was  also  his  first  win,  naturally  to  the  great  delight 
of  not  only  himself,  but  also  his  employer. 

Afterward  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  rode 
largely  for  Mr.  J.  E.  Madden,  but  had  mounts  from 
other  stables.  Among  his  sensational  races  was  one  on 
Lineage  at  New  Orleans.  At  Baltimore,  in  1896,  he  won 
nearly  every  race  that  he  rode.  At  St.  Asaph  one  season 
he  won  six  races,  all  of  which  were  surprises  to  the 
public.  His  riding  in  the  East  in  1897,  attracted  the 
attention  of  Mr.  James  H.  McCormick,  the  trainer  for 
Messrs.  Burns  &  Waterhouse,  and  he  was  assigned  to 
ride  for  that  stable.  One  of  the  best  races  that  he  ever 
placed  to  his  credit  was  on  the  grass  at  Sheepshead  Bay, 
when  he  won  with  Hugh  Penny,  defeating  Sun  Up  and 


The  first  experience  of  John  T.  Coylie,  another  of  the 
large  class  of  eminent  lightweights,  was  with  Mr.  Will- 


JOHN    T.   COYLIE 


CHARLES    O'DONNELL 


others.   He  is  a  jockey  of  strong  calibre,  and  able  to  give  a 
good  report  of  himself  even  when  in  the  best  of  company. 


Engeman, 


iam  A.  Engeman.  He  remained  with  Mr. 
exercising  horses,  for  one  year.  This  was  in  1891, 
when  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age,  having  been  born 
in  1877,  in  Meriden,  Conn.  Subsequently  he  was  con- 
nected with  James  McLaughlin  for  four  years.  His  work 
was  of  an  admirable  character  and  attracted  a  great  deal 
of  attention.  He  weighed  some  seventy-five  pounds, 
and  displayed  skill  almost  beyond  his  weight  and 
years.  During  the  season  of  1893,  he  rode  only  a  small 
number  of  races,  about  twelve,  of  which  he  was  suc- 
cessful in  winning  several.  The  following  year  he  had 
a  mount  some  fifty  times  and  was  successful  in  coming 
in  at  the  head  ten  times. 

In  1895,  he  had  advanced  to  an  even  better  standing, 
carrying  to  his  credit  some  thirty  out  of  one  hundred 
races,  among  them  being  several  stakes  and  handicaps. 
During  the  season  of  1896,  he  rode  only  part  of  the  time, 
having  met  with  an  accident.  The  season  of  1897  "was 
a  particularly  successful  one  for  him, -and  his  riding  of 
Premier  in  races  against  more  experienced  jockeys  was 
often  and  favorably  commented  upon.  Upon  this  horse 
he  won  several  consecutive  races,  and  in  most  of  the 
events  in  which  he  was  engaged  he  was  part  of  an  ex- 
ceedingly close  finish.  Among  the  stakes  he  won  with 
Premier  was  the  Carter  Handicap  at  Aqueduct.  More 
recently  he  has  made  a  first-class  connection  with  the 
stable  of  Mr.  Sydney  Paget,  and  has  a  promising  future, 


399 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Although  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  has    never  been 
particularly  noted  for  its  concern  for  the  thoroughbred, 


JOHN   T.    HILL 

yet  within  the  confines  of  that  commonwealth  have 
been  two  of  the  most  noted  later  day  breeding  and  rac- 
ing establishments.  Only  the  merest  mention  of  the 
names  of  these  two  places,  the  Algeria  of  the  Honorable 
William  L.  Scott,  and  the  Erdenheim  of  Mr.  Aristides 
Welch,  is  necessary  in  this  connection.  The  former 
gained  distinction  for  itself  and  for  the  American  turf 
through  the  imported  stallion.  Rayon  d'Or;  the  latter 
was  not  less  famous  through  the  glories  of  imported 
Leamington,  and,  in  later  day,  the  noble  Parole. 

At  Chestnut  Hill  was  the  Erdenheim  Stud,  and  it  was 
in  that  neighborhood  that  the  young  jockey,  Hill,  was 
brought  up.  Beginning  his  racing  career  in  1892,  when 
he  was  a  boy  of  twelve  years  of  age,  he  was  engaged  in 
the  stable  of  Mr.  Walter  Gratz,  and  remained  there  for 
some  two  years,  being  principally  employed  in  exercis- 
ing. ^  In  1894,  his  services  were  engaged  by  Mr.  John  V. 
Elliott  as  a  lightweight,  and  with  that  gentleman  he 
remained  for  a  single  season.  Subsequently,  in  1896,  he 
was  employed  by  Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer.  Remaining  with  the 
Dwyer  Stable  during  1897,  he  rode  Ben  Ronald,  Hardly, 
Wadsworth  and  others,  and  also  had  mounts  for  outside 
owners.  He  won  a  number  of  races  on  Ben  Ronald  and 
Wadsworth.  Still  connected  with  the  Dwyer  Stable,  he  is 
regarded  as  a  good  rider  and  holds  an  excellent  rank 
among  the  lightweights  who  are  now  coming  to  the 
front  so  strongly  and  in  such  large  numbers. 


Born  in  Fredericksburg,  Tex.,  in  1880,  Max  Hirsch,  one 
of  the  bright  young  lightweights  of  the  present  era, 
attended  school  only  until  he  was  eight  years  of  age, 
and  soon  after  that  entered  upon  a  racing  career.  First 
he  was  heard  of  in  quarter  racing  around  the  county  fairs 
of  his  native  State.  Then  engaged  with  the  Morris  Farm 
in  Texas,  where  he  was  employed  for  two  years.  There 
his  work  was  of  such  a  satisfactory  character  that  Mr. 
R.  W.  Walden  brought  him  East  and  has  since  kept  him 
busy  for  himself  and  for  the  stable  of  Messrs.  A.  H.  & 
D.  H.  Morris.  He  has  ridden  upon  all  the  prominent 
courses  in  the  South,  West  and  East. 

During  his  entire  career  in  the  saddle  he  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  Morrises,  but  has  occasionally  ridden  for 
outside  owners.  In  fact,  owners  and  trainers  have  come 
to  be  specially  desirous  of  his  services  for  their  horses  let 
in  at  lightweight.  His  work  has  always  been  of  good 
character.  He  is  a  capable  jockey,  well  liked  by  his 
employers,  and  also  a  favorite  with  the  public  and  with 


MAX    HIRSGH 


his  fellow  riders.     Those  who  know  him  best  consider 
that  he  has  a  long  and  bright  future  before  him. 


400 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Considering  liis  siiort  connection  wilii  tlie  turf,   few 
riders    iiave    made   a    more    favorable   impression    tlian 


CHARLES     F.  GARRIQAN 


Ciiarles  F.  Garrigan.  He  does  not  ride  as  frequently  as 
some  others,  but  is  especially  noted  for  his  reliability  and 
caution.  Born  in  1874,  on  Staten  Island,  he  has  had 
the  advantage  of  a  thorough  schooling,  his  studies  con- 
tinuing until  he  was  nineteen  years  of  age.  Then,  in 
1893,  he  entered  the  stable  of  the  Burridge  Brothers  as 
an  exercise  boy.  His  aptness  became  apparent,  and 
within  one  year  he  made  his  first  trial  as  a  rider,  having 
a  mount  on  Surgeon,  which  horse  he  brought  through  a 
big  bunch  to  a  place.  Afterward  he  rode  The  Baroness, 
Samaritan,  Corn  Cob,  Emma  and  others,  winning  with 
Emma  at  30  to  i ,  beating  Gutta  Percha  and  others,  and 
winning  with  The  Baroness  at  a  mile  and  a  half. 

In  addition  to  riding  for  the  Burridge  Brothers,  he  has 
ridden  for  the  Goughacres  Stable  and  Messrs.W.  J.  Roche, 
J.  V.  Elliott,  Charles  Miller,  R.  McBride,  D.  T.  Pulsifer 
and  others.  He  has  had  some  notable  wins  besides 
those  already  mentioned,  especially  on  Defender  and  on 
Lochinvar  at  long  odds.  On  Defender,  at  a  mile,  he 
beat  Garrison,  who  rode  Mirage,  in  a  drive,  by  a  head. 
He  is  a  jockey  with  tenacity,  intelligence  and  firm  guiding 
power,  and  whenever  he  rides  can  be  depended  upon  not 
to  disappoint  either  his  principal  or  the  public.  He  has 
been  making  an  imprpssion  with  his  skilful,  jockeyship 
during  the  few  years  that  he  has  been  actively  engaged, 
and  seems  destined  to  leave  behind  him,  before  his  career 
shall  have  ended,  a  very  substantial  record. 


Although  recently  in  the  field,  Walter  Willhite  has 
already  attracted  attention  by  his  consistent  and  often 
brilliant  work.  The  greater  part  of  his  career  has  been 
in  the  West,  but  he  has  also  met  with  fair  success  upon 
the  tracks  of  the  East  in  recent  seasons.  He  is  a  native 
of  Illinois,  the  town  of  Milan,  in  that  State,  being  his 
birthplace.  He  has  been  upon  the  turf  only  a  few  years, 
beginning,  in  189s,  as  an  exercise  boy  for  the  stable  of 
Mr.  William  Arnett,  who  owned  Flying  Dutchman, 
Dutch  Arrow  and  others.  His  first  win  was  on  Hymenia 
as  a  two-year  old. 

His  next  engagements  were  successively  with  Mr.  John 
W.  Shaw  and  Mr.  J.  E.  Madden,  his  contract  with  the 
last  named  horseman  running  over  the  season  of  1898. 
Besides  the  tracks  of  the  East,  Willhite  has  ridden  at 
New  Orleans,  Louisville,  Memphis,  Little  Rock  and  Lex- 
ington. His  claim  to  rank  among  the  strong  lightweight 
riders  was  demonstrated  by  his  riding  of  that  great  two- 
year  old,  Hamburg,  in  the  Trial  Stakes  of  1897.  His 
clever,  cool-headed  work  upon  that  occasion   won  for 


WALTER    WILLHITE 


him  many  admirers,  who  are  still  watching  his  career 
with  more  than  ordinary  interest  and  admiration. 


401. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Some  of  the  best  judges  have  gone  on  record  as  say- 
ing that  Michael  F.  Hennessey's  riding  is  often  a  treat  to 


M.    F.    HENNESSEY 

those  who  appreciate  good  horsemanship.  It  may  also 
be  added  that  his  brother  jockeys  confirm  that  estimate 
of  his  powers.  Although  he  was  born  at  Pittsfield, 
Mass.,  August  28,  1868,  Hennessey's  life  has  been  largely 
spent  in  the  West.  He  began  his  turf  career  in  i88s, 
when  he  engaged  with  Mr.  J.  B.  Haggin,  his  first  mount 
and  winning  race  being  on  Surname.  He  spent  four 
years  with  Mr.  Haggin,  and  then  engaged  with  Mr. 
Porter  Ashe  for  two  years  more.  Most  of  his  work 
since  he  began  riding  has,  however,  been  done  inde- 
pendently. He  has  had  a  wide  experience  and  has  rid- 
den many  of  the  cracks. 

As  already  indicated,  much  of  his  riding  has  been  on 
the  'Western  tracks,  and  in  that  section  he  has  a  justly 
high  reputation  with  owners  and  public.  'While  he  has 
made  several  appearances  in  the  East,  they  have  not  been 
wholly  fortunate,  as  he  met  with  accidents  each  time  he 
came  to  this  part  of  the  country,  his  fall  when  riding 
Mamie  at  the  Clifton  track,  in  1893,  being  still  remem- 
bered by  turfmen  and  race  course  followers.  In  1897, 
however,  he  once  more  came  East  under  engagement  to 
ride  for  Messrs.  Burns  &  'Waterhouse,  and  fully  sus- 
tained his  reputation  by  his  excellent  work. 


Another  one  of  the  jockeys  who  have  first  been  noted 
from  their  connection  with  the  stable  of  "  Father  Bill  " 
Daly  is  Michael  Sheedy.  He  is  a  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  boy, 
born  April  27,  1878.  He  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a 
public  school  education,  and  did  not  come  into  racing 
quite  as  young  as  some  other  boys,  being  fifteen  years 
old  when  he  commenced  exercising  for  Mr.  Daly.  In 
the  spring  of  1894,  he  was  put  into  the  saddle  by  Mr. 
Daly  and  rode  his  first  race  on  Restraint  for  the  Cherry 
Diamond  Handicap,  finishing  second  to  Dr.  Rice,  thus 
winning  distinction  from  the  very  outset  of  his  career. 
He  also  rode  Charade,  Buckwa,  Hornpipe  and  others, 
his  mounts  outside  of  the  Daly  Stable  being  for  Mr.  J. 
R.  Keene  and  others. 

In  1896,  he  was  engaged  to  ride  principally  for  Mr.  J. 
R.  Keene  and  Mr.  George  E.  Smith,  and  in  the  season 
of  1897,  extended  his  field  of  operations  by  riding  for 
many  other  owners.  In  this  same  season  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  the  tracks  in  New  Orleans,  Chicago, 
Newport,  Ky.,  and  elsewhere.  He  has  had  the  distinc- 
tion of  riding  W.  B.,  on  whom  he  was  never  beaten, 
Kinglet,  Irish  Reel,  Aurelian,  Chiswick  and  numerous 
others.     He  is  a  good,  capable  rider,  faithful  in  all  that 


40^ 


MICHAEL   SHEEDY 


he  undertakes,  and  is  solid,  rather  than  brilliant,  in  his 
riding.     His  skill  is  frequently  noticed; 


402 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


One  of  the  brio;ht  youno;  men  wlio  have  come  fi'om 
h'eland  is  Michael  Shannon,  a  capable  lightweight,  who 
has  been  in  the  saddle  since  i8qs.  He  was  born  in  Lim- 
erick, and  came  to  the  United  States  to  seek  his  foitLine 
in  iSe^i.  His  tirst  engagement  in  connection  with  the 
turf  was  in  iSg^,  when  he  began  as  exercise  boy  with 
John  Huffman.  He  had  his  first  mount  on  John  Cohen, 
and  was  notably  successful  with  his  first  winning 
mount,  which  was  on  First  Deal,  for  with  that  horse  he 
won  two  straight  races.  He  had  a  "  leg  up  "  on  Bromo 
when  that  horse  won  his  maiden  race,  and  his  achieve- 
ment upon  that  occasion  was  of  more  than  ordinary 
moment  to  him. 

His  work  in  the  saddle  attracted  the  attention  of  Frank 
Regan,  who  was  much  impressed  with  the  possibilities 
that  lay  in  the  boy  and  signed  a  three  years'  contract  for 
him  to  ride  the  horses  in  his  stable.  His  work  for  Mr. 
Regan  has  been  of  a  good  character  and  sufficiently  suc- 
cessful to  show  that  he  is  a  jockey  of  abundant  merit. 
He  has  ridden  and  won  very  cleverly  some  important 
races.  Having  a  fairly  good  general  education,  he  has 
acquired  an  excellent  knowledge  of  horses,  and  displays 
fine  judgment  when  riding.  He  is  painstaking  and 
careful,   and   is  constantly  on    the    lookout    to   gather 


The  boys  to   whom    "Father  Bill"  Daly  has  given 
their  first  instruction  would  constitute  a  large  regiment. 


ALFRED    H.    WAPSHIRE 


MICHAEL   SHANNON 

new,  points  of  value  that  may  be  useful  to  himself  or 
to  his  employers,  and  is  quite  likely  to  advance  rapidly. 


Many  of  them  have  won  distinction  in  their  after  years 
and  have  never  hesitated  to  give  due  credit  to  their  early 
training.  Comparatively  few,  however,  have  remained 
for  any  considerable  length  of  time  in  the  stable  of  their 
preceptor,  for  their  ability  seems  very  quickly  to  have 
attracted  the  attention  of  other  owners,  who  have  held 
out  tempting  offers  to  them.  Now  and  then,  however, 
there  have  been  those  satisfied  to  remain  with  the  stable 
in  which  they  were  first  brought  out,  and  whose  success 
has  been  coincident  with  the  success  of  that  establish- 
ment. 

A  notable  example  of  the  value  of  the  training  secured 
in  the  Daly  Stable  is  seen  in  the  person  of  Alfred  H. 
Wapshire.  Once  a  Daly  boy,  he  has  always  been  a 
Daly  boy.  In  fact,  he  has  become  almost  a  permanent 
fixture  in  that  stable.  Born  in  London,  England,  March 
8,  1878,  Wapshire  was  brought  to  the  United  States 
when  he  was  a  child  of  only  two  years  of  age.  He 
received  a  good  education  in  the  public  schools,  and  after- 
ward applied  himself  to  the  trade  of  bookbinding.  He 
was  sixteen  years  of  age  when  he  became  connected 
with  the  stable  of  Mr.  Daly.  There  he  exercised  horses 
for  a  year  and  a  half  and  had  his  first  mount  on  Golden 
Gate  at  Brighton  Beach.  He  has  ridden  such  horses  as 
Arabian,  Pearl  Song,  General  Maceo,  Emotional,  Volley, 
Rifler,  St.  Vincent,  Rotterdam  and  others,  and  has  won 
on  Dr.  Jim,  Ortoland  and  others.  Besides  riding  for  Mr. 
Daly,  he  has  had  many  outside  mounts. 


403 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Not  many  eminent  horsemen  have  come  out  of  Kan- 
sas, but  now  and  then  the  history  of  the  turf  has  re- 
corded some  individuals  from  that  part  of  the  country 
who  have  done  their  part  in  the  active  work  of  racing. 
William  Vincent,  the  lightweight  jockey,  is  one  of  this 
small  class.  He  was  born  in  1872  at  Big  Springs,  Kan., 
and  the  early  part  of  his  career  in  connection  with  racing 
was  passed  in  the  West.  The  first  stable  connection 
that  he  had  was  with  W.  F.  Cross  in  1892,  for  one  year. 
So  quickly  did  he  learn  the  art  of  jockeyship,  that  Mr. 
Cross  trusted  him  with  several  mounts,  among  them 
Buckthorn  and  Fred  Knox.  His  good  form  attracted 
attention,  and  the  following  year  he  was  engaged  to 
ride  for  Edward  Logan. 

During  the  season  o(  1894,  he  rode  several  hundred 
races,  of  which  number  he  won  about  fifty,  half  of  them 
being  on  Venture  and  Starlight.  The  next  year,  he  was 
engaged  with  H.  D.  Bellew,  for  whom  he  rode  winning 
races  on  Granite,  Hopedale,  W.  T.  Ellis  and  others. 
Albert  Bellew,  a  brother  of  his  previous  employer,  en- 
gaged him  for  tJie  season  of  1896,  and  he  also  had  out- 
side mounts.  Continuing  with  Mr.  Bellew  in  1897,  he 
was  still  successful  with  the  horses  of  that  stable,  princi- 
pally Aunt  Jane,  Madeline  and  Hattie  Blue.  Illness  pi'e- 
vented  him  from  riding  during  the  latter  part  of  the  year, 
but  his  record  during  the  two  seasons  that  he  was  with 
Mr.  Bellew  was  very  satisfactory.  More  recently,  he 
has  been  engaged  with  Senator  Timothy  D.  Sullivan. 
His  riding  weight  is  95  pounds.     His  success  upon  the 


Fortunate  in  his  birth  and  early  training  for  one  who 
has  a  racing  career  in  view,  William   Valentine  seems 


WILLIAM    VINCENT 


Eastern  tracks  is  looked  forward  to  with  expectation  by 
those  familiar  with  his  career  in  the  West. 


WILLIAM    VALENTINE 

destined  to  long  maintain  the  remembrance  of  the  family 
name  in  connection  with  the  turf  His  father,  Mr.  John 
H.  Valentine,  has  been  associated  with  racing  for 
twenty-five  years  as  an  owner  and  trainer,  and  it  was 
natural  that  the  son  should  follow  in  the  footsteps  of 
his  father.  In  fact,  his  entire  racing  career  has  been 
with  his  father's  stable.  Born  in  New  York  City,  in 
1883,  he  entered  upon  work  as  exercising  boy  in  1892, 
and  kept  at  that  employment  for  the  ensuing  four  years. 
It  was  in  1896  that  he  rode  his  first  race,  at  the  Spring 
Meeting  on  the  Aqueduct  Course,  and  he  finished  third 
on  Helen  H.  II.  Following  that  he  went  the  same 
season  to  Windsor,  Ont.,  where  he  won  seventeen 
races  out  of  the  sixty  mounts  that  he  had,  securing  a 
place  at  the  same  time  in  nearly  all  the  others. 

Then  he  went  to  New  Orleans  and  was  two  times 
first  and  four  times  second  out  of  the  twenty  races  in 
which  he  was  engaged.  He  met  with  an  accident  at 
New  Orleans,  but  at  the  Spring  Meeting  at  Windsor, 
Can.,  in  1897,  was  again  in  the  saddle  and  success- 
ful in  winning  a  fair  number  of  the  races  in  which  he 
started.  At  Detroit  the  same  year,  he  did  some  good 
riding,  and  also  at  Newport,  Ky.  Next  he  went  to 
Michigan  to  ride  at  the  Highland  Park  Meeting,  and 
there  continued  successful,  until  he  met  with  another 
fall,  which  laid  him  up.  Most  of  his  mounts  have  been 
for  his  father's  stable,  but  outside  owners  have  also 
secured  his  services  to  their  advantage. 


404 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


Attention  has  been  repeatedly  called  in   these  pages  to 
the   many   active  tuifmen   who,  in   recent   years,  have 


i 


VINCENT    GARCIA 


come  out  of  California,  many  of  whom  have  subsequently 
distinguished  themselves  in  all  parts  of  the  country, 
even  where  racing  rivalry  is  the  most  acute.  One  of 
the  most  recent  California  boys  to  whom  attention  has 
been  called  on  the  Eastern  courses  is  Vincent  Garcia, 
who  has  already  had  a  good  career  in  the  West,  and 
seems  to  be  amply  justified  in  aspiring  to  distinction  in 
the  best  class  of  lightweights  of  the  present  generation. 
He  was  born  in  San  Francisco,  in  December,  1876.  His 
first  employment  was  in  1888,  in  the  stable  of  Senator 
Leland  Stanford.  There  he  began  as  exercise  boy. 
During  his  three  years  employment  he  was  put  up  to  ride 
m  several  races,  and  showed  marked  ability. 

From  the  Stanford  Stable  he  went  to  that  of  Mr.  Porter 
Ash,  for  whom  he  rode  some  two  years,  principally- on 
Chipman,  Floodgate  and  others  of  a  similar  stamp,  and 
winning  some  seventy-five  out  of  the  entire  number  of 
races  in  which  he  entered.  Next  he  rode  one  season  for 
Mr.  E.  F.  Smith,  with  not  less  success  than  had  charac- 
terized his  work  before.  After  one  year  with  Mr.  C. 
Pallet,  he  started  as  a  free  lance,  and  was  successful  until 
he  was  taken  ill  and  forced  to  retire  for  the  season.  During 
the  winter  of  1897-98,  he  was  in  form  again,  winning  as 
before.  Now  he  aims  to  test  his  fortunes  on  the  Eastern 
tracks,  and  his  record  justifies  bright  expectations  con- 
cerning   his    future. 


From  his  boyhood  up  the  life  of  John  L.  Coyle  has 
been  passed  as  a -jockey,  in  which  profession  he  has  won 
deserved  recognition.  He  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md., 
October  i,  1876,  and  has  been  among  horses  from  his 
earliest  days.  In  1893,  when  seventeen  years  of  age, 
he  engaged  to  exercise  horses  for  Mr.  Philip  J.  Dwyer, 
and,  in  189s,  rode  St.  Lawrence  11.,  Monte  Carlo 
and  other  prominent  performers.  In  1896,  he  rode 
Inheritance  and  Long  Beach,  and  had  peculiar  good 
fortune  with  the  latter  horse,  who  always  had  a  strong 
tendency  to  sulk.  Coyle,  however,  rode  him  success- 
fully, capturing  several  good  races  and  defeating  such 
opponents  as  St.  Maxim  and  Charade. 

Another  good  race  standing  to  Coyle's  credit  was  his 
riding  of  Cassette  for  Mr.  Augustus  Clason,  defeating 
such  a  speedy  animal  as  The  Winner.  Still  another 
example  of  his  jockeyship  was  given  at  Morris  Park, 
where,  on  Tinge,  he  beat  Roundsman  and  other  good 
horses.  He  also  rode  W.  M.  Barrick's  Sun  Up,  at 
Washington,  defeating  a  good  field.  Coyle  is  cool- 
headed  and  clever,  and  his  services  have  been  much  in 
request  by  owners  and  trainers.  His  success  in  the 
saddle  has  brought  him  considerable  money,  which  he 
invested  in  purchasing  and  furnishing  a  house  at  Gravesend 
for  his  mother,  to  whom  he  is  a  devoted  son.  Latterly, 
Coyle  has  been  riding  a  great  deal  upon  the  courses  in 
Canada,  and  also  those  in  the  Northwest,  and  has  not 
been  seen  as  frequently  on  the  metropolitan  tracks  as  his 
many  admirers  have  wished.  He  has  always  been  a  hard 
working,  faithful  lad,  and  while  his  work  has  not  been 


JOHN    L.    COYLE 


at  all  of  a   "fireworks"   character,   it  has  always  done 
him  credit,  and  has  been  generally  useful  to  his  employers. 


405 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Among  the  young  men  who  have  only  recently  come 
forth  to  sport  the  silk  is  William  Gee,  one  of  the  most 
promising  lightweights.  He  is  about  seventeen  years 
of  age  and  is  a  native  of  New  York  City,  having  been 
born  in  September,  1881.  He  has  been  connected  with 
horses,  however,  since  1894,  when  he  entered  the 
Morris  Stable  in  charge  of  R.  Wyndham  Walden,  and 
his  work  thus  far  has  been  entirely  in  the  same  connec- 
tion. He  was  given  sound  instruction  in  exercising, 
covering  a  period  of  some  two  years.  It  was  in  1896  that 
he  had  the  opportunity  to  ride  in  a  race  for  the  first  time. 
His  mount  was  The  New  South.  During  that  season  he 
won  several  races,  and  was  also  successful  during  the 
season  of  1897.  As  the  Morris  Stable  always  contains  a 
goodly  number  of  first-class  horses,  it  is  evident  that  Gee 
has  opportunity  before  him  to  achieve  distinction.  His 
special  instruction,  while  learning  to  exercise  and  to  ride 
in  races  has  been  received  direct  from  Mr.  Walden,  and 
nothing  need  be  added  to  that  simple  statement  to  show 
that  the  youngster  has  had  the  best  possible  schooling. 
He  has  been  a  good  student,  paying  strict  attention  to 
his   instructions,  and  is   evidently   a  close    observer  01 


Strict  attention  to  business  and  absolute  reliability  have 
made  the  name  of  John  P.  Neumeyer  a  favorite  in  the 


WILLIAM   GEE 


horses  and  their  riders  generally.     His  light  weight,  95 
pounds,  places  him  in  a  very  desirable  class. 


JOHN    p.   NEUMEYER 

racing  world.  Born  at  West  Farms,  N.  Y.,  in  1870,  he 
was  on  a  farm  in  Westchester  County,  when  in  1884, 
he  was  apprenticed  to  the  Messrs.  Dwyer  Brothers  until 
he  was  twenty-one  and  remained  with  them  for 
eight  years.  Even  as  an  exercise  boy  he  was  noted  for  skill 
and  care,  and  was  the  only  lad  who  could  gallop  Han- 
over and  Tremont.  His  first  mount  in  public  was  in 
1885,  on  Petersburg,  at  Monmouth  Park,  and  the  first 
race  he  won  was  on  Leclare,  at  Jerome  Park.  He  won 
the  United  States  Hotel  Stakes,  at  Saratoga,  on  Ballston, 
beating  The  Bard  by  a  head,  and  also  won  a  clever  race 
on  Inspector  B.,  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  winning  consider- 
able money  for  himself 

When  the  Dwyer  Brothers'  establishment  was  divided, 
Neumeyer  remained  with  Mr.  Philip  J.  Dwyer  and  acted  as 
foreman  under  Trainer  McGarry.  In  the  autumn  of 
1892,  he  rode  for  Mr.  C.  Cornehlsen.  In  1893,  he  rode 
for  the  Baden  Stable,  at  Guttenberg,  with  great  success. 
In  1894,  he  rode  two  races  on  Charade,  and  in  one  of 
them  was  beaten  by  Clifford  by  only  a  head  in  fast  time. 
He  rode  Winona  for  Mr.  F.  D.  Beard,  and  was  successful 
with  that  mare,  and  also  at  one  time  rode  under  Mr. 
James  G.  Rowe  and  Mr.  Frank  McCabe.  In  1895,  he 
owned  and  rode  Galloping  King,  winning  several  good 
races.  Latterly  he  has  been  riding  for  Mr.  Charles  Gor- 
man. Neumeyer  has  found  riding  exceedingly  profitable 
and  is  married  and  has  an  attractive  home  at  Gravesend. 


406 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  American 
turf  has  been  favored  by  the  services  of  English  jockeys. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  period,  American  owners  brought 
to  this  country  English  jockeys  of  ability  and  distinction, 
some  of  whom  have  since  become  famous  as  trainers  and 
owners.  In  later  years  these  importations  have  been  less 
frequent  owing  to  the  development  of  American  jockeys. 
At  the  same  time  the  turf  in  the  United  States  has  con- 
tinued to  profit  by  the  services  of  jockeys  of  English 
birth,  who,  however,  having  come  to  this  country  early 
in  life,  are  in  training  and  associations  more  American 
than  English. 

In  this  class  is  William  W.  Pickering,  who  was  born 
in  London,  August  17,  1872.  After  completing  his 
school  life,  he  played  on  the  stage  in  some  of  the  princi- 
pal theatres  until  he  was  twelve  years  old.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1888,  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  attached  him- 


A  favorable  start  in  life  was  accorded  to  the  young 
jockey,  William  Schimmel,  who  rides  under  the  name 


self  to  the  stable  of  Mr.  A.  J.  Cassatt,  starting  in  the 
usual  occupation  of  exercising.  When  Mr.  Cassatt  sold 
his  stable,  he  engaged  with  Mr.  Louis  Stuart,  for  whom 
he  has  ridden  almost  exclusively.  Squander  was  his 
first  mount  in  a  race  at  Linden,  N.  J.  Afterward  he  rode 
Schuykill,  Pickwick  and  other  good  horses,  bringing 
them  in  frequent  winners.  In  1897,  he  rode  Ein  two 
races,  winning  at  odds  of  50  to  i  and  30  to  i.     During 


W.    W.    PICKERING 

the  winter  he  has  been  engaged   at 


Mr.    Stuart's   stock 


WILLIAM    SCHIMMEL 


farm  at  Oceanport,  N.  J.,  where  he  is  very  popular. 


of  Morris.  He  was  born  in  Madisonville,  Ky.,  Decem- 
ber 4,  1872,  and  the  mere  mention  of  the  word  Ken- 
tucky in  this  connection  should  be  ample,  as  showing 
full  justification  for  his  career  as  a  horseman.  He  was 
fifteen  years  of  age  when  he  began  exercising  horses  in 
the  stable  of  Mr.  James  Murphy,  and  he  promptly  showed 
that  he  possessed  the  qualities  that  are  necessary  tor  the 
making  of  a  good  jockey.  When  he  was  placed  upon 
Victrix  for  his  first  mount,  he  showed  himself  self- 
possessed  and  capable.  After  that,  he  was  favored  with 
other  mounts,  and  acquitted  himself  well.  His  first  win- 
ning race  was  on  Jakey  Tom,  a  horse  that  then  belonged 
to  Sam  Bryant,  owner  of  Proctor  Knott. 

As  an  exercise  boy,  Morris  was  noted  as  the  cham- 
pion of  the  United  States  in  1891.  Some  of  the  good 
runners  of  this  era  have  been  handled  by  him.  Among 
others,  he  had  Terra  Cotta,  Egmont,  Huntress,  Lorenzo, 
Almont  and  Delmar.  He  broke  and  rode  Typhoon  II. 
in  all  the  preliminary  work  of  that  great  horse  from  the 
time  that  he  was  a  yearling.  As  a  jockey,  he  has  ridden 
upon  all  the  important  courses  of  America  and  Canada, 
and  has  won  many  races,  especially  several  stakes  at 
Chicago  and  New  Orleans.  For  a  long  time  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  stable  of  Messrs.  Bromley  &  Co.,  and 
was  one  of  the  best  employees  of  that  establishment. 
His  work  upon  Typhoon  II.  in  preparation  for  the  races 
in  which  that  champion  engaged,  was  of  a  particularly 
valuable  character,  and  stamped  him  not  only  as  a  good 
rider,  but  also  as  a  proficient   trainer. 


407 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Horsemanship  in  Edward  C.  Moser  is  largely  a  matter 
of  inheritance,  his  father  being  well  known  in  trotting 


There  is  an  old  saying  that  Englishmen  inherit  their 
talent  for  the  turf,  and  therefore  the  functions  of  riding 
come  as  second  nature  to  them.  The  striking  example 
of  the  proof  of  this  statement  appears  in  the  career  of 
the  Evanses,  father  and  son.  The  elder  Evans  was  a 
famous  rider  and  trainer  in  the  Old  World,  and  in  this 
country  did  splendid  work  in  the  saddle  for  the  senior 
Mr.  Belmont,  and  afterward  for  Messrs.  J.  R.  Keene, 
D.  D.  Withers,  A.  J.  Cassatt  and  Pierre  Lorillard.  Later 
he  was  with  the  Messrs.  Dwyer  Brothers. 

George  Evans,  Jr.,  was  born  in  England,  in  1874,  and 
coming  to  this  country,  entered  the  stable  of  Mr.  George 
L.  Lorillard,  being  engaged  as  an  exercise  boy.  Afterward 
he  was  associated  in  the  same  capacity  with  Mr.  Charles 
Littlefield  and  also  with  Mr.  Thomas  Winters,  of  Cali- 
fornia. After  a  two-years'  service  with  Mr.  Porter  Ashe, 
he  became  a  rider  for  the  Burridge  Brothers,  and  then 
for  Messrs.  Gideon  &  Daly,  finally  joining  the  staff  of 
Mr.  John  Ferguson,  of  New  Jersey.  During  his  active 
riding  career  he  was  recognized  as  a  popular  and  valu- 
able adjunct  to  any  stable  with  which  he  was  connected. 
He  wholly  deserved  the  reputation  that  he  won  as  one 
of  the  most  conscientious  and  honest  riders  known 
upon  the  turf  in  his  day,  and  in  every  event  in  which  he 
rode  the  public  put  implicit  faith  in  his  methods,  straight- 
forwardness   and    professional   technique.     Latterly  be- 


EDWARD    C.   MOSER 

circles,  while  the  son  at  an  early  age  learned  to  ride  by  ex- 
ercising trotters.  He  was  born  in  New  York  City,  Jan. 
5,  1873,  and  attended  school  there  and  in  Parkville,  L.  I. 
In  1887,  he  engaged  with  William  C.  Daly  and  rode 
races  for  the  stable  after  being  only  three  m.onths  with 
it,  his  weight  at  that  time  being  80  pounds.  With  Mr. 
Daly  he  remained  for  two  years.  Among  other  mounts 
he  rode  Civil  Service,  Bronzamart,  Lizzie  and  Glory.  In 
1888,  at  Clifton,  N.  J.,  he  won  the  Christmas  Handicap 
with  Glory,  then  two  years  old. 

He  also  rode  for  Green  B.  Morris,  and  in  the  opening 
year  at  Morris  Park,  he  broke  the  }i-m\\e  record  on  Tip- 
staff. He  also  rode  King  Idle,  Barrister  and  others,  and 
in  1890,  on  Madstone,  beat  his  old  mount  Tipstaff  and 
Bella  B.  He  was  for  a  time  in  the  employ  of  Messrs. 
Dwyer  Brothers.  Again  he  returned  to  Mr.  Daly,  and 
also  rode  for  Mr.  Nathan  Straus.  He  was  taken  ill 
while  reducing  his  weight  and  was  forced  to  rest,  and 
when  he  recovered  began  driving  trotters  with  good 
success.  He  made  a  record  of  2.27^  with  Try,  2.28% 
with  Stealaway,  2.28^4  with  Will  Goster,  2.31  J^  with 
McLaughlin  Maid,  all  at  the  Parkway  track,  and  one  of 
2. 30  with  Iron  Master,  at  Mineola.  The  year  of  1897,  how- 
ever, found  him  again  in  the  saddle  riding  thoroughbreds. 


GEORGE    EVANS,  JR 


coming  heavy,  he  has  relinquished  riding,  to  the  regret 
of  many  owners  and  a  large  circle  of  turf  admirers. 


408 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Born  ;it  E;itontown,  N.  J.,  August  s,  1879,  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  of  tlie  old  and  new  Monmoutii  Paik 
race  courses,  Asiier  Waller  inevitably  became  acquainted 
with  race  horses  and  imbued  with  a  passion  for  turf  life. 
As  early  as  189 1,  when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age,  he 
made  a  contract  for  three  years  to  serve  the  stable  of 
Mr.  Charles  Littlefield.  He  is  an  intelligent  boy,  exceed- 
ingly bright  and  capable,  and  tltted  into  his  new  life 
quickly  and  smartly.  He  soon  acquired  an  excellent 
knowledge  of  horses -and  was  qualified  to  ride  before  he 
had  been  long  connected  with  Mr.  Littlefield's  stable. 

His  first  mount  was  on  Bombazette  and  his  first  win 
on  Chic.  His  services  have  not  been  confined  ex- 
clusively to  Mr.  Littlefield,  however,  for,  although  he 
has  ridden  for  him  continuously,  he  has  also  been  per- 
mitted to  accept  mounts  for  other  owners,  and  his  work 
has  been  highly  esteemed  by  them.  So  far  as  weight 
is  concerned,  he  is  one  of  the  most  useful  riders  in  his 
class.  He  has  ridden  as  low  as  85  pounds  and  can 
ride  now  at  from  97  to  102  pounds.  He  is  a  well 
built  boy,  exceedingly  intelligent,  has  a  good  seat  and 
a  fair  pair  of  hands.  He  has  been  trained  in  a  good 
school,  and  during  his  career  has  given  abundant  evi- 


After  attending  school  for  a  few  years  in  the  days  of 
his  childhood,  William    Porter    made    his    practical  ac- 


WILLIAM    PORTER 


J. 


•% 


ASHER    WALLER 


dence  of  his  ability.     Should  he  meet  with  no  unfore- 
seen difficulties  he  has  a  bright  future  before  him. 


quaintance  with  horses  in  1891.  He  is  a  native  of  Lex- 
ington, Ky.,  having  been  born  July  11,  1877.  His  first 
stable  connection  was  with  Edward  Brown,  with 
whom  he  went  first  to  Chicago,  afterward  to  Saratoga, 
and  then  back  to  Kentucky.  The  first  season  gave  him 
a  good  experience  with  some  very  excellent  horses,  and 
again,  in  the  spring  of  1892,  he  came  East  with  the  same 
stable.  The  following  season  he  was  engaged  to  ride 
for  Mr.  E.  J.  Baldwin  at  Latonia.  His  first  mount  was 
El  Reno,  upon  whom  he  finished  third,  but'  his  next  at- 
tempt was  more  successful,  for,  upon  the  same  horse,  he 
came  in  at  the  head  of  the  field.  He  also  rode  Lady 
Bess  and  others. 

In  subsequent  years  he  rode  for  Messrs.  W.  Showalter, 
William  M.  Wallace  and  Albert  Cox.  For  the  Wallace 
Stable  he  was  the  first  to  win  a  race  on  The  Commoner, 
at  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  in  i  minute,  14  seconds.  He 
also  rode  Oracle,  The  Winner,  and  others  of  less  prom- 
inence. Coming  East  in  1896,  he  engaged  with  Mr. 
Foxhall  Keene,  and  in  1897  with  Mr.  William  Lands- 
berg.  For  the  Landsberg  Stable  he  has  ridden  several 
good  races,  particularly  on  Storm  King,  with  whom  he 
has  won  twice  and  come  in  second  twice.  He  has  also 
ridden  occasionally  for  "  Father  Bill "  Daly,  among  his 
mounts  in  that  stable  being  Volley  and  Tinkler. 


409 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Silas  Veitch,  the  well-known  cross-country  jockey, 
was  born  in  the  Province  of  Ontario,  November  15,  1872, 
and  received  a  sound  common  school  education.  His 
first  permanent  connection  with  horses  and  racing  began 
in  1886,  his  position  being  that  of  an  exercise  boy  in  the 
stable  of  Mr.  J.  E.  Seagram,  the  prominent  Canadian 
turfman.  A  similar  engagement  followed  with  Mr.  Will- 
iam Hendrie,  and  then  with  Mr.  James  Shields. 

His  first  mount  on  the  race  track  was  at  Toronto, 
when  he  rode  Wild  Thorn,  and  since  then  he  has  been 
constantly  engaged  as  a  jockey,  and  has  appeared  at  all 
the  race  courses  in  this  country,  having  had  mounts  for 
most  of  the  leading  owners  of  jumpers.  Among  the 
prominent  horses  which  Veitch  rode  in  his  early  career 
were  Gladiator,  Pat  Oakley,  St.  John  and  Sam  Morris, 
though  the  list  could  be  made  more  lengthy.  He  pos- 
sesses a  daring  and  effective  style  of  riding,  and  has  a 
rare  faculty  of  judging  pace  in  a  hurdle  race.  In  1893, 
he  became  attached  to  the  stable  of  Mr.  J.  M.  Crosby,  of 
Boston,  who  owned  Southerner,  Marcus,  Fugitive,  San 
Joaquin,  and  Alchemist.  The  three  years  from  1894  to 
1896,  inclusive,  he  was  again  engaged  by  Mr.  Hendrie, 
who  had  been  one  of  his  early  employers,  and  for  the 
season  of  1897  contracted  to  ride  the  notable  horses  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Robert  Hooper,  of  Boston,  which  string 
included  such  animals  of  high  degree  in  their  specialty, 
as  Duke  of  Abercorn,  who  was  killed  in  a  race  at  Morris 
Park;  Kilkenny,  Tidman,  Waltzer,  Diversion,  and  seve- 
ral others.     Possessing  a  mastery  of  all  the  arts  connected 


In  former  days,  many  of  the  most   prominent  jockeys 
were   not   only   born  in  the  old  country,  but  acquired 


.J 


SILAS    VEITCH 


with  cross-country  riding,  Veitch  will  doubtless  continue 
to  be  heard  from  frequently  for  many  seasons. 


RICHARD    ENGLISH 


their  professional  skill  upon  the  race  courses  there.  At 
the  present  time,  however,  few  such  instances  can  be 
cited  among  the  ranks  of  our  leading  riders.  Richard 
English  is  one  of  the  exceptions,  and  has  had  a  remark- 
able experience  upon  the  turf  in  both  England  and 
France,  having  ridden  there  for  some  of  the  greatest 
owners  before  he  came  to  America,  and  established  his 
position  as  one  of  the  best  cross-country  riders.  Born  at 
Cheltenham,  England,  October  31,  1871,  English  re- 
ceived an  ordinary  school  education.  His  first  actual  ex- 
perience was  as  an  exercise  boy  for  Mr.  Richard  March, 
a  prominent  owner,  who  entered  his  horses  at  races  in 
both  England  and  France.  He  remained  with  this  stable 
for  five  years,  during  which  time  he  rode  such  horses  as 
Searles  II.,  Lockjaw  and  others,  and  appeared  in  the 
saddle  at  the  leading  tracks,  both  English  and  French. 
Leaving  this  employment,  he  was  next  engaged  by 
Baron  Rothschild. 

In  1 89 1,  English  came  to  America,  riding  for  Mr.  S.  S. 
Howland,  and  at  once  found  his  ability  recognized.  He 
won  a  number  of  races  on  Judge  Morrow,  Eldorado, 
Eclipse,  Mogul,  and  horses  of  similar  calibre,  his  services 
being  in  constant  demand.  He  is  now  engaged  by 
Messrs.  F.  R.  and  T.  Hitchcock,  who  have  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  stables  of  jumpers  ever  seen  on  the 
American  turf.  A  marked  characteristic  of  English  is 
that  in  all  his  experiences  as  a  rider  over  the  jumps 
he  has  never  been  hurt,  although  there  are  few  jockeys 
who  have  taken  part  in  so  many  cross-country  races. 


410 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Tennessee   p;ave  James   Owens   to    the   turf, 
jockey  was  born  at  Nashville,  November  6,  1875. 


This 
His 


JAMES   OWENS 

first  turt  connection  was  with  the  Bashford  Manor 
Stable.  After  riding  for  this  stable  for  some  time  he  ac- 
cepted an  engagement  with  Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer,  an  alli- 
ance that  fully  testified  to  the  excellent  standing  to  which 
he  had  already  attained  in  the  estimation  of  well-posted 
owners.  In  a  special  capacity  he  remained  with  Mr. 
Dwyer  for  three  years.  When  the  Brooklyn  turfman 
made  his  plans  to  go  to  England,  Owens,  preferring  to 
remain  in  this  country,  engaged  to  ride  for  the  well- 
known  Western  turfman,  Mr.  J.  D.  Christie,  who  was 
then  the  owner  of  that  good  horse  Pactolus. 

Owens'  first  win  was  on  Cicero,  and  he  came  in  at 
the  head  of  the  field  in  the  Flood  Stakes.  Numerous 
other  good  stakes  in  the  West  have  been  placed  to  his 
credit,  among  them  the  sensational  win  on  Baby  Bill  for 
the  Athens  Stakes,  an  event  that  has  not  yet  been  for- 
gotten by  those  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  see  it.  He 
has  ridden  on  every  race  course  of  prominence  in  the 
United  States  and  has  been  equally  conspicuous  over  the 
jumps  as  on  the  flat.  He  is  a  good  steeplechase  jockey, 
of  excellent  skill,  quiet  and  unassuming  in  manner, 
but  as  full  of  courage  as  any  rider  in  his  class. 
Recently  he  has  been  under  engagement  to  Mr.  Samuel 
C.  Hildreth,  but  was  also  called  upon  to  ride  for  out- 
side owners,  who  fully  appreciate  his  merit. 


Born  in  Ireland,  July  16,  1877,  only  the  early  days  of 
Eugene  Finnigan  were  passed  in  his  native  land.  His 
parents  came  to  the  United  States  in  1883  and  brought 
him  with  them.  His  schooling  was  continued  here,  and 
he  applied  himself  to  his  books  until  he  was  thirteen 
years  of  age,  acquiring  a  good  general  education.  He 
was  more  than  ordinarily  well  equipped  when  he 
branched  out  for  himself,  and  made  his  first  acquaint- 
ance with  thoroughbreds  in  connection  with  the  stable 
of  Mr.  John  Hynes.  For  that  owner  he  rode  in  1890, 
and  gained  such  an  experience  that  he  had  no  further 
doubt  in  regard  to  his  future. 

Leaving  the  Hynes  Stable  he  next  engaged  to  ride  for 
Mr.  Charles  Sanders,  with  whom  he  was  associated  for 
some  time  before  he  become  connected  with  the  stable 
of  Mr.  Frank  Regan,  who  was  his  next  employer.  As 
a  matter  of  record  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  his  first 
winning  mount  was  on  Miss  Gallop.  For  Mr.  Regan  he 
rode  two  years.  He  is  classed  as  a  good  steeplechase 
jockey,  his  first  mount  on  a  jumper  being  on  Hulbertand 
his  first  win  on  Mr.  Dunlop.  After  considerable  success 
in  New  Orleans,  he  came  East  and  rode  for  Mr.  Francis 
D.  Beard,  of  the  Erie  Stable,  and  latterly  for  Mr.  C.  W. 
Stanton  on  Sir  Vassar.  For  Mr.  Stanton  he  won  nearly 
all  the  races  that  he  rode.  Sir  Vassar  has  since  been  sold 
to  Mr.  Sydney  Paget.  Finnigan  has  a  firm  seat  in  the 
saddle,  and  so  conspicuous  is  he  in  this  respect  that  his 


EUGENE  FINNIGAN 


appearance  has  often  been  commented  upon  in  more  than 
ordinary  terms  of  praise  by  the  race  going  public. 


411 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Steeplechase  jockeys  have  not,  until  lately,  been  in  such 
demand  as  riders  on  the  flat,  but  they  have  been  found 
useful  in  their  particular  line  and  especially  when, 
as  is  the  case  of  some  of  them,  they  can  adapt  themselves 
to  both  styles  of  riding.  The  career  of  the  jockey  who 
devotes  himself  largely  to  steeplechase  riding  is  of  some- 
thing more  than  ordinary  interest.  Perhaps  it  should 
attract  exceptional  attention  from  the  fact  that  a  rider  in 
this  class  is  one  of  a  few  rather  than  one  of  many,  as  is 
the  case  with  those  who  confine  themselves  entirely  to 
riding  on  the  flat. 

With  a  good  reputation  as  a  steeplechase  Jockey,  J.  B. 
Slack  has  also  acquired  fame  quite  as  much  by  his 
achievements  on  the  flat.  He  has  been  riding  for  nearly 
a  dozen  years,  and  during  that  length  of  time  has  been 
connected  with  several  important  stables.  For  two 
years  he  was  with  Mr.  Green  B.  Morris,  for  one  season 
with  Mr.  J.  DeLong,  for  eighteen  months  with  Mr.  C.  D. 
•McCoy,  for  one  season  with  Mr.  J.  J.  McCafferty,  for 
three  years  with  Mr.  G.  R.  Tompkins  and  for  one  season 
with  Mr.  R.  Bradley.  He  has  also  ridden  in  numerous 
races  for  other  owners,  who  have  never  neglected  to 
avail  themselves  of  his  services  as  often  as  he  has  been 
disengaged.  A  large  proportion  of  the  events  that  he 
has  ridden  in  he  has  won.     Recently  he  has  been   con- 


From  the  flat  to  steeplechase  riding  seems  in  a  fairway 
to  be  one  of  the  notable  movements  in  contemporaneous 


CHARLES  BROWN 


J.   B.  SLACK 


nected  with  Messrs.  E.  L.  &J.  T.  Smith,  the  well-known 
Western  owners,  who  have  several  good  performers. 


jockey  life.  The  increasing  call  for  steeplechase  jockeys 
has  led  to  the  keeping  of  some  men  in  the  saddle  who 
might  otherwise  have  given  up  the  profession  on  account 
of  increasing  weight.  Charles  Brown,  who  has  latterly 
come  into  this  class,  is  a  native  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  born  in  May  1876,  and  where  he  still  has  a  home, 
although  his  racing  headquarters  are  principally  at 
Sheepshead  Bay.  He  began  with  race  horses  in  1888, 
in  the  stable  of  Mr.  A.  E.  Gates.  There  he  remained  for 
a  period  of  four  years,  a  circumstance  that  sufficiently 
illustrates  his  persistency  and  steadiness  and  disinclina- 
tion to  be  shifting  from  one  employer  to  another. 

After  his  first  year  with  Mr.  Gates  he  commenced  to 
ride  and  has  been  steadily  in  the  saddle  since  that  time. 
For  three  years  he  was  riding  for  Mr.  Gates.  At  that 
time  he  was  a  lightweight,  weighing  about  90  pounds, 
but  nevertheless  rode  jumping  races,  as  well  as  on  the 
flat,  already  displaying  marked  qualifications  for  the 
former  style.  Latterly  he  has  ridden  for  Messrs.  T. 
Danaher,  Mr.  N.  S.  Hall,  A.  M.  Hopkins  and  P.  T.  Chinn, 
besides  accepting  occasional  outside  mounts.  His  most 
recent  engagement  has  been  with  Mr.  C.  Gorman.  His 
present  riding  weight  is  125  pounds  and  he  expects  to 
achieve  a  degree  of  success  in  steeplechase  riding  which 
will  quite  equal  that  which  has  previously  distinguished 
his  jockeyship  on  the  flat. 


412 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Born  in  Irehind,  P.  J.  Mclnerney  h;is  hud  as  wide  and 
varied  an  experience  as  any  jockey  now  connected  witii 
the  American  turf.  His  birth  occurred  September  15, 
1871.  In  1885,  before  he  had  attained  the  age  0I  four- 
teen, he  began  exercising  in  the  stable  of  William 
Reedy.  He  profited  much  by  this,  and  when  he  came 
to  enter  upon  the  life  of  a  jockey,  was  in  good  shape 
for  the  career.  His  first  mount  was  on  The  Rose  and 
his  first  win  was  on  Ravensteen.  This  successful  race 
was  in  Australia,  whither  he  had  gone,  attracted  by  the 
opportunities  offered  in  that  country.  In  Australia  he 
remained  three  and  a  half  years,  and  participated  in  some 
of  the  important  racing  contests  there. 

When  he  came  to  America  in  1891,  he  first  rode  on  the 
fiat.  His  first  win  was  on  Profligate  at  Chicago.  For 
two  years  he  rode  on  the  flat  and  then  began  riding 
over  the  sticks.  In  steeplechase  riding  he  has  attained 
to  considerable  eminence,  but  in  the  autumn  of  1897 
had  the  misfortune  to  fall  off  the  favorite  in  a  race. 
During  his  career  in  this  country  he  has  been  under 
contract  to  Mr.  N.  S.  Hall  and  to  Messrs.  Sumner  & 
Co.  Among  his  important  winnings  have  been  two 
stakes  in  California,  two  stakes  in  Chicago,  four  stakes 
in  the  East,  and  many  other  good  races.  He  can  ride  at 
1 10  pounds  and  is  likely  to  be  seen  many  times  in  the 


When  Timothy  H.  Murphy  began  to  learn  about  race 
horses  he  was  a  youngster  of   twelve  years  of  age.      His 


p.    J.    MclNERNEY 


future.     He  is  a  strong,  graceful  rider,   and    makes   an 
attractive  appearance  m  his  mounts. 


TIMOTHY     H.    MURPHY 

birth  occurred  November  26,  1875,  and  he  first  found 
employment  in  the  stable  of  Messrs.  W.  Hendrie  &  Co. 
His  term  of  service  in  that  establishment  extended  over 
three  years  and  gave  him  abundant  opportunity  to  learn 
every  detail  of  the  profession  to  which  he  proposed  to 
devote  himself.  While  connected  with  the  Messrs. 
Hendrie  he  had  his  first  opportunity  to  ride  in  a  race  and 
also  made  his  first  winning  for  the  same  stable.  Sub- 
sequently he  rode  frequently  and  won  several  races, 
especially  during  the  last  years  of  his  apprenticeship. 
When  he  had  graduated,  as  it  were,  from  his  school,  he 
took  an  engagement  as  jockey  with  the  Empire  Stable, 
for  which  he  rode  two  seasons,  meeting  with  fair  suc- 
cess, and  doing  full  justice  to  the  horses  on  which  he  was 
mounted. 

Acquiring  too  much  flesh  for  lightweight  riding,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  riding  jumpers.  His  first  engage- 
ment of  this  character  was  with  Mr.  Andrew  Blakely, 
with  whom  he  was  engaged  for  two  years.  During  this 
time  he  won  some  forty  races  out  of  the  one  hundred 
and  twenty  in  which  he  started.  Following  this  ex- 
perience he  accepted  an  offer  to  ride  for  Mr.  Edward 
Corrigan,  of  Chicago,  and,  during  the  season  of  1896, 
won  for  that  owner  something  like  thirty  races  out  of 
one  hundred  mounts.  Returning  again  to  the  stable  of 
his  former  employer,  Mr.  Blakely,  he  had  in  the  years 
immediately  following  equally  good  success,  riding  on 
Snowdown,  Pearsall,  Hats  Off  and  others.  His 
riding  weight  is  125  pounds,  and  he  is  a  good,  solid, 
forcible  rider,  with  excellent  control  over  the  horses 
whose    fortunes    he    directs. 


413 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Best  known  as  "Spider"  Anderson,  George  B.  Ander- 
son first  aclnieved  reputation  as  a  rider  on  the  flat  and 


GEORGE    B.  ANDERSON 

came  into  tiie  first  class.  Afterward,  as  lie  gained  in 
weight,  he  began  riding  jumpers  and  has  latterly  become 
proficient  in  that  style  of  riding.  He  is  a  native  of  Mary- 
land, having  been  born  in  Baltimore,  in  1871.  Early  in 
life  he  was  engaged  with  Fred  Carter  in  the  stable  of 
Messrs.  Davis  &  Hall.  For  this  establishment  he  rode 
for  a  considerable  time  and  became  well  known  for  his 
integrity,  his  cleverness  and  his  general  success. 

Some  of  the  most  exacting  owners  had  their  attention 
called  to  him,  and  his  services  were  in  demand  for  the 
best  stables.  Among  other  owners  who  employed  him 
were  Messrs.  August  Belmont,  Sr.,  D.  D.  Withers,  Will- 
iam L.  Scott  and  Byron  McClelland.  To  recapitulate 
the  names  of  all  the  great  horses  that  he  rode  would  be 
to  make  a  long  and  imposing  record.  Especially  hehad 
the  "leg  up"  on  Badge  in  that  horse's  important  races, 
and  while  in  the  employ  of  Messrs.  Belmont  and  W.  L. 
Scott,  won  some  of  the  most  noted  stake  events  of  the 
American  turf.  Recently  he  has  been  engaged  with  Mr. 
William  C.Daly,  with  a  special  view  to  steeplechase  riding. 

His  success  in  meeting  the  high  expectations  of  the  dis- 
tinguished and  exacting  owners  for  whom  he  has  ridden 
in  the  years  past  is  the  completest  testimony  that  could 
be  presented  as  showing  his  general  reliability,  trust- 
worthiness and  capacity.  In  the  steeplechase  riding, 
which  seems  now  to  be  coming  very  much  into  vogue 
among  the  better  class  of  turfmen,  and  with  the  fashion- 
able public  as  well,  Anderson  should,  in  the  very  nature 
of  things  and  considering  his  long  experience,  take  an 
active  and  prominent  part. 


From  Kentucky  came  Bud  Haggins,  who  has  ridden 
well  on  the  flat  and  also  in  the  steeplechase  class.  He 
was  born  in  July,  1870,  and  made  the  acquaintance  01 
race  horses  in  188 1.  At  that  time  he  entered  the  employ 
of  Mr.  P.  West  and  for  one  year  was  engaged  as  exer- 
cising boy.  It  took  him  only  a  short  time  to  learn  how 
to  ride,  and  his  employer  gave  him  a  number  of  mounts 
before  his  first  year  was  up.  On  Major  Lee  he  won  two 
races.  Being  offered  a  position  to  ride  for  Mr.  Henry 
Colston,  who  had  at  that  time  several  good  horses  in 
his  stable,  Haggins  allied  himself  to  the  fortunes  of  that 
owner  and  was  successful  in  winning  a  few  good  races. 
His  next  engagement  was  with  Mr.  William  Stoops,  in 
1884,  the  most  prominent  horses  of  that  stable  being 
Little  Fred,  with  whom  he  won  fifteen  straight  races, 
and  Templar,  whom  he  rode  in  six  winning  finishes. 

For  a  second  season,  in  1885,  he  rode  for  Mr.  Stoops 
with  quite  as  good  success  as  in  1884.  Next  he  rode 
for  Messrs.  Bloom  &  Co.,  and  was  seen  on  such  horses 
as  Little  Minch  and  Jim  Gore.  Returning  to  the  stable 
of  Mr.  Stoops  the  following  season,  he  again  served  his 
employer  well,  his  most  notable  wins  being  on  Warren- 
ton  and  Glenbrook,  both  ,at  the  Louisville  Spring  Meet- 


■*«% 


BUD    HAQQINS 


ing.     He  has  also  ridden  latterly  for  Mr.  Frank  Seaman. 
His  riding  weight  at  present  is  about  1 12  pounds. 


414 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Hurdle  riding  demands  even  more  from  tiie  jockey 
tiian  racing  on  the  flat,  while  the  enjoyment  by  the  public 
of  the  former  variety  of  sport  depends  as  much  on  the 
riders  as  the  horses.  It  is  the  distinction  of  James  J. 
Mara  that  he  is  one  of  the  capable  American  jockeys  who 
have  made  steeplechasing  their  specialty.  He  is  cer- 
tainly a  daring  rider,  but  joins  to  this  a  needful  amount  of 
skill  and  coolness  that  have  had  much  to  do  with  the  re- 
pute that  he  has  achieved. 

Born  March  26,  i866,  in  New  York  City,  Mara  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  and  in  1881  entered  the 
establishment  of  .Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard,  where  he  served 
under  Messrs.  Anthony  Taylor  and  Matthew  Byrnes.  He 
next  worked  for  the  Dwyer  Brothers,  when  Mr.  James 
G.  Rowe  had  charge  of  their  string,  and  while  filling  the 
engagement  his  chief  duty  was  to  exercise  Runnymede 
and  Miss  Woodford.  After  that  he  was  employed  by 
Mr.  John  Connelly,  and  in  1885  began  to  ride  overtimber 
for  Mr.  M.  Danaher,  thus  taking  up  the  line  in  which  he 
has  distinguished  himself.  Successful  from  the  outset 
and  showing  remarkable  aptitude  for  his  work,  he  ob- 
tained mounts  on  many  noted  jumpers,  and  in  1887  won 
the  Grand  National  Steeplechase  at  Cedarhurst,  on  Major 
Pickett.  Among  other  horses  on  which  he  rode  win- 
ning races  have  been  Buckra,  Duke  of  Westmoreland, 
Flushing,  Midgley,  The  Rat,  on  which  he  took  four 
straight  races;  Mars  Chan,  and  in  fact  all  the  cracks  of 
their  class  in  the  East.  He  has  also  visited  California, 
where  he  rode  races  for  Mr.  W.  S.  Hobart  and  Mr.  W, 
O'B.  McDonough.  On  the  California  track  he  won  six 
races  out  of  nine  starts  on  Berna.     More  recently  he  was 


Steeplechase  riders  are  not  so  numerous  in  this  country 
that  they  crowd  each  other.     Nevertheless,  the  few  who 


JAMES    J.   MARA 


engaged  with  the  string  of  jumpers  owned  by  Mr.  Fred- 
erick Gebhard,  and  won  many  races  for  that  gentleman. 


LESLIE    H.   DUNLAP 

are  adepts  in  this  style  of  riding  have  shown  themselves 
to  be  very  skilful.  Leslie  H.  Dunlap,  one  of  this  class, 
is  a  native  of  Ireland,  where  he  was  born  in  1868.  His 
entire  professional  life  has  been  passed  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  upon  the  courses  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada  and  with  the  jumpers  he  has  played  a  leading 
part.  He  was  but  fifteen  years  of  age  when  Mr.  John 
Rucker  engaged  him  as  an  exercise  boy  and  later  on  he 
rode  that  gentleman's  horses  in  their  races. 

Three  years  with  Mr.  Rucker  and  two  years  with  Mr. 
Edward  Corrigan  brought  him  to  the  beginning  of  his 
career  as  a  steeplechase  jockey.  In  this  capacity  he  was 
employed  successfully  by  Messrs.  Adolph  Gates,  William 
Hendrie,  Nathaniel  Dyment,  W.  C.  Hayes.  J.  P.  Dawes 
and  others,  his  most  recent  engagement  being  with  the 
last  named  gentleman.  He  has  trained  and  ridden  some 
of  the  best  over-timber  horses  in  this  country,  among 
them  Pat  Oakley,  Flip  Flap,  Major  Pickett,  Hercules,  Bob 
Thomas,  Winslow  and  a  host  of  others.  Sooner  or  later 
nearly  all  the  great  steeplechase  stake  events  have  fallen 
to  him,  as  a  result  of  his  courageous,  skilful  riding, 
among  them  the  Walker  Cup  at  Hamilton,  Ont.,  the  In- 
dependent Stakes  at  Sheepshead  Bay  and  the  Stock  Yard 
Stakes  at  Chicago.  He  has  also  been  the  owner  of  Fred 
Burlew,  Pay  or  Play  and  Waterproof. 


415 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Since  in  racing  it  is  essential  to  be  able  to  ride  at 
certain  weiglits,  tliat  jockey  is  most  valuable  who  can 
ride  at  less  than  lOO  pounds  than  are  those  whose 
weight  exceeds  that  mark.  The  lightweight  has  one  in- 
estimable advantage  over  his  heavier  rivals,  since  he  can 
carry  sufficient  metal  to  make  up  the  deficient  weight 
whenever  necessary,  and  is  not  under  strain  in  being 
compelled  to  reduce  his  natural  weight.  Among  the 
lightweight  riders  who  have  this  important  advantage 
John  Donnelly  has  had  an  excellent  reputation.  He  was 
born  at  Port  Richmond,  Pa.,  in  1878.  Beginning  his 
turf  career  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  John  O'Neil  as  exercise 
boy,  he  acquitted  himself  remarkably  well  during  the 
four  years  that  he  remained  with  that  turfman.  His  good 
form  attracted  the  attention  of  other  horsemen,  and 
his  services  were  next  sought  by  that  well-known 
owner,  Mr.  James  Shields.  In  securing  Donnelly  Mr. 
Shields  added  a  competent  assistant  to  his  stable  staff, 
for  the  youngster  continued  for  several  seasons  to  per- 
form very  well  indeed  upon  many  good  horses.  His 
riding  weight  was  95  pounds,  and  he  made  a  satisfactory 
appearance  in  important  events.  He  was  seen  on  such 
horses  as  Rosebud,  Mt.  MacGregor,  Colonel  Wheeler, 
Salisbury,  Set  Fast,  Rosedale  and  others.  To  his  credit 
have  been  placed  the  honors  of  many  races  which  he 
won  by  his  clever  horsemanship.  Although  his  career 
has  not  been  long  or  eventful  when  compared  with  that 


Among  the  lightweight  jockeys  of  the  present  time 
Henry  J.  Harris  is  included.     He  was  born  in  Richmond, 


HENRY  J.   HARRIS 


JOHN   DONNELLY 


of  some  others,   he   has    proved   himseh  to  be  a  very 
capable  and  useful  rider  and  a  great  public  favorite. 


Va.,  September  9,  1876.  Educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  city,  he  engaged  with  the  stable  of  Mr.  R. 
Bradley  in  1891.  Exercising  in  that  owner's  establish- 
ment, and  also  in  that  of  Mr.  J.  J.  Carroll,  he  ultimately 
came  to  riding,  being  particularly  engaged  by  Mr. 
Andrew  Thompson,  just  previous  to  the  death  of  that 
well-known  horseman.  Mr.  William  Lakeland  then 
secured  his  services,  and  in  the  employ  of  that  noted 
turfman  Harris  continued  his  career,  thus  so  favorably 
begun.  While  Mr.  Lakeland  has  had  the  first  call  upon 
him,  he  also  has  been  employed  to  ride  for  several  other 

.^„    ,    prominent  stables,  winning  some  good  races. 

'flH|H  Among  the  noted  runners  on  which  he  has  been 
mounted  have  been  Panway,  Eastertide,  Concord,  De- 
cide, Brighton,  Hornpipe  and  Winged  Foot,  while  it 
would  be  easy  to  extend  this  list  to  a  much  greater 
length.  He  has  always  had  that  prime  advantage  of 
light  weight  to  which  he  has  added  the  admirable  quali- 
fication of  a  clear  head  and  good  judgment.  Although 
he  has  not  been  seen  frequently  in  the  saddle,  his  merit 
has  not  been  overlooked  by  some  close  observers  of 
racing,  who  express  the  hope  that  he  may  have  many 
chances  to  distinguish  himself  according  to  his  merit. 
In  Mr.  Lakeland  he  has  had  one  of  the  best  instructors 
that  the  American  turf  could  offer  to  an  ambitious  boy, 
and  he  should  profit  well  by  that  opportunity. 

416 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


The  youngsters  are  crowding  so  fast  for  places  in  the 
saddle  these  latter  days  that  it  is  beginning  to  be  a  little 


EDWARD  MINTER 


difficult  to  keep  track  of  them.  The  turf  has  expanded 
so  much,  both  as  respects  the  number  of  race  courses 
that  are  in  successful  operation  and  the  number  of 
horses  that  are  annually  in  training  and  running,  that  an 
unprecedented  demand  for  good  lightweight  riders  has 
sprung  up,  and  has  so  enlarged  that  the  supply,  no  mat- 
ter how  generous  that  may  be,  does  not  fully  keep 
pace.  Although  not  all  of  these  lads  succeed  in  pre- 
eminently distinguishing  themselves,  and  become  a 
Sloan  or  a  Taral,  most  of  them  prove  to  be  capable  and 
useful.  There  is  always  a  place  for  the  first-class  rider, 
and  there  is  also  abundant  demand  tor  those  who  may 
be  able  to  take  rank  in  only  second  or  third  place. 
Fortunate  it  is,  however,  that  all  these  lads  hopefully  as- 
pire to  a  foremost  position.  There  are  few  of  them  whose 
ability  and  training  do  not  justify  such  aspiration. 

It  becomes  interesting  to  keep  watch  of  this  small 
army  of  boys.  There  is  no  fear  that,  however  numerous 
they  may  be  in  numbers,  the  turf  can  ever  have  too 
many  of  them.  Another  one  of  these  newcomers  is  Ed- 
ward Minter,  who  was  born  at  Meldale,  Ky.,  and  began 
exercising  horses  at  Latonia.  He  has  been  connected 
with  the  stables  of  Messrs.  George  Webb,  B.  Moran,  A. 
Newman  and  others,  and  for  one  season  was  employed 
by  Mr.  M.  F.  Dwyer.  He  has  shown  great  proficiency, 
and  is  regarded  as  a  very  promising  lightweight.  His 
career  has  been  altogether  in  the  West,  but  he  is  likely 
to  be  soon  seen  on  the  Eastern  tracks. 


In  the  course  of  his  professional  career,  John  F.  Barrett 
has  had  a  wide  experience,  and  has  gained  a  deservedly 
high  reputation.  He  was  born  in  Jersey  City,  N.  J., 
April  24,  1874,  and  attended  school  in  that  place  and  in 
New  York  City.  His  racing  life  began  by  exercising 
horses  for  Mr.  Jeter  Walden,  where  he  acquired  con- 
siderable knowledge  of  the  art  of  riding  the  thorough- 
bred, and  soon  after  entered  upon  his  first  regular  en- 
gagement, which  was  with  Mr.  Edward  Corrigan.  In 
1888,  on  the  Monmouth  Park  track,  he  had  his  maiden 
mount  on  the  mare  Katie,  but  the  animal  was  not  placed. 
In  1890,  he  rode  his  first  winning  mount  on  Aunt  Jane, 
owned  by  Mr.  William  Lovell. 

After  this,  his  progress  was  rapid  and  satisfactory.  He 
was  employed  by  many  owners  of  prominence,  among 
whom  were  Messrs.  H.  Eugene  Leigh,  W.  B.  Haskins, 
T.  D.  Carter,  S.  W.  Parker,  and  by  the  noted  trainer, 
Mr.  Thomas  F.  Barrett,  who,  it  should  be  said,  is  his 
own  cousin.  His  reputation  as  a  rider  was  established 
long  ago,  and  his  record  includes  the  winning  of  many 
stakes  at  the  leading  tracks  all  over  the  country.  He  is 
still  young,  and  has  had  a  record  that  has  attracted  the 
leading  owners  of  horses.  He  was  not  long  ago  engaged 
to  ride  for  Mr.  Levy,  of  Cincinnati,  who  had  some  good 
performers   in   his   stable.     In   the    ordinary  course    of 


JOHN    F.   BARRETT 


events  Barrett  has  betore  him  many  years  in  which  he 
should  be  able  to  bestride  the  pigskin  with  success. 


417 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Jockeys  who  have  had  ten  or  a  dozen  years  of  active  life 
in  the  saddle  may  fairly  be  set  down  as  substantial  fix- 
tures in  the  turf  world.  In  such  a  class  one  would  nat- 
urally place  William  Penn,  who  has  been  so  long  attached 
to  the  stable  of  the  Messrs.  Morris,  that  he  must  be  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  permanent  fixtures  of  that  establish- 
ment. He  was  born  in  New  Orleans,  July  i8,  1873. 
When  he  was  a  boy  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  found  em- 
ployment in  the  Morris  Stable,  where  he  naturally  began 
as  an  exercise  boy.  When  he  started  to  ride  in  races  he 
weighed  only  about  seventy-two  pounds  and  soon 
showed  himself  a  very  skilful  lightweight.  For  the 
Messrs.  Morris,  as  well  as  other  owners,  he  has  won  a 
great  many  races.  First  he  had  the  mount  in  affairs  of 
lesser  consequence,  but  his  success  was  such  that  it 
early  gained  him  recognition  and  the  opportunity  to  ride 
in  more  important  races  where  he  was  further  success- 
ful. His  engagements  took  him  throughout  the  coun- 
try, and  he  has  long  been  a  familiar  figure  on  all  the  prin- 
cipal tracks  of  the  United  States.  His  present  riding 
weight  is  about  107  pounds.  He  is  a  strong  rider  and  a 
master  horseman,  able  to  manage  the  most  obstreperous 
animals  and  to  get  out  of  his  mounts  the  best  of  which 
they  are  capable.  His  services  are  always  in  great  de- 
mand when  he  can  be  spared  from  the  Morris  Stable,  and 
he  has  often  done  better  than  some  jockeys  popularly 
held  as  being  at  the  head  of  their  company. 

Known  to  the  racing  world  by  his  middle  name  of 
Coley,  as  well  as  his  proper  name,  J.  Coley  Thompson 
holds  a  favorable  position  among  the  jockeys  of  our 
day.  He  was  born  at  Nashville,  Tenn. ,  November  11, 
1881.  He  has  to  a  good  degree  that  balance  and  judg- 
ment described  as  "  an  old  head  on  young  shoulders," 
while  among  the  other  elements  which  contribute  to  his 
success  in  the  profession,  he  is  unusually  well  educated, 
far  more  so  than  the  greater  number  of  youths  now 
riding  on  the  tracks  of  this  country.  Up  to  the  time,  a 
few  years  ago,  when  he  came  upon  the  tui1'.  he  attended 
school  regularly  and  was  an  intelligent  and  careful 
student.  His  first  mount  was  on  La  Creole,  and  in  the 
race  he  finished  third,  not  a  bad  beginning  for  a  novice. 
His  first  winning  mount  was  on  Judith  G.,  and  his  first 
regular  turf  engagement  was  with  Edward  Brown. 
This  connection  lasted  from  December,  1895,  till  Novem- 
ber, 1896,  and  afterward  he  united  with  the  stable  of 
John  E.  Madden.  For  the  period  that  he  has  been  a 
knight  of  the  pigskin,  he  has  had  an  unusually  varied  ex- 
perience and  has  had  mounts  on  a  very  large  number  of 
performers  of  reputation.  As  examples  of  the  horses 
which  he  has  ridden  and  brought  to  the  front  in  their 
races,  Judith  C,  Woodbury,  Corrigan,  Lady  Doleful, 
Margaret,  Carrie  L.,  Connie  Lee  and  Robert  Bonner  may 
be  mentioned,  though  the  record  could  be  extended 
much  further  and  still  be  abundant  in  interest. 


As  a  jockey  in  his  earlier  years,  and  later  as  a  trainer, 
George  Hanawalt  has  had  a  connection  with  the  turf 
that  is  interesting  and  suggestive.  He  is  a  native  of 
Chicago,  born  July  27,  1874.  He  was  thirteen  years  old 
when,  in  1887,  he  made  his  first  stable  connection 
with  Mr.  C.  M.  Shields.  For  that  owner  he  first  exer- 
cised and  then  began  to  ride,  meeting  with  good  suc- 
cess. From  the  stable  of  Mr.  Shields  he  went  to  that  of 
Mr.  M.  M.  Allen  and  still  later  rode  for  Messrs.  Simon 
W.  Keid,  Frank  Regan,  Burns  &  Waterhouse,  J.  Kneale, 
and  others.  His  career  as  a  jockey  called  out  the 
frequent  commendation  of  his  employers.  When  he 
chose  to  retire  from  active  work  in  the  saddle  he  had  a 
clean  and  honorable  record  to  his  credit.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  satisfactory  results  of  his  jockeyship,  he  preferred 
the  profession  of  training  and  for  that  reason  has  in  his 
later  years  very  largely  abandoned  riding.  His  judgment 
regarding  a  horses's  condition  and  the  best  way  to  bring 
him  into  good  form  is  much  more  than  ordinarily  good. 
During  the  two  years  or  more  that  he  has  been  with  the 
stable  of  Mr.  Frank  Regan  he  has  had  the  handling  of 
many  good  animals  that,  under  his  charge,  are  almost 
invariably  brought  to  the  post  in  the  pink  of  condition, 
and  have  been  repeatedly  returned  winners.  Nor  are 
his  ambitions  entirely  fulfilled  as  yet,  for  he  aims  even- 
tually to  take  a  further  step  forward  and  to  enter  the 
ranks  of  owners. 

Although  born  in  England,  John  W.  Hothersall  has 
spent  his  entire  life  in  the  United  States.  His  acquaint- 
ance with  the  thoroughbred  began  in  1892  in  the  stable 
of  Mr.  John  Daly.  la  that  establishment  and  after- 
ward with  Mr.  J.  S.  Campbell  and  with  Mr.  J.  M.  Jeff- 
cot,  he  continued  to  be  employed  in  exercising.  Then 
he  was  attached  as  a  jockey  to  the  stables  of  Messrs. 
George  F.  Smith,  Samuel  C.  Hildreth,  and  M.  F.  Ste- 
phenson, and  finally  with  the  stable  of  Mr.  William  C. 
Daly.  He  is  a  good  lightweight,  riding  at  about  92  or  93 
pounds,  has  a  firm  seat  in  the  saddle,  and  is  able  to  get 
as  much  out  of  the  animal  that  he  is  astride  of  as  any 
man.     Recently  he  has  been  upon  the  Western  tracks. 

Born  in  Canada,  in  1866,  Gustavus  Hamilton  began 
his  racing  experience  in  the  Dominion  in  the  stable  of 
Mr.  John  White,  the  Canadian  turfman.  Afterward,  in 
the  stable  of  Mr.  E.  J.  Campbell,  he  began  riding  jump- 
ers and  made  that  a  specialty.  He  was  engaged  from 
time  to  time  with  many  prominent  owners,  including 
Messrs.  A.  E.  Gates,  Edward  Corrigan  and  J.  G.  K. 
Lawrence,  and  latterly  with  Mr.  John  Nixon,  until  his 
retirement.  He  was  a  jockey  strictly  conservative  in 
his  methods,  and  at  his  home  in  Toronto,  as  well  as 
upon  all  the  great  race  courses  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  has  always  been  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
among  turfmen,  being  regarded  as  one  of  the  safest  and 
most  reliable  jockeys  of  his  time. 


418 


MEN    OF    THE    TURF 


MEN    OF  THE   TURF 


The  Speculative  Side  of  Racing  and  Those   Prominent   In  It — Veterinary  Science  and 

Its    Work  for   the   Thoroughbred — Starters    and  Other 

Officials   of   the    Track 


EADERS  who  have  thus  far  followed  the  history 
'S^       of  the  American  turf  that  has  been  presented 
"^l\        in  the  preceding  pages- can  scarcely  have  failed 
"^  to  be  impressed  with  the  magnitude  of  the  in- 

terests involved  in  this  great  national  institu- 
tion. Not  only,  as  has  been  seen,  are  vast  amounts  of 
capital  at  stake  in  supporting  breeding  establishments, 
racing  stables  and  race  tracks,  but  a  great  variety  of  other 
interests  are  also  involved,  either  directly  or  indirectly. 

The  breeders  of  national  reputation;  the  owners  whose 
stables  contribute  to  the  importance  of  racing  meetings; 
the  trainers  to  whose  intelligent  efforts  the  perfect  con- 
dition of  the  running  thoroughbreds  must  be  credited; 
the  racing  oftkials  to  whose  careful  direction  and  su- 
pervision is  due  in  large  measure  the  success  of  our  great 
tracks;  the  jockeys,  who,  brilliant  in  varied  colored  silk 
jacket  and  cap,  are  picturesque,  hard-working  and  capable 
in  their  efforts  to  please  the  public  and  to  bring  profit 
to  their  employers;  each  of  these  classes  constitutes 
by  itself  a  regiment,  if  not  indeed  even  an  army.  An 
idea  of  the  great  numbers  of  men  engaged  in  these 
respective  pursuits  and  of  the  wide  importance  of  their 
activity  in  developing  modern  racing  and  in  maintaining 
it  in  that  high  state  of  perfection  which  is  the  delight  of 
tne  public,  has  undoubtedly  been  clearly  gained  by  those 
who  have  followed  our  accounts  of  these  branches  of 
turf  life  and  of  the  gentlemen  prominent  in  them. 

But  a  comprehensive  review  of  the  turf  and  of  those 
associated  with  it  cannot  thus  be  brought  to  a  conclu- 
sion. There  are  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands  of  others, 
who,  if  in  some  respects  less  conspicuous  than  those  in 
the  classes  just  referred  to,  are  in  no  sense  less  important 
members  of  the  racing  fraternity  or  less  meritorious  in 
the  character  of  their  work.  In  this  list  must  be  included 
a  large  company  of  those  whose  particular  duty  it  is  to 
look  after  the  welfare  of  the  thoroughbreds  in  many 
ways;  to  direct  the  affairs  of  racing  meetings,  and  to 
attend  to  many  of  the  needs  of  owners  and  the  public  in 
connection  with  racing  associations  and  meetings. 

In  this  connection  we  cannot  overlook  one  side  of  rac- 
ing affairs  that  has  barely  been  touched  upon  in  these 
pages,  and  yet  which  has  always  been  of  vital  moment 
to  the  prosperity  of  the  turf.  Reference  is  made,  of 
course,  to  the  betting,  which  in  these  latter  days  has 
become  a  science  and  is   scarcely  less  essential  to  the 

421 


very  existence  of  the  turf  than  is  breeding  or  racing. 
The  time  was,  and  that,  too,  not  so  very  long  ago, 
when  betting  in  connection  with  racing  was  carried  on 
in  a  very  haphazard  fashion,  and,  it  must  be  confessed, 
was  fraught  with  manifold  evil.  As  the  turf  grew  in 
importance  and  the  patronage  bestowed  upon  it  increased 
to  tens  of  thousands  where  previously  there  had  been 
hundreds  or  thousands,  the  necessity  of  reform  in  the 
manner  of  conducting  betting  in  connection  therewith 
and  the  demand  for  reasonable  regulations  that  should 
conserve  the  interests  of  the  racing  associations,  the 
public  and  the  betting  fraternity,  became  clearly  appar- 
ent. The  warfare  made  upon  the  pool-rooms  some 
years  ago  and  other  movements  in  this  matter  empha- 
sized the  demand  of  the  hour  and  led  up  to  the  institu- 
tion of  many  important  reforms  and  to  the  establishment 
of  betting  under  the  new  system  as  it  now  exists. 

As  conducted  at  the  present  time,  under  reasonable 
regulations  and  restrictions  and  subject  to  the  watchful 
attention  of  gentlemen  whose  greatest  care  is  for  the 
welfare  of  the  turf,  bookmaking  in  connection  with  our 
great  tracks  has  become  a  well  established  institution 
that  generally  commends  itself.  The  bookmakers  who 
are  principally  connected  with  the  metropolitan  tracks 
constitute  a  notable  company  of  men.  They  are  shrewd 
observers,  have  keen  business  instincts,  and  their  trust- 
worthiness and  reliability  is  fully  evidenced  by  the  con- 
fidence that  is  placed  in  them  by  the  managers  of  the 
various  racing  associations  and  by  the  public  that  freely 
places  its  money  in  large  amounts  upon  the  events  of  the 
different  meetings. 

The  Metropolitian  Turf  Association  has  on  its  roll  of 
membership  those  who  are  undoubtedly  foremost  in  the 
United  States  in  this  particular  line  of  business.  Mem- 
bership in  this  association  is  a  guarantee  to  the  public  of 
the  responsibility  of  those  who  control  the  business  of 
the  betting  ring.  Most  of  these  members  have  had  long 
and  honorable  connection  with  bookmaking,  and  their 
association  for  mutual  advantage  and  for  the  proper 
regulation  of  the  traffic  has  unquestionably  redounded  to 
the  public  benefit.  The  names  of  these  gentlemen  are 
well  worth  -presentation  as  showing  the  character  of 
those  in  whose  hands  are  such  large  and  important 
monetary  interests,  and  in  whom  the  public  daily  re- 
poses the  utmost  confidence.     In  this  list   appear  the 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


names  of  T.  B.  Alexander,  W.  E.  Applegate,  Jr.,  J.  Beat- 
tie,  F.  Belanger,  W.  Beverly,  Max  Blumenthal,  F. 
Brower,  T.  A.  Brown,  E.  Burke,  S.  J.  Burke,  E.  J. 
Callahan,  R.  A.  Canfield,  George  Carlin,  J.  B.  Coleman, 
W.  J.  Connor,  F.  Cowan,  E.  Croker,  W.  H.  Crouchen, 
John  Daly,  Hayden  Dargon,  J.  Davey,  R.  H.  Davis, 
D.  Donnelly,  P.  H.  Downey,  N.  J.  Doyle,  F.  A.  Duffy, 
John  Duffy,  C.  F.  Dwyer,  F.  Eckert,  C.  W.  Emerson, 
S.  Emery,  S.  Fisher,  F.  W.  Flood,  Max  Franks,  S.  Franks, 
J.  Frye,  E.  Gaines,  D.  Gideon,  L.  Gilbert,  M.  Goodwin, 
C.  R.  Grannan,  Joseph  Guthorn,  I.  Hakelberg,  William 
Harbaum,  H.  Harrigan,  Henry  Harris,  C.  F.  Heineman, 
W.  Heineman,  C.  E.  Heney,  P.  Howell,  J.  O.  Hughes, 
R.  G.  Irving,  E.  P.  Jones,  O.  A.  Jones,  A.  Kaufman,  J. 
Keys,  M.  Klien,  J.  P.  Korn,  G.  Kunzeman,  A.  G.  Lack- 
man,  M.  Leon,  A.  J.  Levy,  S.  Lichenstein,  T.  Lloyd, 
J.  London,  M.  M.  Looram,  W.  J.  Mackin,  W.  F.  Mac- 
Namara,  J.  A.  Mahoney,  E.  N.  Marks,  M.  Marks,  James 
McCullom,  J.  E.  McDonald,  B.  Michaels,  George  Middle- 
ton,  M.  Minden,  J.  J.  Murphy,  J.  Nagle,  P.  Nagle,  T.  E. 
Nagle,  C.  Nelson,  W.  E.  Nixon,  T.  O'Brien,  D.  J. 
O'Connor,  J.  J.  O'Neill,  E.  Pearsall,  'W.  H.  Peters,  H. 
Quinn,  M.  Reardon,  J.  P.  Robinson,  R.  L.  Rose,  H. 
Schopps,  P.  J.  Shannon,  T.  H.  Shannon,  E.  L.  Smith,  L. 
H.  Snell,  William  Snow,  H.  Stedeker,  T.  G.  Sullivan,  S. 
Summerfield,  L.  Swatts,  R.  P.  Tebo,  C.  H.  Thompson, 
L  S.  Thompson,  W.  J.  Torpie,  A.  Ullman,  J.  Ullman,  J. 
C.  'Van  Ness,  J.  H.  Vendig,  G.  Walbaum,  N.  P.  Walda- 
man,  A.  Wall,  C.Walters,  J.  C.Walters,  G.  A.  Wheelock, 
B.  Wolf,  F.  M.  Woods.  The  Governing  Committee  of 
the  Association  consists  of  E.  N.  Marks,  O.  A.  Jones,  H. 
Stedeker,  G.  A.  Wheelock  and  S.  Lichenstein.  The 
members  of  the  Arbitration  Committee  are  R.  L.  Rose, 
T.  G.  Sullivan  and  E.  M.  Gaines.  The  secretary  is  T.  G. 
Sullivan,  and  the  treasurer,  E.  N.  Marks. 

Coming  to  the  consideration  of  another  branch  of  turf 
affairs,  we  are  strikingly  impressed  with  the  fact  that  no 
profession  is  of  more  importance  in  this  particular  con- 
nection than  that  of  the  veterinary.  It  has  remained  for 
the  nineteenth  century  to  develop  this  science  to  the 
high  position  that  it  now  holds.  Particularly  the  estab- 
lishment of  veterinary  schools  in  Great  Britain  has  done 
much  to  educate  a  class  of  physicians  for  this  pursuit 
and  well  equipped  with  special  knowledge.  In  the 
United  States  veterinary  science  has  in  recent  years  kept 
fair  pace  with  the  advancement  that  has  been  made  in 
Great  Britain  and  elsewhere.  In  all  the  large  cities  of  the 
country  veterinary  schools  have  been  established.  Sev- 
eral of  our  large  universities,  like  Cornell,  Columbia, 
Pennsylvania,  Harvard  and  others  have  veterinary  schools 
or  chairs  with  competent  teachers.  The  practitioners 
that  have  come  from  these  institutions  and  also  those 
who  have  acquired  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  treat- 
ment of  horse  ailments  constitute  a  body  of  accomplished 


men  who  have  been  of  invaluable  service  to  owners  of 
thoroughbreds.  In  a  volume  of  this  character  it  is  im- 
possible to  give  more  than  a  mere  passing  attention  to 
the  subject,  with  a  reference,  presently,  to  several  of  the 
leading  exponents  of  this  branch  of  medical  practice. 

Racing  and  track  officials  constitute  a  large  and  influ- 
ential class.  Some  of  them  have  been  already  consid- 
ered. Others  there  are  whose  duties  are  scarcely  less 
important,  and  who  contribute  in  their  respective  ways 
to  the  success  of  every  meeting.  It  may  be  invidious  to 
select  any  particular  one  from  this  class  of  minor  officials; 
but,  nevertheless,  it  seems  only  just  to  pay  passing  trib- 
ute to  the  work  of  the  starter,  a  hard-working  and  often 
much-abused  individual.  Perhaps  no  position  at  the 
race  course  is  less  enviable  than  that  of  the  man  who 
wields  the  flag.  No  starter  ever  lived  who  gave  general 
satisfaction  to  the  public,  and  it  is  extremely  doubtful  if 
that  phenomenal  individual  will  ever  be  born.  Some 
good  and  strong  men  have  held  the  position  on  Ameri- 
can tracks.  In  days  gone  by  there  were  Messrs. 
Wheatly,  Grouse,  Connor,  Simmons,  Sheridan  and 
several  others  whose  names  should  be  readily 
recalled. 

In  the  immediate  present  we  have  had  a  goodly  number 
of  starters  who  have  compared  favorably  with  those  who 
preceded  them,  and  have  done  as  well  as  could  be  ex- 
pected of  any  in  that  supremely  difficult  position. 
As  late  as  1897,  Mr.  C.  H.  Pettingill  officiated  as  starter 
at  all  the  metropolitan  tracks,  and  he  was  in  turn  suc- 
ceeded by  Mr.  C.  J.  Fitzgerald.  In  recent  times  Mr. 
William  J.  Fitzpatrick,  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life, 
officiated  at  Saratoga,  Washington  and  elsewhere.  On 
the  Pacific  Coast  Mr.  R.  J.  Harvey  and  Mr.  J.  B.  Fergu- 
son have  been  conspicuous  in  this  official  class.  Mr.  C. 
J.  Fitzgerald  has  also  started  the  races  at  New  Orleans; 
Mr.  C.  Chinn  at  Memphis,  Tenn. ;  Mr.  J.  P.  Chinn  for 
the  Kentucky  Association  at  Lexington,  and  also  for  the 
Latonia  Jockey  Club;  Mr.  Phil  Gilman,  at  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  and  for  the  Highland  Park  Club,  of  Detroit;  Mr. 
W.  P.  Maxwell  at  St.  Louis;  Mr.  H.  G.  Brown  for  the 
Queen  City  Jockey  Club  at  Cincinnati;  Mr.  W.  P. 
Maxwell  for  the  Little  Rock  Jockey  Club;  Mr.  J.  F.  Cald- 
well for  the  Detroit  Jockey  Club,  and  Mr.  J.  B.  Ferguson 
for  the  Butte  and  Anaconda,  Mont.,  meetings. 

Further  consideration  of  these  and  other  individuals 
connected  with  racing  in  official  and  professional  capac- 
ity would  be  agreeable,  did  time  and  space  permit. 
Enough  has  already  been  said,  perhaps,  to  sufficiently 
indicate  the  variety  and  the  great  and  growing  impor- 
tance of  these  branches  of  turf  activity.  A  review  of  the 
careers  of  some  of  the  foremost  individuals  in  their 
respective  classes  will,  it  is  believed,  conclusively 
demonstrate  the  force  of  the  propositions  already 
enunciated. 


422 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Instances  of  peniKinent  piotlt  in  backing  horses  are 
proverbially  scarce.  in  fact  the  number  ot  those  who, 
in  this  connection,  have  attained  more  than  a  temporary 
seed  fortune  could  be  easilv  reckoned,  while  thousands 
fail  to  wind  up  as  much  as  a  single  season  without  loss. 
Taking  these  things  into  consideration,  the  success  of  Mr. 
George  A.  Wheelock  has  been  remarkable.  He  is  indeed 
one  of  the  very  few 
who  have  accom- 
plished such  a  result, 
and  is  looked  upon  as 
one  of  the  shrewdest 
and  most  careful  men 
in  his  line.  Giving, 
however,  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to 
his  business,  the  re- 
sults he  has  secured 
can  be  ascribed  in 
large  measure  to  that 
fact.  At  the  same 
time,  it  cannot  be  lost 
sight  of  that  the  pos- 
session of  a  high  or- 
der of  ability,  a  com- 
plete knowledge  of  all 
the  details  of  racing 
and  betting  and  a 
thorough  acquaint- 
ance with  horseflesh, 
have  been  substantial 
and  important  ele- 
ments contributing  to 
his  success. 

Mr.  Wheelock  was 
born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
September  26,  1858, 
He  came  of  an  excel- 
lent family,  his  parents 
being  well  connected 
both  in  New  York  and 
Boston.  He  was  care- 
fully educated,  gradu- 
ating from  the  High 
School  of  his  native 
city  in  1876,  and  it 
was  the  desire  of  his 
father,    who     was    a 

prominent  merchant,  that  he  should  enter  Yale  College. 
As  a  youth,  however,  his  inclinations  were  strongly  set 
toward  the  domain  of  sport.  Especially,  he  early  de- 
veloped ability  as  a  billiard  amateur,  playing  himself  and 
taking  great  interest  in  organizing  matches. 

His  speculations  in  connection  with  the  turf  began  in 


GEORGE  A.  WHEELOCK 


1882,  and  four  years  later  he  became  a  bookmaker  at 
Washington  Park,  Chicago,  having  as  associates  the 
notable  Western  turfmen,  Messrs.  E.  J.  Baldwin  and 
George  Hankins.  While  this  connection  put  him  in 
possession  of  many  stable  secrets,  he  soon  discovered  the 
comparative  uselessness  of  such  information  and,  princi- 
pally for  this  reason,  the  partnership  with    Mr.   Hankins 

was  dissolved.    Com- 

ing  to  the  East  with 

Mr.  Baldwin,  he  fol- 
lowed the  hitters' 
horses.  The  follow- 
ing season  was  spent 
by  him  at  the  South  in 
association  with 
Captain  John  Hardy 
and  Mr.  J.  Daniel 
Hutchison,  the  last 
named  gentleman  and 
Mr.  Wheelock  finally 
joining  Mr.  Baldwin 
once  more  at  Chicago. 
It  was  not  until 
1888,  however,  that 
Mr.  Wheelock  began 
to  make  money  on  a 
considerable  scale. 
While  making  a  book 
at  New  Orleans  he 
met  two  New  York 
betting  men,  Charles 
Aikens  and  Percy  Gil- 
lies, who  had  a  theory 
upon  handicapping 
which  they  communi- 
cated to  him,  and  he, 
though  finding  their 
plan  impracticable, 
derived  benefit  from  it 
in  combination  with 
his  own  ideas,  in  the 
ensuing  season  net- 
ting some  $140,000 
from  his  operations. 
In  the  next  year  he 
had  five  books  in 
operation,  but  reduced 
the  number  to  two,  his 
own  and  that  ot  Wheelock  &  Harris.  Both  Mr.  Harris 
and  Mr.  Leo  Meyer  were  employees  of  Mr.  Wheelock 
and,  graduating  to  the  block,  became  successful.  It  is  al- 
ways essential  that  the  public  should  deal  with  respon- 
sible bookmakers,  and  the  prominence  of  such  men  as 
Mr.  Wheelock  is  of  importance  to  all  who  follow  racing. 


423 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


Irving  is  one  of  the  substantial  old- 


Mr.    Robert 

time  turfmen.  A  native  of  England,  he  was  born  in 
London,  but  his  entire  life,  from  the  time  of  his  infancy, 
has  been  passed  in  America.  His  interest  in  outdoor 
sports  was  shown  early  in  his  career,  although  its  mani- 
festation in  the  direction  of  racing  was  not  at  first  dis- 
played. After  his  school  days,  when  he  came  to  enter 
upon  active  life  for  himself,  he  learned  the  trade  of 
boat  building.  In  that  pursuit  he  was  engaged  for 
many  years.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  rendered  the 
United  States  Government  exceedingly  valuable  service 
on  more  than  one  occa 
sion  in  matters  pertain- 
ing to  his  trade. 

It  is  going  on  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century,  at  least, 
since  Mr.  Irving  began 
to  feel  an  interest  in  turf 
matters.  At  first,  he 
merely  had  an  intimate 
acquaintance  with  many 
people  who  were  con- 
cerned in  racing,  and 
gradually  felt  himself 
drawn  in  that  direction. 
Nevertheless,  until  about 
1881,  he  continued  in 
the  business  pursuit  that 
had  engrossed  his  atten- 
tion up  to  that  time. 
Finally,  taking  a  special 
liking  to  racing  affairs, 
and  becoming  thor- 
oughly imbued  with  the 
idea  that  he  could  be 
successful  in  connection 
therewith,  he  embarked 
with  a  small  capital, 
and  had  most  gratifying 
results  from  the  outset. 
His  first  venture  was 
about  the  time  when 
Leonatus  won  the  Ken- 
tucky Derby,  and  that 
great  mare  Thora  broke 

down.  During  his  long  and  active  career,  Mr.  Irving  has 
made  more  than  one  brilliant  coup.  He  has  been  a  care- 
ful, conservative  bettor,  but  his  conservatism  has  not 
held  him  back  from  making  many  strong  plays.  Prob- 
ably, in  the  course  of  his  experience,  he  has  won  over  a 
quarter  of  a  million  dollars.  In  one  year  alone,  that  of 
1887,  he  cleaned  up  some  $93,000.  He  has  figured  on 
the  betting  side  of  most  of  the  notable  turf  events  of 
this  period.     When   Longstreet  beat   Tenny,  his   win- 


ROBERT   G.  IRVING 


nings  were  some  $18,000.  He  was  less  fortunate,  how- 
ever, when  Salvator  won  the  Realization,  defeating 
Tenny  by  a  head,  for  he  was  on  the  losing  side  on  that 
occasion,  standing  to  win  $30,000  on  Tenny.  Under 
the  present  system  of  betting,  he  has  not  always  been 
as  successful  as  he  could  desire,  for  he  acknowledges  to 
having  lost  in  bad  accounts  some  $18,000.  Neverthe- 
less, despite  this  experience,  he  prefers,  on  the  whole, 
the  style  of  betting  now  in  vogue,  and  considers  that  in 
some  respects  it  showed  a  marked  improvement  over 
the  methods  that  have  generally  prevailed  in  the  past. 

Mr.  Irving  has  en- 
joyed the  confidence  of 
the  leading  turfmen  of 
the  present  generation, 
for  most  of  whom  he 
has  transacted  business, 
and  always  to  the  satis- 
faction of  both  parties. 
For  three  years,  he 
placed  Mr.  Michael  F. 
Dwyer's  commissions. 
Not  long  ago,  his  name 
was  brought  more 
prominently  than  ever 
before  to  public  atten- 
tion in  connection  with 
the  discussion  as  to 
the  legal  status  of  bet- 
ting. It  will  probably 
be  readily  recalled  that 
one  Joseph  Britton  was 
sued  by  Mr.  Irving.  The 
suit  was  brought  for  the 
ultimate  purpose  of  se- 
curing a  decision  from 
the  highest  courts  of  the 
State  as  to  the  legality  of 
a  gambling  debt.  Judge 
Pryor,  before  whom  the 
case  was  first  tried,  held 
that  the  racing  law  was 
unconstitutional.  On  ap- 
peal, the  case  was  taken 
to  Judge  Gaynor,  who 
overruled  the  decision  of  Judge  Pryor.  Later  on,  how- 
ever, the  Court  of  Appeals  decided  against  Judge 
Gaynor,  and  upheld  the  decision  of  Judge  Pryor. 

Noted  for  his  upright  business  methods  and  for  the 
integrity  that  has  characterized  his  life,  Mr.  Irving  has  a 
large  acquaintance  with  racing  people,  by  whom  he  is 
held  in  high  esteem.  In  addition  to  his  own  capital,  he 
has  handled  large  sums  for  other  people,  with  generally 
successful  results. 


424 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


It  will  not  escape  notice  that  many  men  wiio  iiave 
been  prominently  connected  with  the  betting  interests  of 
the  turf  have  had  previous  experience  in  business  mat- 
ters. They  are  generally  trained  men  who,  with  sound 
general  education,  have  also  the  additional  advantage 
that  comes  from  thorough  knowledge  of  business 
methods  and  a  more  or  less  intimate  acquaintance  with 
commercial  life.  This  affords  a  substantial  foundation  for 
the  successful  upbuilding  of  the  particular  turf  connection 
atwhich  they  aim.  The 
shrewdness,  capacity 
and  industry  that  is 
necessary  in  all  busi- 
ness affairs,  and  fa- 
miliarity with  mone- 
tary questions  are  the 
indispensable  factors 
in  all  racing  specula- 
tion. Moreover,  the 
powers  of  keen  obser- 
vation and  of  quick 
conclusions  that  be- 
long to  bright  busi- 
ness men  are  those 
most  in  demand  in 
the  making  of  a  suc- 
cessful turf  speculator. 

Mr.  Joseph  H.  Ven- 
dig  is  another  illustra- 
tion of  the  proof  of 
the  above  proposition. 
He  was  born  in  Phila- 
delphia, August  15, 
i860,  and  his  first  ex- 
perience with  racing 
began  in  1879.  Al- 
though only  nineteen 
years  of  age  at  that 
time,  he  was  already 
the  possessor  of  a 
good  education,  and 
had  also  profited  by 
business  experience. 
His  father  was  a  busi- 
ness man  of  Philadelphia,  and  there  he  was  first  en- 
gaged as  clerk  and  still  later  as  traveling  salesman. 
But  even  at  this  early  age  racing  seemed  to  hold  out 
more  inducements  to  him  than  business,  and,  leaving  the 
road,  he  began  the  career  in  which  he  has  since  attained 
such  distinction. 

His  debut  was  at  the  opening  meeting  of  the  Brighton 
Beach  Racing  Association,  and  from  that  time  on  he  has 
been  a  conspicuous  figure  among  the  bettors  and  book- 
makers   of   the    track. 


For  many  years  he  has  been  recognized  as  one  of  the 
nerviest  and  most  energetic  sportsmen  of  the  day. 
Besides  betting  for  himself,  he  has  been  entrusted  with 
a  great  deal  of  business  by  prominent  turfmen,  who 
have  had  the  fullest  confidence  in  his  capacity,  good 
judgment  and  integrity.  For  a  period  of  seven  years, 
extending  from  iSgo  to  1897,  he  was  the  commissioner 
for  Mr.  Michael  F.  Dwyer.  In  his  capacity  as  commis- 
sioner for  other  notable  individuals,  he  has  placed  some 

of  the  largest  bets 
ever  laid  upon  the 
race  track,  and  his 
general  success  has 
become  proverbial. 

Nor  has  Mr.  Ven- 
dig  confined  his  at- 
tention in  racing  mat- 
ters to  the  betting 
ring  exclusively. 
During  the  seasons  of 
•  1892  and  1893  he  was 
a  member  of  the  firm 
of  O.  A.  Jones  &  Co., 
that  owned  several 
good  horses,  and  the 
success  that  the 
stable  achieved  was 
in  no  small  measure 
due  to  his  judgment 
in  regard  to  the  value 
of  thoroughbreds  and 
in  directing  their  rac- 
ing. Among  the  best 
horses  of  that  firm 
were  Leonawell,  Dr. 
Wilcox  and  Beck. 

Mr.  Vendig  has  also 
been  interested  in 
other  sporting  affairs 
outside  of  racing. 
He  managed  the 
celebrated  Corbetl- 
Mitchell  fight,  and  it 
was  through  his  per- 
sonal effort,  notwithstanding  the  opposition  of  the  au- 
thorities, that  the  fight  finally  took  place  in  Florida.  He 
was  a  half  owner  of  the  Florida  Athletic  Club  at  one 
time  and  was  also  connected  with  the  Maher-Fitzsim- 
mons  fight,  which  was  brought  to  a  successful  con- 
clusion by  him.  In  regard  to  betting  at  the  race 
track,  which  absorbs  most  of  his  time  and- attention, 
he  does  not  think  that  the  present  system  can  be 
in  any  wise  improved  upon,  as  compared  with  old- 
time   methods. 


JOSEPH    H.  VENDIG 


425 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Few  men  have  had  a  more  notably  dazzling  career  in 
connection  with  the  betting  side  of  racing  than  Mr. 
Charles  R. — or  "  Riley  "—Grannan.  His  reputation 
among  turfmen  is  as  widely  extended  as  the  United 
States,  and  he  is  one  of  the  few  of  the  present  day  in 
his  particular  line  of  business  concerning  w:hom  the 
public  has  the  greatest  curiosity.  For  several  years 
past  he  has  been  one  of  the  most  sensational  "plun- 
gers" known  to  the  American  turf.  By  choice,  instinct, 
training  and  circum- 
stance he  has  become 
associated  with  the 
speculative  side  of 
horse  racing,  and 
upon  that  particular 
subject  no  man  of  his 
age  has  had  a  wider 
experience  or  a  more 
practical  knowledge. 
He  is  a  native  of  the 
town  of  Paris,  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  born 
some  thirty  years  ago. 
Although  the  Blue 
Grass  State  has  fur- 
nished many  notable 
turfmen  to  the  coun- 
try, as  breeders,  own- 
ers or  trainers,  it 
probably  never  sent 
forth  a  more  striking 
illustration  of  pluck 
and  of  energy  than 
exists  in  the  person 
of  Mr.  Grannan. 

Having  his  own 
way  to  make  in  the 
world,  this  young 
Kentuckian  started 
out  for  himself  at  the 
age  of  twelve.  With 
the  natural  fondness 
forhorses  that  belongs 
to  all  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky he  drifted  into  ■  .  • 
association  with  racing  and  sold  programmes  at  running 
meetings,  making  quite  a  little  money.  He  alsqbegan 
betting,  and  in  a  small  way  was  fairly  successful.  Be- 
fore he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  he  went  to  New 
Orleans,  where  he  was  employed  in  the  St.  Charles 
Hotel.  There  he  attracted  the  attention  of  Bookmaker 
Botay,  with  whom  he  became  associated.  His  first 
real  start  in  his  brilliant  career  began,  however,  in 
connection  with  Mr.  William  E.  Applegate,  one.  of  the 


prominent  horsemen  and  bookmakers.  Applegate  had 
the  fullest  confidence  in  the  ability  of  the  bright,  alert 
young  man,  and  gave  him  assistance  in  starting  at 
Memphis,  Tenn. ,  what  was  undoubtedly  the  first  field 
book  ever  made  in  the  West.  Grannan  received  part 
of  the  profits  of  the  venture  and  the  book  was  con- 
tinued throughout  the  Western  circuit  to  the  eminent 
satisfaction  of  both  gentlemen,  for  the  youthful  partner 
was  a  close  observer  and  his  shrewdness  and  courage 

brought  big  returns. 

After    two    or   three 

years'  experience  in 
this  field  he  acquired 
sufficient  capital  to 
go  in  among  the  big 
layers  in  the  regular 
ring  and  started  on 
the  phenomenal 
career  that  has 
brought  him  so  con- 
spicuously not  only 
before  the  turf  public 
but  before  outsiders 
as  well. 

He  has,  in  recent 
years, been  the  central 
figure  of  some  of  the 
most  sensational 
events  connected  with 
the  betting  ring. 
There  has  been  a 
great  deal  of  talk, 
especially  in  the 
newspapers, about  his 
fabulous  winnings, 
much  of  which,  as  he 
says,  are  largely 
flights  of  fancy.  Nev- 
ertheless, he  is  not 
averse  to  admitting 
that  at  times  he  has 
won  very  heavily  on 
important  events. 
His  betting  operations 
are  conducted  on  a 
large  scale,  and  it  has  not  been  unusual  for  him  to  win 
from  $20,000  to  $30,000  on  a  single  race. 

Naturally,  carrying  on  operations  upon  such  a  large 
scale,  he  has  several  times  won  and  lost  a  fortune.  He 
is  not  an  adherent  of  any  system,  but  relies  wholly  on 
his  own  judgment,  in  which  he  has  the  most  implicit 
confidence,  and  justly  so,  considering  how  well  it  has 
served  him.  He  is  one  of  the  most  modest  of  men, 
wholly  averse  to  notoriety,  and  a  general  favorite. 


CHARLES  R.  GRANNAN 


426 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Some  one  has  said  that,  like  the  poet,  the  bookmai<er 
is  born,  rather  than  made.  Undoubtedly,  one  must 
possess  special  talent  for  this  avocation,  if  he  expects  to 
attain  even  the  most  moderate  degree  of  success  in  it. 
In  many  other  business  pursuits  general  proficiency  in 
methods  and  in  experience  enables  many  a  man  to  es- 
tablish himself  firmly.  In  the  matter  of  bookmaking, 
however,  there  is  no  disguising  the  fact  that  in  addi- 
tion to  a  sound  business  training  the  requisites  for  the 
occupation  are  peculiar  to  itself  To  a  certain  extent 
bookmakers  are  the  re- 
sult of  chance,  that  is, 
they  have  drifted  into 
the  occupation  without 
serious  and  determined 
preparation.  Neverthe- 
less, after  their  advent 
in  the  calling  they  must 
prove  to  be  possessed 
of  innate  qualities  with- 
out which  they  could 
by  no  means  hope  to 
attain  success. 

To  enumerate  the 
qualities  that  go  to  make 
up  a  successful  member 
of  the  bookmaking  fra- 
ternity would  be  a  long 
task  and  would  present 
some  exceedingly  in- 
teresting considera- 
tions. It  will  not  be 
possible,  however,  to 
go  thus  into  detail  con- 
cerning the  subject.  It 
is  important,  however, 
to  point  out  that  in  or- 
der to  become  a  shining 
light  in  the  fraternity  a 
man  must  be  a  good 
loser.  No  heed  what- 
ever other  attributes  he 
may   possess,  if  he  is 

lacking  in  that  he  might  Robert 

as  well  be  lacking  in  all. 

The  conservative,  methodical  spirit  of  a  business  man 
are  excellent  in  their  way  for  the  bookmaker.  In  the 
general  significance  of  the  term,  he  need  in  no  sense  be 
a  gambler,  or  to  speak  more  decidedly,  he  will  be  more 
certain  of  success  if  quite  averse  to  the  general  allure- 
ments of  chance. 

Nevertheless,  he  must  know  how  to  be  not  only  a 
good  winner,  but  also  a  good  loser.  It  is  comparatively 
easy  for  a  man  to  retain  his  equanimity  when  things  are 


going  well  with  him.  Far  more  difficult  is  it  to  main- 
tain an  even  balance  of  mind  in  the  face  of  losses.  This 
is  largely  a  matter  of  temperament,  and  he  who  pos- 
sesses this  faculty  has  that  which  may  be  one  of  the 
surest  elements  of  his  success  and  which  will  be  certain 
to  command  the  admiration  and  the  envy  of  his  profes- 
sional associates,  as  well  as  those  of  the  outside  public 
who  know  him.  Such  an  individual  soon  comes  to  be 
a  marked  figure  in  the  racing  world  and  he  receives  a 
just  tribute  of  confidence,  alike  from  owners  and  miscel- 
laneous bettors.  This 
is  an  invaluable  capital 
for  him  and  is  likely 
alone  to  insure  him  a 
prosperous  career. 
When  to  this  is  added 
other  qualifications,  of 
keen  business  insight, 
knowledge  of  horses 
that  comes  from  wide 
experience  and  careful 
study  and  a  large  fa- 
miliarity with  all  the 
minutiae  of  stable  and 
race  track  life,  the  ca- 
reer of  the  individual 
thus  favored  may  be 
regarded  as  fairly 
mapped  out  before 
him. 

Undoubtedly  most 
members  of  the  betting 
fraternity  are  not  only 
men  of  high  personal 
character,  but  they  are, 
to  an  exceptional  de- 
gree, possessed  of  both 
the  general  and  the  pe- 
culiar qualifications  to 
which  reference  has 
just  been  briefly  made. 
One  of  those  in  the 
field  whose  operations 
are  on  a  large  scale, 
and  concerning  whose 
career  there  are  many  favorable  prognostications,  is  Mr. 
Robert  P.  Tebo.  He  is  a  native  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn, 
and  has  been  associated  with  racing  affairs  from  his 
earliest  years.  After  receiving  a  sound  education  in  the 
public  schools  he  made  his  first  venture  in  business  life 
in  connection  with  bookmaking  at  the  metropolitan 
tracks.  For  sixteen  years  he  has  been  thus  engaged. 
During  the  last  six  years  he  has  made  a  book  on  all  the 
Eastern  courses  and  has  been  very  successful. 


p.  TEBO 


427 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Although  a  veteran  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the 
turf,  Mr.  William  H.  Peters  is  still  a  young  man  in  years. 
He  is  a  native  of  New  York  City  and  was  born  October  i, 
1865.  As  a  boy  he  attended  the  public  schools  and  early 
gave  evidence  of  that  steadiness,  attention  to  duty  and 
ability  to  win  success  that  have  been  his  dominant  char- 
acteristics throughout  life.  In  his  school  days  he  was 
known  as  a  diligent  student,  never  missed  a  promotion 
and  graduated  with  credit  when  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age.  His  entrance  upon  business  life  was  in  Wall  street, 
where  .he  became  an 
employee  of  a  brokerage 
firm.  His  industry  and 
shrewdness  matured 
early  and  he  was  able  to 
start  independently  be- 
fore he  had  attained  to 
full  age. 

■  Success  crowned  his 
energy  and  soon  he  had 
accumulated  a  consider- 
able capital,  so  that  he 
was  able  to  retire  from 
the  Street.  This  gave 
him  the  time  and  the 
means  to  devote  to  rac- 
ing, which  sport  had  al- 
ways possessed  a  great 
fascination  for  him.  At 
the  time  when  he  began 
his  career  on  the  turt 
publications  in  the  shape 
of  an  index  that  gave  a 
guide  to  the  quality  of 
the  work  of  the  equine 
performers  on  the  tracks 
were  rare.  Consequently 
it  was  more  difficult  to 
follow  the  form  of  the 
horses  and  to  reason  out 
the  possibilities  in  them, 
than  it  is  at  the  present 
day.  Mr.  Peters  found 
it  necessary  to  stand  in 

the  field  and  compile  an  index  for  himself  as  a  basis  for 
his  betting  operations.  The  habit  of  close  observation 
and  of  careful  study  of  the  history  of  the  horses  who 
passed  before  him  that  he  thus  acquired  was  the  sub- 
stantial foundation  of  his  future  as  a  turfman  and  to  it  he 
has  attributed  much  of  his  success. 

The  training  that  he  had  secured  in  his  school  days 
and  afterward  in  Wall  street,  was  now  of  value  to  him 
and  it  was  not  long  after  he  began  to  follow  the  races 
that  the  admirable  judgment  he  showed  in  regard  to  the 

428 


WILLIAM     H.    PETERS 


racing  qualities  of  horses  attracted  general  attention.  In 
1885  he  became  interested  in  bookmaking  with  Mahoney 
&  Co.,  whose  winnings,  due  to  his  judgment,  during 
the  next  five  years,  were  very  large.  In  1890,  he  began 
to  make  book  by  himself,  having  refused  the  offers  of 
wealthy  turfmen  anxious  to  act  as  his  backers.  He  has 
followed  the  profession  at  all  the  Eastern  tracks  and  en- 
joys the  confidence  and  respect  of  every  element  in  the 
racing  world,  while  his  reputation  with  the  public  is  such 
that  all  patrons  of  the  turf  are  acquainted  with  his  name. 

Throughout  his  turf 
experience  his  success 
has  been  steady.  He 
acts  systematically  upon 
a  theory  of  his  own  in 
regard  to  laying  and  tak- 
ing odds,  to  which  he  at- 
tributes much  of  his  suc- 
cess. Although  modest 
concerning  his  record  he 
can  recount  many  re- 
markable incidents  of 
his  career.  For  instance, 
once,  within  a  week,  he 
run  up  a  five  dollar  bill, 
bet  on  Tea  Tray  at  10 
to  I,  to  $15,000.  He 
also  won  $7,000  on 
Major  Domo  at  40  to  1, 
$5,000  on  Tulla  Black- 
burn and  $15,000  on 
Mable  Glenn  at  good 
prices.  The  largest  odds 
he  ever  procured  was  a 
bet  of  $10,000  to  $100 
on  Plenty  at  the  Brook- 
lyn track,  but  Plenty 
lost  by  a  nose  to  By 
Jove.  Mr.  Peters  has 
owned  a  number-  of 
horses  at  various  times, 
but  preferred  not  to  race 
them  in  his  own  name 
till  the  season  of  1896, 
when    at    last    his    colors    appeared    on    the    track. 

Mr.  Peters  has  acquired  considerable  property  includ- 
ing real  estate  in  Brooklyn.  He  resides  in  a  handsome 
house  on  the  Park  Slope  in  that  city,  having  another 
house  at  Bensonhurst  for  the  warm  weather,  while  he 
also  owns  a  place  in  Florida  to  which  he  repairs  with  his 
wife  and  children  for  the  winter  months.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Metropolitan  Turf  Association  and  has  a  large 
circle  of  personal  friends  among  turfmen  who  have  con- 
fidence in  him  and  have  watched  his  career  with  interest. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


As  indicated  by  iiis  name,  Mr.Tiiomas  Lloyd,  tiie  popu- 
lar sportsman,  is  of  Welch  descent.  His  father,  the  late 
John  Lloyd,  was  a  native  of  North  Wales,  and  emigrated 
to  this  country  at  an  early  age.  Settling  at  first  in  West- 
ern New  York,  he  soon  came  to  the  metropolis,  and  was 
a  successful  and  highly  respected  produce  merchant, 
established  for  many  years  in  Eighth  avenue,  and  later 
in  Harlem.  Finally  retiring  from  business,  he  died  some 
years  ago,  at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

Mr.  Thomas  Lloyd  was  born  in  New  York  City,  De- 
cember 3,  1869.  He  received  an  excellent  education  in 
the  local  schools,  and 
then  h  a  d  his  fi  r  s  t 
business  experience  in 
the  establishment  of  his 
fiither.  His  fondness  for 
horses,  however,  ulti- 
mately decided  his  busi- 
ness career,  and  he  in- 
vested a  portion  of  his 
capital  in  the  De  Soto 
Stables,  one  of  the 
largest  places  of  its  kind 
in  the  Harlem  district 
of  the  metropolis.  In 
this  connection  he 
made  his  first  practical 
acquaintance  with 
horses,  and  his  experi- 
ence there  had  much 
to  do  with  the  ultimate 
development  of  his  in- 
terest in  racing  affairs, 
in  which  he  has  long 
been  active. 

While  a  mere  lad, 
Mr.  Lloyd  took  part  in 
politics,  and  as  a  busi- 
ness man,  interested  in 
the  welfare  of  the  city 
and  State,  and  not  as  a 
seeker  for  office,  he  has 
been  an  important  factor 
in  the  city  organization 
of  the  Democratic  Party. 
He  was  appointed  associate  leader  of  the  Tammany  or- 
ganization in  the  Thirty-fourth  Assembly  District  in 
Harlem,  and  his  popularity  and  business  standing  in 
that  portion  of  the  city  where  he  has  always  resided  is 
shown  by  a  flourishing  political  club,  the  Thomas 
Lloyd  Association,  which  was  formed  there  in  1894,  re- 
ceived its  name  in  his  honor,  and  has  done  excellent  ser- 
vice in  the  political  field. 

Mr.   Robert  S.    Lloyd,   the  younger  brother   of  Mr. 


THOMAS    LLOYD 


Thomas  Lloyd,  and  like  the  latter,  a  well-known  and  en- 
thusiastic lover  of  the  turf,  was  born  in  New  York  No- 
vember 19,  1865.  He  also  received  his  education  in 
local  schools,  entered  business  with  his  father,  and  sub- 
sequently transferred  his  attention  to  the  livery  estab- 
lishment with  his  brother.  Both  gentlemen  inherited 
considerable  property,  which  they  have  increased,  and 
are  capable,  energetic  and  liberal-minded  men  of  affairs. 
It  was  about  1880  that  Mr.  Thomas  Lloyd  had  his 
first  active  interest  in  and  connection  with  the  turf  as  an 
amateur  and  follower  of  the  races.     He  has,  to  a  certain 

extent,  also  been  identi- 
fied as  a  capitalist  with 
the  business  side  of  the 
sport,  and  in  1889,  be- 
came interested  with 
Mr.  Browning  and  Mr. 
Thomas  D.  Reilly,  now 
president  and  own- 
er of  the  Aqueduct 
Track.  He  is  a  con- 
stant attendant  at  the 
races,  and  bets  largely 
and  with  good  judg- 
ment, often  handling 
thousands  upon  a  single 
race,  while  he  has  been 
remarkably  successful  in 
such  ventures. 

Mr.  Robert  S.  Lloyd  is 
as  well  known  in  the 
West  as  in  the  East, 
and,  in  fact,  devotes  a 
large  part  of  his  atten- 
tion to  racing  in  the 
former  section.  The 
Messrs.  Lloyd  have 
separately  or  jointly 
been  the  owners  of  a 
number  of  prominent 
race  horses.  The  best  of 
the  animals  which  have 
carried  their  colors  was 
probably  Worth,  who 
cost  some  $10,000  as  a 
two-year  old.  Worth  won  several  races  at  Saratoga, 
and  netted  a  handsome  return  to  his  owners.  They 
now  have  two  horses  in  training,  Charles  Rose  and 
Wood  Bird,  from  both  of  which  they  expect  favorable 
results.  Both  gentlemen  are  practical  and  experienced 
horsemen,  and  have  an  enthusiastic  love  of  sport,  as  well 
as  a  keen  business  man's  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  to 
be  popular,  the  turf  must  be  kept  pure,  and  in  all  things 
be  above  the  criticism  of  its  opponents. 


429 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Although  Mr,  Thomas  O'Brienhas  speculated  in  con- 
nection with  the  turf  ever  since  he  was  able  to  count 
money,  and  is  now  one  of  the  ablest,  as  well  as  most 
successful  of  the  bookmaking  fraternity,  his  early  ex- 
periences with  racing  were  in  schooling  and  training 
jumpers.  From  this  he  advanced  to  the  possession  of 
an  interest  in  some  noted  animals,  more  particularly 
those  adapted  to  steeplechasing,  to  which  branch  of  the 
sport  he  gave  close  attention  for  several  years.  To  the 
fact  that  he  possesses  this  exact  practical  knowledge  of  all 
departments  of  racing 
life,  is  in  a  large  measure 
attributable  the  success 
he  has  made  in  his  pres- 
ent profession. 

Born  in  Ireland,  March 
5,  1862,  Mr.  O'Brien  be- 
gan riding  when  ten 
years  of  age,  and  has 
had  no  other  occupa- 
tion apart  from  horses 
and  racing  throughout 
his  entire  life.  He  took 
part  in  several  Grand 
National  Steeplechase 
races  in  the  days  of  such 
prominent  jumpers  as 
Disturbance,  The  Lamb, 
Shifnal  and  others,  and 
coming  to  America  was 
identified  with  the  same 
division  of  the  sport. 
While  never  assuming 
the  responsibilities  of 
controlling  a  stable  of 
his  own,  Mr.  O'Brien 
has  had  an  interest  in 
several  racers,  among 
them  being  animals  that 
developed  into  good  per- 
formers, and  not  only 
made  a  name  for  them- 
selves, but  justified  the 
confidence  of  their  own- 
er by  the  money  they  earned  for  him  in  their  races. 

In  1887,  Mr.  O'Brien  began  bookmaking  publicly,  arid 
signalized  his  entry  to  the  professional  ranks  by  a  notable 
success.  His  profits  in  that  year  from  bookmaking  and 
betting  combined  were  set  down  as  over  $100,000,  and  he 
has  since  given  ample  evidence  that  he  possesses  a  com- 
bination of  good  fortune  and  good  judgement  that  has 
placed  him  on  an  enviable  financial  plane.  Like  all 
members  of  the  fraternity,  he  has  had  his  losses,  but  oc- 
casional reverses  do  not  deter  him  from  following  his 


THOMAS    O'BRIEN 


own  theories  and  judgment.  His  forte  has  always  been 
in  heavy  transactions,  requiring  both  boldness  and  cap- 
ital, in  connection  with  races  where  he  has  made  a 
study  of  the  conditions,  and  he  is  satistled  to  stand  by 
his  convictions.  As  already  indicated,  he  is  a  superla- 
tive judge  of  horses  and  possesses  that  lifelong  knowl- 
edge of  pedigrees  and  of  the  individul  peculiarities  that 
appear  in  racing  animals  which  to  the  uninterested  seems 
almost  like  an  instinct.  Besides  this,  he  is  popular  in 
racing  circles  and  has  hosts  of  friends  among  horsemen 

of  all  classes. 

His  views  upon  bet- 
ting in  connection  with 
the  turf  are  interesting 
and  valuable,  being  those 
of  an  expert.  In  com- 
mon with  all  close  ob- 
servers, he  holds  that 
without  speculation,  the 
life  of  the  turf  would  be 
feeble.  But  he  contends 
against  the  popular 
and  erroneous  idea 
that  the  bookmaker  is 
always  a  winner  at  the 
end  of  the  season.  This 
is  a  very  false  impres- 
sion. In  fact,  there  are 
scores  of  the  fraternity 
who  lose  their  capital 
and  never  recover  it. 
It  is  usually  the  large 
capitalist  who  survives 
the  season  and  retires 
with  a  profit,  while  the 
man  who  enters  the 
business  with  limited 
means  has  only  a  re- 
mote chance  of  surviv- 
ing to  the  end  of  a  given 
racing  year.  The  true 
method  for  the  book- 
maker is  to  do  legitimate 
business  based  on  exact 
figures,  avoiding  the  speculation  which  proves  fatal  to 
so  many  of  them.  At  the  same  time  the  large  por- 
tion of  the  public  that  is  so  apt  to  declaim  against 
the  supposed  profits  of  the  bookmaker,  has,  in  Mr. 
O'Brien's  opinion,  only  itself  to  blame  for  its  losses.  In- 
tending bettors,  he  urges,  should  measure  the  extent  of 
their  wagers  by  their  capital  and  thus  be  able  to  increase 
their  bets  to  a  figure  where  they  can  recover  their  losses 
on  one  race  irrespective  of  whether  they  have  lost  on 
any  number  of  previous  events. 


430 


AMERICAN     TURF 


Although  Mnssachusetts  has  never  supported  the  turf, 
that  Commonwealth  has  furnished  many  keen  horsemen 
and  lovers  of  the  thoroughbred.  Mr.  Charles  F.  Heine- 
man  is  one  of  that  class,  for  he  was  born  in  the  City  of 
Boston  some  forty  years  ago.  His  parents  moved  to 
New  York  when  he  was  still  young,  so  that  his  educa- 
tion and  youthful  associations  were  entirely  with  the 
metropolis,  which  has  since  been  his  home.  He  received 
a  sound  education,  and  was  a  bright  scholar,  being  par- 
ticularly quick  with  figures.  In  fact,  he  gave  early  indi- 
cations of  possessing 
a  mind  for  mathemat- 
ics, which  is  one  of 
the  necessary  ingred- 
ients in  the  make-up 
of  one  destined  to  be 
a  follower  of  the  turf 
and  a  factor  in  its 
speculative  side. 

It      was     while     a 
schoolboy   of  twelve 
that    Mr.    Heineman 
first  became  interest- 
ed   in    the   turf.     At 
that    age,    he    knew 
about    the    leading 
horses  and  was  back- 
ing his  favorites.     As 
he    grew    older,    the 
strong    bent    of    his 
predilections  asserted 
itself,  and  he  was  far 
from  having  attained 
his  majority,  when  he 
was   engaged  at  that 
school    of   American 
horsemen  and  racing 
men — old  Monmouth 
Park,      learning     the 
mystery  of  bookmak- 
ing    as  it    was    then 
practiced,    and    mak- 
ing   a  good   impres- 
sion on   the  host   of 
prominent  turf  people 
with   whom   he  was  thus  brought  into  contact.      He 
early  reached  the  upper  ranks  of  his  profession,  and  has 
been  continually  in  business  on  his  own   account  for 
about  a  score  of  years.     During  that  time,  whatever  the 
vicissitudes  of  fortune,  he   has   always   held   the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  the  racing  public  and  has  had  a 
career  that  even  the  most  exacting  sportsman  could  be 
proud  of. 
During  this  period  Mr.  Heineman  has  taken  part  in  the 


sport  every  season,  and  has  been  present  at  nearly 
every  meeting  or  race  of  any  importance  at  all  the  great 
Eastern  tracks.  He  has  several  times  made  a  comfort- 
able fortune,  and  has  also  experienced  the  sensation 
on  several  occasions  of  seeing  his  fortune  take  wings  to 
itself  in  consequence  of  the  many  unexpected  and  un- 
foreseen contingencies  that  necessarily  attend  horse 
racing.  Success  he  has  borne  with  modesty,  and  defeat 
has  been  taken  with  true  sportsmanlike  pluck,  while, 
whatever  the  result,   each  season  has  invariably  found 

him  once  more  in  the 
betting  ring.  Taking 
the  period  through 
which  his  experiences 
have  extended  as  a 
whole,  he  can  look 
back  to  a  very  satis- 
factory record,  since 
in  most  of  those  years 
he  has  made  a  record 
of  more  or  less  suc- 
cess. 

Mr.  Heineman's  ca- 
reer has  been  full  of  the 
interest  that  attaches 
itself  to    horses   and 
horsemen.      He    has 
seen    all     the     great 
races   of   the  present 
generation,    and    en- 
joys the  acquaintance 
of  many  of  the  most 
prominent  men  in  the 
turf    world,    being    a 
man    of   steadfast 
friendships    and   sta- 
bility    of    character. 
His   modesty   forbids 
the   specific    mention 
of  some  of  the   valu- 
able happenings  in  his 
own  business,   when 
he  has,  on  occasions, 
either   won    or    paid 
out     fairly      princely 
sums  on  a  single  race,  such  occasions,  as  might  be  sup- 
posed, not  having  been  rare  in  the  life  of  one  who  has 
been  so  constantly  in  the  harness. 

Above  all  things,  Mr.  Heineman  is  a  lover  of  the  thor- 
oughbred horse.  The  turf  has  for  him  a  fascination,  and 
the  subject  on  which  he  loves  best  to  hold  discourse  is 
the  never-ending  one  of  the  merits  of  the  past  perform- 
ers and  the  prospects  of  the  newer  aspirants  for  the 
honors  of  the  track  and  stud. 


CHARLES    F.  HEINEMAN 


431 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Bookmaking  has  come  to  be  such  an  important  factor 
in  modern  turf  life  that  it  has  called  into  the  ranks  of  its 
supporters  some  of  the  brightest  men  of  this  generation. 
They  have  been  drawn  from  various  walks  of  life,  but 
have  principally  come  from  business  pursuits  to  the  call- 
ing in  which  they  have  finally  distinguished  themselves. 
Despite  its  many  exactions  and  the  uncertainty  about  it, 
the  speculative  side  of  the  turf  has  always  had  a  large 
army  of  followers  and  undoubtedly  will  continue  so  as 
long  as  the  thoroughbred  shall  be  raised  and  run.  The 
bookmaker  ministers  to  this  demand  for  betting  oppor- 
tunities and  the  history  of  the  turf  especially  in  recent 
times,  show  that  he  has  met 
the  situation  generally  in  a 
way  satisfactory  to  the  great 
betting  public  as  well  as  to 
himself 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that, 
as  a  rule,  successful  book- 
makers have  altogether  con- 
fined themselves  to  this  one 
profession  alone.  Other 
turfmen  may  in  turn  be 
found  as  breeders,  owners, 
trainers  or  jockeys,  or  they 
may  find  a  field  for  the  ex- 
ercise of  their  talent  in  offi- 
cial connection  with  racing 
associations.  With  the 
bookmaker  it  is  entirely  dif-  \ 

ferent.  Once  in  the  betting 
ring,  always  in  the  betting 
ring,  is  almost  the  inflexible 
rule  that  can  be  evolved 
from  a  study  of  this  profes- 
sion. That  may  indicate 
one  of  several  things.  It 
certainly  shows  that  the 
pleasures  and  profits  of 
bookmaking  are  of  suffic- 
iently pronounced  quantity 
to  make  it  easy  for  its  prac- 
titioners to  resist  the  allurements  of  other  pursuits.  It 
may  also  indicate  that  the  peculiar  qualities  that  fit  a 
man  especially  for  bookmaking  are  not  those  that 
would  naturally  lead  him  to  success  in  other  occupations 
connected  with  the  turf  however  much  they  might,  as 
has  been  demonstrated  in  many  cases,  bring  him  sub- 
stantial returns  in  outside  business  connections. 

Certain  it  is  that  bookmakers,  as  a  rule,  are  very 
seldom  interested  in  outside  ventures.  In  fact,  they  may 
become  accustomed  to  look  upon  thoroughbred  per- 
formances merely  from  their  own  point  of  view.  Un- 
doubtedly many  of  them  take  as  enthusiastic  interest  in 


P^fc-  V 


FRANK   KELLY 


brilliant  racing  as  the  most  devoted  turfmen,  but,  on  the 
whole,  their  concern  over  a  race  is  not  so  much  on  ac- 
count of  the  wonderful  display  of  the  prowess  of  the 
noble  coursers  as  it  is  over  the  relative  value  of  these 
performers  in  a  matter  of  betting  results. 

On  the  whole,  this  characteristic  of  the  bookmaking 
profession  may  be  considered  an  advantage  than  other- 
wise. It  certainly  leads  to  concentration  of  mind  upon 
a  single  branch  of  business.  There  is  no  diffusion  of  effort 
and  no  distraction  of  thought  from  the  one  thing  that, 
in  the  bookmaker's  opinion,  is  of  the  highest  impor- 
tance. This  is  one  great  secret  of  the  bookmaker's  suc- 
cess. It  is  also  of  service  to 
the  public,  which  is  depend- 
ent in  no  small  measure  upon 
the  acuteness  of  the  man 
who  handles  its  money  in 
betting  and  his  application 
to  the  business  before  him. 

Years  of  experience  in  this 
particular  pursuit  certainly 
sharpen  a  man's  wits  and 
gradually  lead  him  to  that 
complete  concentration  of 
attention  upon  his  business 
that  is  so  important.  Among 
those  gentlemen  who  are 
prominent  to-day  in  this 
fraternity,  and  who  are  good 
examples  ofthis.proposition, 
is  Mr.  Frank  Kelly.  He  has 
given  his  entire  lifetime  to 
this  occupation.  He  was 
born  at  Cincinnati,  O.,  and 
when  only  eighteen  years  of 
age  entered  the  business  as  a 
commissioner  for  Mr.  Will- 
iam E.  Applegate,  the  noted 
Western  turfman,  who  in 
this  generation  has  been  the 
largest  owner  of  the  West- 
ern Turf  Association  books, 
and  whose  operations  have  extended  upon  all  the  Western 
tracks,  including  Oakley,  Louisville,  Latonia,  Memphis 
and  elsewhere.  Mr.  Applegate  has  instructed  some  of 
the  most  noted  plungers  known  to  the  modern  turf,  and 
his  operations,  while  not  of  a  sensational  character,  have 
always  been  of  considerable  importance. 

Mr.  Kelly  places  on  an  average  several  thousand  dol- 
lars on  a  race  and  often  this  amount  rises  into  the  five 
figures.  He  has  been  connected  with  Mr.  Applegate  for 
many  years  and  has  a  record  of  having  done  his  work 
in  the  most  satisfactory  manner.  He  is  extensively  and 
favorably  known  throughout  the  entire  country. 

432 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Patrons  of  the  turf  whose  love  of  the  thoroughbred 
horse  and  the  sport  he  affords  causes  them  to  prefer  it 
to  the  more  prosaic  pursuits  of  business,  and  whose 
wealth  and  social  position  add  to  the  dignity  which 
racing  now  enjoys,  are  no  longer  lacking  in  the  United 
States.  Perhaps  Mr.  Fred  Cowan  may  be  taken  as  an 
exemplar  of  the  American  man  of  fortune  who  devotes 
himself  to  the  turf  as  a  recreation  and  whose  pecuniary 
interests  in  it  are  only  incidental  to  the  enjoyment  that 
he  derives  from  it.  At  the  same  time,  Mr.  Cowan 
comes  of  that  prac- 
tical New  England 
stock  which  has  ac- 
complished so  much  for 
the  American  nation  in 
so  many  different  di- 
rections, and  taking  up 
the  turf  as  a  pastime 
has  not  prevented  him 
gaining  a  substantial 
success,  such  as  does 
not  often  fall  to  the  lot 
of  those  who  woo  its 
favors  with  a  persist- 
ence born  altogether  of 
the  mere  idea  of  gain. 

While  his  family  has 
now  held  a  distinguish- 
ed place  in  American 
business  life  for  three 
generations,  Mr.  Cow- 
an's ancestors  on  the 
paternal  side  were  Eng- 
lish, while  from  his 
mother  he  in  h  eri  t  s 
Scottish  blood  and  de- 
termination. His  grand- 
father was  one  of  those 
who  established  the 
manufacturing  indus- 
tries of  the  United 
States  on  a  firm  foun- 
dation, having  been  the 
first  to  introduce  some 

of  the  most  important  mechanisms  used  in  making  tex- 
tiles in  this  country.  He  attained  fame  and  fortune,  and 
was  the  founder  of  the  Worcester  Mills,  at  Worcester, 
Mass.  His  son,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  a  gentleman  of  independent  fortune.  He  was  one 
of  the  largest  landowners  in  Pennsylvania,  and  died  in 
1872,  after  a  long  life  of  retirement,  largely  passed  upon 
his  country  estates. 

The   City  of  Washington,  D.  C,   was  Mr.  Cowan's 
birthplace.     There  he  saw  the  light,  January  3,  1863.     He 


FRED     COWAN 


was  carefully  educated  by  his  mother,  to  whom  he  has 
ever  been  an  attached  and  devoted  son,  and  prior  to  at- 
taining his  majority  had  a  business  experience  of  about 
a  year  in  a  wholesale  mercantile  house.  A  business  life, 
however,  was  not  to  his  taste,  and  an  inbred  predilection 
for  horses  and  the  turf  led  him  to  devote  his  attention  to 
it  exclusively.  During  the  last  fifteen  years  he  has  made 
this  institution  his  study  and  occupation,  as  well  as  his 
chief  pleasure.  Observation,  experience  and  close  pow- 
ers of  reasoning  have  made  him  one  of  the  best  con- 
temporary judges  of  the 
capability  and  perform- 
ance of  horses,  and  as  a 
consequence  from  the 
outset  of  his  connec- 
tion with  the  turf,  he 
has  been  exceptionally 
successful  in  his  ven- 
tures in  that  connec- 
tion. 

In  fact,  during  all  the 
years  that  he  has  thus 
been  occupied,  he  has 
invariably  closed  the 
season  with  a  comfort- 
able amount  of  win- 
nings to  the  credit  of 
his  racing  account.  One 
year  only  (1897),  out 
of  the  entire  fifteen,  has 
ever  shown  a  loss.  This 
is  a  record  for  any  turf- 
man to  be  proud  of, 
and  it  becomes  more  of 
a  tribute  to  Mr.  Cow- 
an's knowledge  of  the 
sport,  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  he  is  a  dar- 
ing and  emphatic  op- 
erator when  his  mind 
is  made  up  in  regard  to 
the  horses  entered  for 
any  event.  In  the  opin- 
ion of  those  competent 
to  express  an  opinion  and  who  have  noted  his  career, 
he  is  considered  a  man  of  genuine  ability. 

In  addition  to  his  attention  to  his  favorite  sport,  Mr. 
Cowan  has  employed  much  of  his  leisure  in  travel,  and 
has  visited  many  parts  of  the  world.  While  abroad  he 
studied  the  turf  in  the  old  country,  but  unlike  some 
Americans  of  his  own  social  and  financial  position,  he 
prefers  the  sport  as  it  is  conducted  in  his  own  land.  He 
takes  part  in  the  pleasures  ot  the  fashionable  social 
world  in  the  metropolis  and  other  cities. 


433 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Born  in  New  York,  June  14,  1864,  Mr.  John  G. 
Cavanagh  has  passed  all  the  years  of  his  maturity  in  con- 
nection with  racing.  In  fact,  he  began  his  career  long 
before  he  had  attained  to  maturity.  Left  at  an  early  age 
entirely  dependent  upon  himself,  he  secured  such  edu- 
cation as  he  possesses  entirely  through  his  own  efforts. 
He  is  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word  a  self-made  man 
and  the  success  that  he  has  achieved  has  been  due  not 
alone  to  his  natural  ability,  but  also  to  his  integrity, 
uprightness  and  unremitting  application  to  business. 

His  experience  with  the  race  track  was  coincident 
with  the  beginning  of  the  second  season  at  Brighton 
Beach.  His  first  occupa- 
tion was  in  selling  pro- 
grammes and  in  other 
work  of  allied  character, 
and  in  that  he  made  con- 
siderable money.  When 
the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club 
opened  its  track  he  secured 
the  privileges  of  that  place 
and  subsequently  pur- 
chased the  privileges  at 
Brighton  Beach,  Clifton,  N. 
J.,  Parkway,  Providence, 
R.  I.,  Washington  and 
Elizabeth,  N.  J.  These 
privileges  were  of  an  im- 
portant character  and  Mr. 
Cavanagh,  by  the  talent  that 
he  showed  in  the  handling 
of  the  business  connected 
therewith,  made  a  very  dis- 
tinct and  agreeable  reputa- 
tion. At  the  same  time  he 
had  the  Morris  Park  pro- 
gramme on  commission. 
After  a  while  some  opposi- 
tion sprang  up  to  him, 
naturally  since  he  was  mak- 
ing his  ventures  so  success- 


ful.      The   opposition   de- 
veloped itself  at  the  Eliza- 
beth track,  and  as  a  result  he  finally  gave  up  the  pro- 
gramme privileges  and  entered  upon  the  business  of  fur- 
nishing supplies  to  the  bookmakers. 

His  new  venture  was  far  from  promising,  at  the  outset. 
His  circulars  and  personal  solicitation  for  business  brought 
him  a  single  customer,  Mr.  W.  R.  Jones.  For  an  entire 
year  Mr.  Jones  was  the  sole  customer  that  the  young 
man  supplied  and  even  this  contract  was  carried  out 
only  under  the  gravest  difficulties,  for  he  was  not  per- 
mitted to  enter  upon  the  track  with  his  goods,  but  was 
obhged  to  meet  his  patron  at  the   ferry  or  outside  the 


JOHN    G.    CAVANAGH 


gate.  At  the  end  of  this  first  year  he  made  a  contract 
with  Mr.  James  Kelly  to  look  after  the  minor  details  of 
business  for  the  layers  of  odds  at  Morris  Park  and  Sheeps- 
head  Bay.  It  was  not  long  before  he  engaged  in  the 
same  capacity  at  Monmouth  Park  for  Mr.  L.  O.  Appleby 
and  he  also  attended  to  the  receiving  or  to  the  securing 
of  such  valuable  information  as  the  layers  of  odds  rely  on 
in  making  their  books. 

When  the  Ives'  law  was  abolished  in  New  York  and 
the  Percy-Gray  law  went  into  effect,  putting  betting  on 
races  upon  an  entirely  different  footing  than  it  had  ever 
been  before,  Mr.  Cavanagh  made  a  canvass  of  the  promi- 
nent bookmakers  to  furnish 
them  with  supplies  and  that 
special  information 
which  they  might  require 
as  a  basis  for  their  business. 
The    connections  that   he 
thus  made  gave  him  a  sub- 
stantial standing  at  all  the 
tracks  which  were  opera- 
ted under  the  rules  of  The 
Jockey  Club,  and  he  now 
holds    important  relations 
with     the    bookmaking 
fraternity.     He  has  charge 
of  the  betting  ring  and  ex- 
ecutes the  duties  of  that  im- 
portant and  trying  position 
quite  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  bookmakers  and  of  all 
others  interested  in  the  right 
administration    of  betting 
affairs   under  the    present 
law.     His  activities  are  not 
limited    by    this   engage- 
ment,   however;   he   pub- 
lishes for  the  convenience 
of  the  frequenters   of  the 
race  track  a  handy  reference 
book  of  the  races  that  are 
to  be  run.     This  little  book 
also  contains  the  names  of 
the  reliable  bookmakers,  all   of  whom  are  members  of 
the  Metropolitan  Turf  Association.     Many  other  details 
of  a  more  or  less  important  character,  pertaining  particu- 
larly to  the  betting  ring,  are  attended  to  by  him  with  his 
corps  of  assistants,  his  business  having  grown  so  that 
he  finds  it  no  longer  possible  to  carry  it  on  unaided. 

Personally,  Mr.  Cavanagh  is  a  man  of  wonderful  te- 
nacity of  purpose,  but  he  is  of  a  quiet,  unassuming  dis- 
position. He  has  won  an  enduring  and  well  deserved 
popularity  with  bookmakers  and  in  fact  with  all  fre- 
quenters of  the  track. 


434 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Although  comparatively  young,  having  been  born  at 
Chelsea,  Mass.,  in  1853,  there  are  few  men  connected 
with  racing  whose  history  dates  back  as  far  as  that 
of  Mr.  Frank  T.  Clarke,  the  efficient  and  popular  super- 
intendent of  the  Coney  island  Jockey  Club.  His  expe- 
riences began  in  the  days  of  the  founders  of  Jerome  Park, 
for  he  started  active  life  in  i8b8  as  office  boy  for  the  Amer- 
ican Jockey  Club,  then  at  920  Broadway,  New  York. 
In  1871,  when  the  club  migrated  uptown  and  established 
itself  opposite  the  Mad- 
ison Square  Garden, 
young  Clarke  went  with 
it.  He  was  placed  in 
full  charge  of  the  sub- 
scription rooms,  which 
were  built  there  and 
which  became  the  rac- 
ing headquarters  of  the 
country.  The  rooms 
were  provided  with  the 
most  complete  racing 
library  in  America,  in- 
cluding the  valuable  col- 
lection presented  to  the 
club  by  James  Watson, 
which  contained  the  lit- 
erature of  the  English 
turf  back  to  the  days  of 
the  first  Derby,  in  1780. 
On  nights  before  races 
pools  were  sold  at  the 
rooms,  and  among  the 
noted  horsemen  who 
thronged  them  were 
Messrs.  William  R. 
Travers,  Leonard  and 
"  Larry  "  Jerome,  Mil- 
ton H.  Sanford,  August 
Belmont  the  elder,  Ru- 
fusHunt,  D.  D.  Withers, 
John  Morrisey,  James 
Watson,  Harry  Bassett, 
Joe  Daniel,  Fordham 
Morris,    Frank     Morris,  frank  t 

Denison     &     Crawford 

and  many  other  turf  magnates  who  were  conspicuous  in 
that  notable  period. 

Between  1876  and  1883,  Mr.  Clarke  acted  as  dismount- 
ing judge  and  auctioneer  at  the  Monmouth  Park  Asso- 
ciation, then  in  the  heyday  of  its  success,  under  the 
control  of  Mr.  Withers.  In  1879,  he  left  the  Jockey  Club 
office  and  subscription  rooms — it  might  be  called 
graduating  from  the  foremost  college  of  racing  in  Amer- 
ica, and  became  superintendent  of  the  American  Jockey 


Club,  in  which  position  he  remained  till  1885.  He  left 
that  place  to  become  starter  at  the  autumn  meeting  of  the 
Coney  Island  Jockey  Club,  at  Sheepshead  Bay,  in  that 
year,  and  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  accepted  the 
position  of  superintendent  of  the  same  track,  which  office 
he  has  filled  continuously  from  that  time.  He  has  been 
frequently  called  to  give  the  benefit  of  his  experience  in 
connection  with  private  tracks,  among  them  being  the 
establishments  of  Mr.  August  Belmont,  at  Babylon,  L.  I., 

and  of  Col.  W.P.Thomp- 
son, of  Brookdale.  In 
1895,  he  also  took  a  trip 
to  California,  and  had 
charge  of  the  remodel- 
ing of  the  Bay  District 
track  at  San  Francisco. 
Several  years  ago  he  also 
accepted  another  con- 
spicuous position,  that 
of  superintendent  of  the 
National  Horse  Show  at 
Madison  Square  Garden, 
and  each  year  since  has 
discharged  the  exacting 
duties  in  connection 
therewith  to  the  satis- 
faction alike  of  man- 
agers, exhibitors  and 
the  public. 

An  experience  as  an 
owner  has  not  been 
lacking  in  Mr.  Clarke's 
turf  career,  though  he 
regards  that  rather  as  a 
matter  of  amusement. 
The  mare  Puzzle  and  the 
horse  St.  John  both  ran 
at  Jerome  Park  under 
his  colors  of  olive  and 
old  gold  bars,  but  nei- 
ther won  a  race  while 
he  was  their  owner. 
As  might  be  supposed, 
Mr.  Clarke  has  an  end- 
less fund  of  reminiscen- 
ces of  turf  men  and  matters.  On  his  suggestion,  for  in- 
stance, Jerome  Park  was  the  first  track  to  open  on  Decor- 
ation Day,  and  though  a  pouring  rain  came  down,  the 
receipts  were  the  largest  since  the  opening  of  the  course. 
Mr.  Clarke's  residence  is  a  pretty  cottage  on  Ocean 
Avenue,  Sheepshead  Bay.  It  is  full  of  souvenirs  of  his 
racing  career,  including  a  large  collection  of  photo- 
graphs of  men,  horses  and  scenes  which  are  memorable 
in  the  history  of  the  turf, 


CLARKE 


435 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  more  responsible  post  in 
connection  with    racing  than  that  held  by  Mr.  William 
A.    Gorman,  who   is  superintendent  of  that  wonderful 
creation  of  capital  and  genius,  Morris  Park,  Westchester, 
N.  Y.     This  famous  race  course  is  justly  regarded  as  one 
of  the  few  model  establishments  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 
In  all  its  details,  as  well  as  in  the  character  of  its  man- 
agement, it  is  quite  worthy  of  the  distinguished  rank 
that  it  holds  as  one  of  the  most  important  headquarters 
of  the   racing  interest   anywhere  in  the  United  States. 
The  prominence, of  Morris  Park  and  its  great  popularity, 
as  shown  by  the  thousands  that  are  attracted  to  it  every 
season,  has    brought  Mr.     Gorman  conspicuously    and 
favorably  to  the   attention 
both  of  the  general  public 
and  of  the  racing  fraternity. 
Especially  with  racing  men, 
there  is  no  more   popular 
individual  connected  with 
the  turf   to-day.     The  re- 
markable   feature    of    Mr. 
Gorman's  record  is  that  he 
has  achieved  a  success  of 
the  first  magnitude  in  con- 
nection   with    the    Morris 
Park  track  entirely  without 
any  previous  experience  in 
the  racing  world,  and  that 
so  many  of  the  admirable 
and  novel   features   which 
are  found  in  the  details  of 
the  track,  as  well  as  in  its 
practical  administration, are 
original    with    him.       His 
achievements   in    this    re- 
spect constitute  one  of  the 
most  interesting  pages  in 
the  history  of  the  contem- 
porary turf. 

Mr.  Gorman  was  born  in 
Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1855. 
At  fifteen  years  of  age,  he 
went  to  sea  and  followed 

that  profession  till  his  thirtieth  year,  beginning  as  cabin 
boy  and  ending  as  captain  of  a  large  steamer.  His  voy- 
ages extended  to  nearly  all  portions  of  the  known  world, 
and  between  them  he  made  his  home  at  Wilmington, 
Del.  The  late  Mr.  John  A.  Morris  was  a  friend  of  Mr. 
Gorman's  father.  Hearing  that  the  son  was  anxious  to 
give  up  seafaring,  and  knowing  his  reputation  as  a  man 
of  original  ideas  and  great  executive  capacity,  Mr.  Morris 
sent  for  him  and  offered  him  the  superintendency  of 
Morris  Park,  which  was  then  half  finished  and  in  such 
bad  condition  that  training  was  almost  impossible,  and 


WILLIAM   A.    GORMAN 


horsemen  were  about  to  abandon  the  place.  The 
task  was  a  novel  one  to  Mr.  Gonnan,  but  he  assumed  it 
without  hesitation,  backed  by  Mr.  Morris'  pledge  of  un- 
limited control.  He  at  once  studied  other  tracks,  and 
created  new  features  as  well  as  novel  appliances  for  the 
work,  and  in  due  time  Morris  Park  was  inaugurated 
under  most  auspicious  conditions.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  on  the  opening  day,  50,000  people  attended 
the  course,  the  largest  gathering  at  a  race  track  in  re- 
cent years,  and  Mr.  Gorman  had  the  honor  of  receiving 
the  unstinted  compliments  of  the  owners,  of  the  archi- 
tect, and  of  the  magnates  of  the  American  turf  for  his 
work.     It  may  also  be  mentioned  that  on  that  day,  for 

the  first  time  in  his  life,  he 
witnessed  a  horse  race. 

Since  then,  Mr.  Gorman 
has  held  the  post  of  super- 
intendent at  Morris  Park 
uninterruptedly,  and  has 
made  many  further  im- 
provements in  its  various 
features.  Among  them, 
have  been  the  straighten- 
ing of  the  Eclipse  course; 
the  building  of  the  Withers 
mile;  the  steeplechase 
course,  which  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  world,  and  the 
coaching  plaza  for  the  Turf 
and  Field  Club,  that  covers 
two  acres.  The  track  is  a 
difficult  one  to  keep  in  rac- 
ing condition,  requiring  not 
only  constant,  judicious 
outlay,  but  the  unremitting 
supervision  of  an  efficient 
working  head  and  strict 
disciplinarian  such  as  Mr. 
Gorman  has  proved  him- 
self to  be. 

Few,  even  of  those  con- 
nected with  racing,  are 
aware  of  how  complex  the 
duties  falling  to  the  superintendent  of  a  great  race  course 
are.  He  is,  in  the  first  place,  responsible  to  the  pro- 
prietors for  the  popularity  of  the  place  with  the  public 
and  with  horsemen.  Owners  and  trainers  look  to  him 
to  have  the  track  in  perfect  condition,  not  only  on  the 
day  of  a  race,  but  at  all  other  times  for  exercising  pur- 
poses. The  public  insists  that  the  grand  stand  and 
grounds  shall  be  without  defect.  In  fact,  the  entire  re- 
sponsibility rests  on  the  superintendent.  It  is  not  the 
least  among  the  tributes  to  Mr.  Gorman's  ability  that 
under  him  Morris  Park  has  become  a  noted  social  resort. 


436 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Wlien,  in  1898,  The  Jockey  Club  appointed  Mr.  C.  J. 
Fitzgerald  starter  lor  the  courses  under  itscontrol,  it  took 
action  that  was  generally  approved  by  all  who  are  inter- 
ested in  racing  in  the  Metropolis.  Mr.  Fitzgerald  has 
had  an  extensive  experience  and  came  to  his  new  position 
qualified  in  a  superior  degree  to  discharge  its  exacting 
duties.  Both  by  training  and  by  temperament,  he  is 
particularly  well  qualified  for  the  position  that  he  now 
holds.  Although  a  native  of  Canada,  his  entire  life  has 
been  spent  in  the  United  States,  and  he  is  a  thorough- 
going American  citizen. 
He  came  to  this  country 
when  a  mere  lad,  and 
here  he  was  educated 
and  entered  upon  his 
active  professional  ca- 
reer. Becoming  a  jour- 
nalist, he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  staff  of  The 
New  York  Sun,  being 
for  eleven  years  the  turf 
and  sporting  editor  ot 
that  paper.  Other  news- 
paper work  also  engaged 
his  attention,  and,  for 
two  years  and  a  half,  he 
was  the  New  York  Cor- 
respondent for  The  Phil- 
adelphia Press. 

Mr.  Fitzgerald's  first 
practical  experience  in 
connection  with  race 
meetings  began  in  the 
early  nineties.  His  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the 
technique  of  racing  was 
recognized  by  all  who 
knew  him,  and  was 
especially  appreciated  by 
the  well-known  starter, 
James  F.  Caldwell,  then 
acting  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Board  of 
Control.  Mr.  Caldwell 
had   such  confidence  in 

Mr.  Fitzgerald  that  he  recommended  him  as  a  starter  to 
the  association  that  controlled  racing  at  Toronto.  His 
first  attempt  at  handling  the  flag  was  made  at  that  place 
and  was  eminently  satisfactory.  After  that  time  the 
demand  for  his  services  steadily  increased  and  he  was 
engaged  as  starter  at  several  important  tracks.  This 
position  he  held  at  the  St.  Asaph  Course,  near  Washing- 
ton, and  at  Baltimore,  and  was  also  engaged  to  start  the 
Morris    Park    steeplechases,    and  to   officiate   for  two 


C.    J.    FITZGERALD 


seasons  at  Milwaukee  and  for  three  seasons  at  New 
Orleans.  His  selection  as  starter  of  the  meetings  on 
the  metropolitan  courses  was  a  very  distinct  promo- 
tion, but  one  which  he  had  decidedly  earned  by  his 
fidelity  and  uprightness  and  his  unswerving  devotion 
to  the  turf. 

Having  made  a  particularly  careful  study  of  horses  and 
of  racing  methods  since  his  advent  upon  the  turf  as  an 
otficial,  Mr.  Fitzgerald  has  positive  and  uncompromising 
ideas  in  regard  to  his  duties  and  touching  the  best  inter- 
ests of  all  over  whom  he 
is  called  upon  to  exer- 
cise authority.  His  first 
service  at  the  Aqueduct 
Course  in  the  spring  of 
1898,  tested  him  severe- 
ly, and  the  general  satis- 
faction that  his  work 
gave  was  the  best  evi- 
dence to  show  his  emi- 
nent fitness.  His  subse- 
quent career  at  Morris 
Park,  Gravesend  and  the 
other  metropolitan 
courses,  served  only  to 
reinforce  the  good  opin- 
ion originally  forme-d  of 
him  and  to  establish 
him  firmer  than  ever 
in  public  favor.  A  man 
of  advanced  ideas,  Mr. 
Fitzgerald  is  always 
wide  awake  in  seeking 
new' methods  by  which 
the  efficiency  of  racing 
and  its  general  attrac- 
tiveness shall  be  en- 
h  a  n  c  ed.  He  believes 
that  the  old  method  of 
starting  horses  must  in 
time  be  entirely  super- 
seded by  the  starting 
machine.  Recognizing 
that,  with  the  young- 
sters who  have  never 
had  previous  experience  with  the  machine,  the  arrange- 
ment may  have  certain  disadvantages,  he  holds  that  upon 
the  whole,  it  is  a  wonderful  saving  of  time. 

He  confidently  hopes  that  the  Jockey  Club  will  ulti- 
mately make  a  rule  requiring  owners  to  school  their 
horses  for  the  gate,  and  he  believes  that  when  the  young- 
sters are  thus  trained,  the  improvement  in  racing  by 
securing  better  starts  will  be  of  the  most  important 
character. 


437 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


it  seems  only  yesterday  that  Mr.  William  j.  Fitzpatrick 
was  still  active  in  turf  affairs.  Born  at  Mt.  Holly,  N.  J., 
December  lo,  1861,  he  began  his  experiences  in  April, 
1875,  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard,  and  never 
ceased  to  be  identified  with  racing  affairs  until  the  time 
of  his  death  in  February,  1898.  For  six  consecutive 
seasons  he  rode  for  the  Rancocas  Stable,  his  first  winning 
mount  being  on  Huckleberry  at  Saratoga  in  1877.  He 
never  entirely  relinquished  his  connection  with  the  stable 
to  which  he  was  first  attached.  He  often  had  mounts 
for  Mr.  Lorillard  at  various  times  down  to  1891. 

From  the  beginning  of  his  career  he  made  a  strong 
impression  on  all  who  witnessed  his  work,  as  being  one  of 
the  very  best  riders  that  have 
ever  appeared  in  the  saddle 
upon  the  American  track. 
He  had  perfect  command  of 
his  mounts,  with  full  confi- 
dence in  himself,  and  a  judg- 
ment so  remarkably  correct 
that  it  was  often  exercised 
with  a  startling  dash  and 
abandon  that  earned  for  him 
the  famous  title  of  "Dare- 
devil Fitz."  Being  recog- 
nized in  the  highest  racing 
circles  as  one  who  inspired 
confidence  by  the  clear  cut 
character  of  his  work  and 
the  correct  attitude  he  ever  ,0 

maintained  towards  owners 
and  public,  he  had,  so  long 
as  he  remained  in  the  saddle, 
the  pick  of  mounts  in  num- 
berless famous  races.  For 
many  years  he  was  one  of 
the  highest  salaried  jockeys 
on  the  American  turf,  and 
rode  for  such  prominent 
owners  as  Messrs.  Pierre 
Lorillard,  Marcus  Daly,  Com- 
modore N.  F.  Kittson,  A.  F.  Walcott,  Edward  Corrigan, 
S.  S.  Brown,  Daniel  Swigert,  James  Murphy  and  many 
others.  For  Commodore  Kittson  he  rode  for  three  years, 
and  for  Mr.  William  C.  Daly  a  similar  period,  in  the 
latter  case  riding  in  both  flat  and  hurdle  races.  Mr.  D. 
D.  Withers  had  him  under  retainer  for  two  seasons,  and 
for  Mr.  Walcott's  racing  establishment  he  was  the 
premier  jockey  for  one  year. 

Fitzpatrick  was  the  conspicuous  figure  in  some  of  the 
most  sensational  racing  events  of  the  contemporaneous 
American  turf.  His  victory  on  Troubadour  in  the  Subur- 
ban of  1886  will  be  handed  down  in  turf  history  for 
generations.     It  was  in  this  race  that  one  of  the  most 


notable  "  killings"  was  made  in  American  racing  annals, 
Mr.  S.  S.  Brown,  and  those  who  put  their  faith  upon  his 
stable,  being  winners  to  the  amount  of  many  thousands 
of  dollars.  In  1882,  he  rode  Marion  C.  in  a  special 
$10,000  race  against  Kingston,  winning  after  an  exciting 
struggle.  In  the  same  year  he  also  trained  Carlsbad, 
Michael  and  several  other  good  horses  for  a  prominent 
Kentuckian.  He  came  near  to  being  a  winner  of  the 
Futurity  in  1892  on  Morello,  but  at  the  last  moment  the 
mount  was  given  to  Hayward,  while  Fitz  had  the 
"leg-up"  on  Hyderabad,  who  was  crossed  during  the 
race  and  fell.  In  1895,  he  became  the  owner  of  Joe 
Ripley,  whom  he  ran  at  Saratoga  successfully  in  seven 

races,  and  afterwards  a  t 
Providence,  R.  1.,  where  he 
secured  five  events,  after 
which  he  sold  the  horse  to  a 
California  owner  for  $6,000. 
As  a  rider,  few,  if  any  of 
his  contemporaries,  sur- 
passed Fitzpatrick  in  cour- 
i^gggf  WB  age,    and    he   would    often 

'^W     18  take  a  chance  to  pass  through 

a  field  of  horses  when  the 
task  seemed  almost  an  im- 
possible one.  His  wonder- 
ful nerve  never  failed  him, 
and  carried  him  through 
many  desperate  situations 
where  a  weaker  man  would 
have  lamentably  failed.  He 
rode  with  equal  facility  and 
success  on  the  flat  and  over 
the  hurdles,  his  peculiar 
finish  and  style  being  par- 
ticularly noticeable  in  the 
latter  kind  of  racing. 
Throughout  his  career  as  a 
jockey  he  had  a  good  record 
of  integrity  aud  single- 
minded  devotion  to  his  em- 
ployers, and  thousands  of  the  older  generation  of  racing 
people  and  the  habitues  of  the  turf  whose  remembrances 
go  back  some  years  will  long  have  a  warm  corner  in 
their  hearts  for  "  Daredevil  Fitz." 

After  he  had  become  too  heavy  to  ride,  and  following 
his  brief  experience  as  an  owner,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  starting,  and  filled  that  exacting  position  on  many 
tracks,  including  Saratoga,  Buffalo,  Washington,  Provi- 
dence, Montreal,  Toronto,  Hamilton,  and  elsewhere. 
His  success  with  the  flag  was  of  a  noted  character,  and 
he  gave  the  fullest  satisfaction  to  racing  officials,  owners 
and  the  public.  His  death  undoubtedly  cut  short  a  bril- 
liant career  in  official  connection  with  racing. 


WILLIAM    J.   FITZPATRICK 


438 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


An  enthusiastic  love  for  iiis  chosen  pursuit  is  the  true 
secret  of  success  in  a  physician.  This  is  true,  not  only 
in  that  branch  of  medical  practice  which  refers  to  human 
beings,  but  also  to  that  which  has  the  domestic  animals 
as  its  special  care.  Perhaps  even  more  than  the  practi- 
tioner of  the  former  class,  the  veterinarian  must  be  im- 
bued with  purely  scientific  enthusiasm.  In  the  case  of 
the  individual  who  ministers  to  the  ailments  of  his 
fellow-beings,  there  is  a  human  interest  as  a  source  of  in- 
spiration and  of  resultant  reward.  This  is  lacking  in  the 
case  of  the  veterinarian.  For  him  there  can  be  only  an 
admiration  and  sympathetic  feeling  for  the  representa- 
tives of  the  brute  creation  with  whom  his  professional 
practice  brings  him  into  ac- 
quaintance. 

The  physician  to  the  hu- 
man family  has  no  deeper 
interest  in  his  patients,  nor 
is  he  more  devoted  to  the 
scientific  consideration  of 
their  ailments,  than  is  the 
enthusiastic  veterinarian,  it 
is  this  spirit  that  has  carried 
most  practitioners  in  this 
branch  of  medical  science 
to  success,  and  in  the  pro- 
fession William  Sheppard, 
M.  R.  C.  V.  S.,  is  a  con- 
spicuous example  of  what 
devotion  to  his  practice 
and  a  constant  endeavor  to 
elevate  it  in  every  way  has 
accomplished.  Basing  his 
practice  upon  the  most  ad- 
vanced scientific  principles, 
Dr.  Sheppard  has  won  the 
confidence  of  the  horse- 
owning  public  and  has 
earned  a  high  position  in 
the  American  racing  world, 

while  it  would  be  easy  to  cite  numberless  instances  in 
which  his  skill  has  restored  what  were  regarded  as 
"  hopeless  cases  "  to  their  place  in  the  racing  stable  and 
upon  the  track. 

Dr.  Sheppard  was  born  March  i6,  1849,  in  Southchard, 
Somersetshire,  England.  Having  completed  his  prelim- 
inary education  he  was,  after  the  English  custom,  at  the 
age  of  fifteen,  articled  to  C.  W.  Blake,  a  noted  veteri- 
narian at  Crew-Kerne,  Somersetshire.  During  his  early 
experiences  he  devoted  special  attention  to  the  hoof  and 
the  shoeing  of  the  horse,  which  bore  excellent  fruit  in 
subsequent  studies  and  practice.  After  three  years  of 
such  training  and  study  he  was  prepared  for  a  course  at 
the  Royal  College  of  Veterinary  Surgeons  in  London. 

439 


DR.    WILLIAM    SHEPPARD 


Entering  this  famous  institution.  Dr.  Sheppard  received 
the  diploma  which  enrolled  him  as  one  of  its  members 
on  April  21,  1870.  On  the  following  day  he  received 
from  its  President,  Professor  William  Pritchard,  a  fellow- 
ship of  the  London  Veterinary  Medical  Association,  an 
honor  conferred  in  recognition  of  an  essay  upon  "  Lame- 
ness in  the  Horse  "  which  he  had  read  and  defended  be- 
fore the  members  of  the  Association. 

Exeter,  Devonshire,  was  chosen  as  the  place  in  which 
he  began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  success- 
ful from  the  start  and  attained  an  excellent  practice  during 
his  two  years'  residence  there.  The  field  was,  however, 
too  limited,  and  after  four  years'  further  practice  in  the 

adjoining  town  of  Tiverton, 
he  resolved,  in  1878,  to 
visit  America. 

While  visiting  friends  in 
Ottawa,  111.,  Dr.  Sheppard 
was  asked  to  prescribe  for 
some  severe  cases  in  one  of 
the  large  stables  there,  and 
treated  them  with  marked 
success.  He  was  acordingly 
urged  to  make  Ottawa  his 
residence,  and  there,  in 
November,  1878,  he  com- 
menced to  regularly  prac- 
tice in  America.  Amongthe 
noted  and  valuable  horses 
which  he  successfully  treat- 
ed while  in  Ottawa  may  be 
mentioned  Charley  Ford, 
Argonaut,  Colonel  Dawes, 
Buchanan,  Foxie  V,  Little 
Fred,  Lucy,  Freeland, 
Monarch  Rule,  Red  Cloud 
and  Young  Wilkes,  includ- 
ing, it  will  be  seen,  some 
of  the  cracks  of  the  trot- 
ting turf. 
Called  in  consultation  upon  high-priced  stock  in  the 
East,  as  he  frequently  was,  Dr.  Sheppard  finally  deter- 
mined to  remove  there,  and  in  1888  established  himself 
at  Sheepshead  Bay,  Long  Island,  where  he  has  gained 
both  success  and  fame.  He  has  organized  a  large  infir- 
mary for  horses  on  Neck  Road,  near  the  Sheepshead  Bay 
track,  which  is  in  every  respect  a  model  establishment, 
and  which  has  numbered  among  its  four-footed  patients 
some  of  the  most  celebrated  modern  horses.  Unassum- 
ing in  his  character,  but  untiring  in  his  chosen  work.  Dr. 
Sheppard  makes  no  parade  of  his  wide  scientific  attain- 
ment, but  wisely  allows  that  and  his  skill,  both  practi- 
cal and  theoretical,  to  speak  for  themselves  in  the 
remarkable  results  he  so  constantly  accomplishes. 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


In  choosing  the  profession  in  which  he  has  become 
so  eminently  distinguished,  Dr.  Oliver  C.  Farley,  V.  S., 
was  particularly  influenced  by  the  fact  that  from  his  ear- 
liest days  he  was  associated  with  horsemen  and  familiar 
with  horses.  Born  in  Chelsea,  Mass.,  November  25, 
1852,  Dr.  Farley  received  his  preparatory  education  at 
the  celebrated  Phillips  Academy  at  Andover,  Mass.  At 
that  institution  of  learning,  Emmons  and  Walker  Blaine, 
sons  of  the  late  James  G.  Blaine,  were  among  his  school 
mates  and  intimate  friends.  After  completing  his  course 
of  instruction  there,  he  entered  the  Montreal  Veterinary 
College,  then, in  1873, 
under  the  celebrated 
Professor  McEachran. 
He  remained  there 
until  1875,  when  he 
was  graduated,  hav- 
ing been  noted  as  a 
most  diligent  student, 
giving  up  even  his 
vacations  to  his  stud- 
ies. Professor  Mc- 
Eachran was  at  that 
time  the  most  promi- 
nent veterinarian  in 
the  East,  his  practice 
extending  over  a 
large  portion  of  the 
country. 

After  his  gradua- 
tion, Dr.  Farley  re- 
turned to  Boston,  but 
soon  after  removed  to 
the  West  and  began 
to  practice  in  Cleve- 
land, O.,  wherehe  re- 
mained two  years. 
Among  his  patients 
at  this  time,  was  the 
great  trotter  Smug- 
gler, whom  he  at- 
tended throughout 
the  Grand  Circuit, 
when  he  defeated 
Goldsmith  Maid.    Dr. 

Farley's  next  professional  engagement  was  not  only  in- 
teresting, but  was  fraught  with  importance  to  the  coun- 
try at  large.  The  loss  of  cattle  and  live  stock  shipped  to 
Europe  had  at  that  time  risen  to  large  proportions,  and 
threatened  to  make  the  business  unprofitable.  As  a  last 
resort,  the  Warren  Steamship  Company  engaged  Dr. 
Farley,  as  veterinary  surgeon,  to  make  regular  voyages 
on  their  large  steamship  the  Brazilian,  which  carried 
about  400  head  of  cattle,  300  horses,  and  from   1,200  to 


1,500  sheep  and  hogs,  for  the  purpose  of  investigating 
and  preventing  the  mortality  among  the  animals.  This 
he  did  with  great  success,  proving  that  Texas  fever  was 
due  to  acute  indigestion,  the  result  of  treatment  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  diagnosis  being  that  the  death  rate 
was  reduced  to  a  minimum,  so  that  a  vast  amount  of 
money  has  since  been  saved  to  shippers  of  cattle. 

In  1 88 1,  a  few  days  after  his  last  voyage  on  the  Brazil- 
lian.  Dr.  Farley  engaged  with  Mr.  Charles  Reed  to  act 
as  veterinary  at  the  latter's  famous  Saratoga  breeding 
establishment,  and  since  that  time  he  has  practiced  ex- 

c  1  u  s  i  V  e  1  y  among 
thoroughbred  horses. 
His  next  move  from 
the  Reed  stable  was 
to  one  of  the  foremost 
racing  and  breeding 
establishments  in  the 
United  States,  that  of 
Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard, 
at  Rancocas.  For 
four  years,  Dr.  Far- 
ley had  the  respon- 
sible place  of  veteri- 
nary there,  during 
which  time  the  Ran- 
cocas stable  headed 
the  winning  list  each 
year.  After  the  fam- 
ous sale  of  Mr.  Loril- 
lard's  horses,  when 
Cyclops,  Pontiac, 
Volunteer,  and  the 
other  cracks  were  dis- 
persed. Dr.  Farley 
transferred  his  ser- 
vices to  the  stable  of 
Mr.  Frank  A.  Ehret, 
which  for  that  year 
showed  the  largest 
winnings  of  any  es- 
tablishment on  the 
turf  Dr.  Farley  had, 
however,  now  be- 
come so  widely 
known,  and  his  services  were  in  such  general  request, 
that  he  was  compelled  to  give  up  confining  his  attention 
to  any  one  stable.  His  acquaintance  among  the  most 
prominent  horsemen  of  the  country  has  always  been 
of  the  widest.  His  practice  now  extends  all  over 
the  East,  and  he  is  called  to  many  of  the  prominent 
stables  when  the  horses  go  amiss,  while  merely  the 
names  of  the  celebrated  runners  that  have  owed  their 
success  to  his  care  would  make  a  lengthy  roll. 


DR.    OLIVER    C.    FARLEY 


440 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Modern  progress  in  veterinary  science  has  been  stimu- 
lated by  the  importance  of  thoroughbred  interests  in  the 
United  States  and  the  demands  made  upon  its  resources 
in  that  direction.  Accordingly,  it  is  among  the  members 
of  the  profession  who  have  devoted  their  attention  to  the 
thoroughbred  and  whose  practice  is  in  the  principle  rac- 
ing stables  of  the  country  that  the  leaders  in  this  branch 
of  medical  and  surgical  science  must  be  sought.  They 
have  brought  veterinary  practice  to  its  present  state  of 
proficiency  and  have 

made   it   of   incalcul-  _  

able  importance  to 
the  horse  owning  and 
horse  loving  world. 

One  of  the  first 
names  that  comes  to 
the  minds  of  horse- 
men of  the  country  in 
this  connection,  is 
that  of  M.  R.  Wiener, 
D.  V.  S.  Not  only 
has  Dr.  Wiener  been 
among  the  most  origi- 
nal and  ablest  inno- 
vaters  in  his  calling, 
but  the  success  that 
has  accompanied  his 
methods  and  the  skill 
that  he  has  exhibited 
have  given  him  a  re- 
pute throughout  rac- 
ing circles.  Asa 
specialist  in  certain 
lines  of  practice  and  a 
consulting  expert  in 
serious  cases  he  occu- 
pies a  position  that  is 
at  once  unique  and 
valuable.  Many  are 
the  instances  where 
demands  for  his  serv- 
ices have  been  of  im- 
perative necessity  and 
he  has  always  proved 
himself  equal   to  the 

most  exacting  emergency.  Born  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Dr. 
Wiener  received  his  collegiate  education  at  Cornell  Uni- 
versity and  the  University  of  Wisconsin.  He  began  his 
professional  training  at  the  National  Veterinary  College 
and  continued  it  at  the  United  States  College  of  Veterinary 
Surgeons,  Washington,  D.  C,  from  which  institution  he 
was  one  of  the  first  graduates  with  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Veterinary  Science.  He  also  filled  for  a  year  the  posi- 
tion of  Demonstrator  of  Anatomy  and  Assistant  House 


Dr.  m.  r.  wiener 


Surgeon  in  the  United  States  College  of  Veterinary  Sur- 
geons. Entering  upon  his  profession  Dr.  Wiener  has 
now  been  in  active  service  for  several  years  and  has  a 
firmly  established  position  in  the  world  of  American 
horsemen.  He  is  a  successful  practitioner  in  all  branches, 
but  in  one  specialty  he  is  unexcelled.  That  is  dentistry 
as  applied  to  horses. 

In  that  connection  he   has  revolutionized  the  ideas  of 
breeders   and   horse   owners,  and  made  innovations  in 

the  hitherto  accepted 
methods  of  his  own 
department  o  f  sci- 
ence. He  has  dem- 
onstrated that  in  a 
large  number  of  cases, 
where  disease  of  the 
teeth  is  the  starting 
point  of  a  horse's  ail- 
ment, the  trouble  can 
be  remedied  by  skil- 
ful operations  f  o  r 
which  he  has  even 
devised  the  instru- 
ments with  which 
they  are  performed. 
He  has  shown  that 
such  treatment  and 
the  operations  upon 
horses  incident  to  it, 
can  be  performed 
m'o  r  e  quickly  and 
with  less  pain  than 
the  same  class  of 
work  upon  the  hu- 
man being.  It  would 
be  impossible  to  even 
indicate  briefly  the 
many  different  opera- 
tions he  has  perform- 
ed or  to  specify  the 
individual  cases  in 
which  their  use  has 
been  attended  by 
most  gratifying  and 
successful  results. 
It  is  sufficient,  as  a  proof  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  is 
held,  not  only  by  owners,  but  by  the  members  of  his 
own  profession  as  well,  to  say  that  where  any  expert 
dental  work  is  required,  he  is  invariably  called  in  and 
that  his  services  are  thus  in  constant  request.  Among 
his  many  clients  are  the  pick  of  American  racing  owners, 
such  as  Messrs.  A.  H.  &  D.  H.  Morris,  H.  K.  Knapp, 
James  R.  Keene,  W.  C.  Whitney,  F.  R.  &  T.  Hitchcock, 
C.  Fleischmann's  Sons  and  numerous  others. 


441 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


There  is  no  better  school  in  which  to  acquire  complete 
knowledge  of  the  horse  than  in  close  and  practical 
acquaintance  with  the  animals  themselves.  This  is  as 
true  of  veterinary  practice  as  it  is  of  any  other  branch  of 
the  intricate  business  connected  with  the  breeding  and 
racing  of  thoroughbreds.  No  unfair  comparison  should 
be  instituted  between  the  learned  practitioners  of  the 
veterinary  profession  and  those  who  have  brought  to  it 
simply  the  knowledge  and  the  skill  derived  from  prac- 
tical experience,  rather  than  from  book  knowledge  or 
collegiate  instruction. 
Many  examples  of  the 
success  of  this  latter 
class  of  practitioners 
in  the  general  medical 
world  will  readily  re- 
cur to  the  thoughtful 
reader.  Even  a  larger 
number  could  per- 
haps be  quoted  in 
treating  of  veterinary 
science,  since,  as  it 
would  appear,  more 
than  in  most  other 
professions,  the  re- 
quisite knowledge 
and  skill  can  in  a 
great  measure  be  de- 
rived from  actual 
practice. 

Prominent  among 
these  natural  veteri- 
narians is  Dr.  John 
M.  Bishop.  He  was 
born  September  4, 
1850,  in  Red  Rock, 
N.  Y.,  and  has  been 
associated  with  horses 
throughout  his  entire 
life.  As  a  boy  he 
worked  on  a  farm,  and 
also  was  connected 
with  the  stable  of  Mr. 
Seymore  Williams,  of 

Pine  Grove,  N.  Y.  In  this  stable  he  was  engaged  as  an 
exercise  boy,  with  trotting  horses,  for  about  two  years. 
During  the  ensuing  five  years  he  was  attached  to  the 
stable  of  Mr.  E.  Bradbury,  training  the  horses  in  that 
gentleman's  stable  and  driving  them  in  races.  He  was 
a  good  horseman  and  drew  the  reins  over  such  fleet  ones 
as  Berkshire  Boy,  Frank  Miller,  Tom  Suffick,  Frank 
Smith  and  Katskill  Girl.  In  1871,  he  came  to  New  York, 
and  the  following  year  located  in  Brooklyn.  In  1878, 
he  went  to  Europe  with  several  trotters  that  he  sold  in 


DR.   JOHN    M.   BISHOP 


London  and  then  returned  home.  During  all  this  time 
he  had  practiced  privately,  and  in  Brooklyn  built  up  a 
very  large  and  valuable  clipping  business.  During  one 
winter  alone  he  clipped  some  seven  hundred  horses. 
Having  a  good  knowledge  of  horse  nature,  he  applied 
himself  particularly  to  the  study  of  dentistry,  and  in  1880 
started  in  practice  in  that  line.  He  sold  out  the  clipping 
business,  and  has  since  devoted  himself  largely  to  his 
dental  practice  with  some  other  business  issues  in  addi- 
tion.    As  a  dentist  he  has  attended  nearly  every  horse 

of  prominence  in  this 
generation.  Much  of 
his  practice  has  been 
of  an  original  charac- 
ter, and  in  the  course 
of  his  work  he  has 
patented  sixteen  in- 
struments that  he  has 
retained  for  his  own 
personal  use.  He  has 
an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  all  the 
horsemen,  of  the  East 
especially,  while  own- 
ers as  far  away  as 
California  entrust 
their  horses  to  him, 
often  reserving  their 
work  until  they  are 
able  to  come  East 
with  their  stables. 

At  one  time  Dr. 
Bishop  had  all  the 
work  of  the  Broadway 
Street  Railway  Com- 
pany, until  1888,  when 
the  cable  was  substi- 
tuted for  horse  pow- 
er. He  has  also  had 
the  work  of  several  of 
the  largest  livery 
stables  in  New  York 
and  vicinity,  and  many 
of  the  old  veterans 
continue  to  send  their  horses  to  him  for  treatment  now, 
as  for  many  years  past.  As  the  proprietor  of  Bishop's 
Hotel,  on  the  Brooklyn  Boulevard,  he  is  known  to  every 
sport-loving  individual  who  frequents  that  neighbor- 
hood. For  thirty-five  years  he  has  been  in  public  life, 
and  for  nearly  twenty  years  has  been  in  the  active 
work  of  his  profession.  His  success  has  been  of  a  nota- 
ble character,  and  has  resulted  wholly  from  his  natural 
aptitude  for  horses  and  his  skill  in  divining  the  best  way 
of  treating  them. 


442 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


During  the  present  quarter  of  a  century  veterinary 
science  has  made  a  progress  not  surpassed  in  extent  and 
importance  by  any  of  its  compeers.  The  value  of  the 
investigation  undertai<en  in  its  interest  has  been  fully 
recognized  as  years  have  gone  by,  and  its  position  as 
one  of  the  learned  professions  has  become  firmly  estab- 
lished. The  application  of  medicine  and  surgery  to  the 
dumb  creation,  and  more  particularly  to  the  equine  fam- 
ily, has  presented  scientific  problems  of  the  highest  valne, 
not  alone  to  the  owners  of  animals,  but  also  to  the  in- 
vestigators who  have  devoted  themselves  to  this  pursuit. 
The  science  has  demanded  of  its  practitioners  a  sound 
knowledge  and  an  undoubted  skill  in  no  way  inferior  to 
that  in  the  medical  profession  at  large. 

Nor  can  we  look  upon  this  subject  wholly  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  scientist,  no  heed  how  vitally  impor- 
tant to  the  general  community,  as  well  as  to  the  equine 
creation  that  may  be.  There  is  an  economic  side  that 
presses  imperatively  upon  consideration.  Readers  of 
this  volume  have  undoubtedly  been  already  impressed 
with  a  sense  of  the  enormous  sums  of  money  that  are 
now  invested  in  high  class  horseflesh.  The  preservation 
of  these  animals  becomes  a  matter  of  supreme  impor- 
tance from  the  financial,  as  well  as  from  the  purely 
humanitarian,  point  of  view.  It  is  at  this  point  that 
veterinary  science  steps  in  and  has  proved  itself  to  be  of 
incalculable  value  in  saving  the  lives  or  in  restoring  the 
usefulness  of  these  thoroughbreds,  and  therefore  preserv- 
ing more  intact  the  capital  that  is  invested  in  them.  This 
is  an  item  of  great  importance  to  the  owners  of  our  large 
breeding  establishments  and  stables,  and  purely  from 
the  business  point  of  view  is  even  an  economic  benefit 
to  the  community  at  large.  Formerly,  there  was  much 
waste,  and  to  the  veterinary  profession  must  be  credited 
great  improvement  in  recent  times. 

It  is  true  that  this  development  of  veterinary  learning 
and  skill  has  not  been  confined  to  this  country.  It  has 
been  a  marked  feature  of  modern  scientific  advancement 
in  the  Old  World,  especially  in  England.  Nevertheless, 
the  United  States  has  taken  a  foremost  place  in  this  on- 
ward march,  and  has  produced  professors  and  practition- 
ers whose  originality,  sound  reasoning  and  spirit  of 
investigation  have  rivaled  their  brethren  across  the 
Atlantic,  and  whose  work  in  every  particular  has  carried 
them  to  the  front  rank  of  their  calling.  The  ideas  of 
these  American  veterinary  adepts  have  become  fully 
established  and  have  even  had  an  impression  upon  this 
school  of  medical   practice  abroad. 

As  has  already  been  indicated,  the  institution  of  breed- 
ing and  racing  the  thoroughbred  horse  in  the  United 
States  has  mainly  fostered  the  progress  that  has  been 
made  in  connection  with  veterinary  medicine  and  sur- 
gery. The  demands  made  by  the  needs  of  horses  of 
inferior  class  and  of  other  domesticated  animals  have 


been  much  more  contracted  and  in  every  way  of  lesser 
importance  than  those  that  have  resulted  from  the  thor- 
oughbred interests.  The  multiplication  of  high  class 
animals  has,  as  we  have  frequently  seen,  created  a 
special  and  strong  demand  for  the  services  of  experts  in 
handling  them.  This  demand  has  extended  to  the 
veterinary  profession,  so  that  there  is  a  constant  and 
urgent  call  for  the  highest  skill  among  those  who  care 
for  and  overcome  the  ailings  of  the  noble  coursers. 

Few  members  of  this  important  profession  have  better 
standing  or  have  rendered  more  valuable  service  to  the 
thoroughbreds  whose  healthful  condition  has  been  made 
the  supreme  study  of  his  life,  than  R.  E.  Waters,  D.  V. 
S.  Born  in  New  Utrecht,  L.  I.,  July  ii,  1863,  Dr. 
Waters  has  never  known  the  time  when  he  was  not 
interested  in  horses.  He  really  came  by  his  inclination 
toward  veterinary  practice  as  a  matter  of  family  inheri- 
tance. His  grandfather  and  two  uncles  were  prominent 
veterinarians,  being  among  the  early  practitioners  in 
Brooklyn.  Dr.  Waters,  after  a  thorough  preparatory 
education,  entered  the  Veterinary  College  of  Columbia 
University  in  1880,  and  was  graduated  therefrom  in 
1884.  The  same  year  he  began  the  active  practice  of 
his  profession,  locating  at  Far  Rockaway,  where  he  re- 
mained for  five  years.  His  success  was  of  the  most 
gratifying  character  to  him,  and  demonstrated  that  he 
was  well  grounded  in  the  principles  of  that  branch  of 
medical  practice  to  which  he  was  devoting  himself. 

Subsequently,  for  a  short  period,  Dr.  Waters  was  in 
partnership  with  Dr.  Ash,  who  at  that  time  was  in  the 
employ  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Shults,  the  well-known  business 
man,  who  had  a  large  interest  in  horses.  When  Dr.  Ash 
gave  up  his  practice  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  to  locate 
elsewhere.  Dr.  Waters  continued  his  professional  work 
alone,  and  about  1890,  began  to  find  his  services  in  great 
demand  among  prominent  turfmen.  His  specialty  is 
gelding  operations  performed  while  the  horse  is  standing, 
and  in  this  particular  line  he  has  the  reputation  of  being 
one  of  the  most  successful  in  the  country.  He  has  been 
employed  constantly  for  years  by  many  of  the  leading 
turfmen  of  the  period.  His  patrons  have  included 
Messrs.  August  Belmont,  James  R.  Keene,  David  Gideon, 
J.  W.  Rogers,  F.  R.  Hitchcock,  the  Dwyer  Brothers,  L. 
S.  &  W.  P.  Thompson  and  others.  With  only  an  occa- 
sional exception,  all  the  horsemen  whose  names  are  best 
known  to  the  turf  world  and  whose  thoroughbred  inter- 
ests are  of  the  most  conspicuous  importance,  have  in- 
trusted their  horses  to  his  care.  It  is  generally  agreed 
among  them  that  in  his  particular  branch  of  practice 
there  is  none  superior  in  the  United  States.  Learned  in 
all  the  details  of  his  profession,  and  especially  skilful  in 
those  matters  that  depend  upon  clear-headedness,  as 
well  as  sound  knowledge,  he  has  a  deservedly  high 
reputation  that  is  fully  warranted  by  his  success. 


443 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Everybody  in  the    racing   world    knows    and    likes 
"Jack"  Adler,  by  which  abbreviation  of  his  full  name 


The  experience  of  Mr.  Albert  Adler  with  the  turf  dates 
back  for  a  score  of  years.  It  began  in  the  days  of  the 
old  American  Jockey  Club,  and  for  nearly  all  of  the 
period  in  question  his  connection  with  racing  matters 
has  been  of  an  official  nature.  He  is  a  native  of  New 
York  City,  where  he  was  born  November  21,  18S9.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  public  schools,  and  before 
he  was  of  age  was  identified  with  the  official  staff  of  the 
leading  Eastern  race  tracks.  His  first  position  was  that 
of  announcer  in  the  betting  ring.  After  some  years  he 
became  connected  with  the  establishment  of  Mr.  William 
Astor,  who  had  a  racing  stable  and  took  considerable  inter- 
est in  the  sport.     This  engagement  lasted  for  two  years. 

In  1879,  Mr.  Adler  again  returned  to  the  turf  in  an 
official  capacity.  The  post  to  which  he  was  appointed 
and  has  continued  to  fill  is  a  very  important  one,  requir- 
ing great  care  and  attention,  and  is,  moreover,  one  that 
the  authorities  of  the  racing  world  could  intrust  only  to 
a  gentleman  of  proved  fidelity.  His  duties  are  to  see 
that  the  jockeys  carry  their  correct  weights,  and  that  all 
other  details  in  this  connection  are  strictly  observed,  the 
information  being  afterward  displayed  upon  the  boards 
for  the  benefit  of  the  public.  Mr.  Adler  fills  his  exacting 
role  in  a  highly  successful  manner.  The  best  proof  of 
this  is  that  he  is  engaged  in  the  same  work  year  after 


JOHN    J.   ADLER 


Mr.  John  J.  Adler  is  called  all  over  the  country.  He 
ranks  among  the  veterans  of  the  turf,  and  has  been  con- 
nected with  racing  for  many  years  as  official  announcer. 
Mr.  Adler  was  born  in  New  York  City  in  1863.  His  first 
position  on  a  race  track  was  when  he  filled  the  place  of 
assistant  starter  under  Mr.  J.  C.  Carr.  One  of  the  neces- 
sary and  important  duties  at  the  tracks  is  the  announce- 
ment in  the  betting  ring  of  the  official  results  displayed 
by  the  judges.  Exhibiting  unusual  natural  capabilities 
for  the  office,  Mr.  Adler  received  the  appointment  of 
official  announcer  in  1887,  and  has  acted  in  that  capacity 
ever  since.  He  has  a  voice  of  exceptional  power  and 
quality,  loud  and  far-reaching,  while  at  the  same  time 
his  enunciation  is  so  clear  and  distinct  that  not  a  syllable 
is  lost  to  hearers  anywhere  within  its  range.  Its  owner 
has  won  for  himself  the  fame  of  being  the  "  champion 
announcer  "  of  the  world. 

Having  officiated  during  the  past  ten  years  at  all  the 
principal  tracks,  Mr.  Adler  is  personally  acquainted  with 
practically  the  entire  racing  world,  officials,  owners, 
trainers,  jockeys,  bookmakers  and  patrons  of  the  sport, 
and  has  won  a  host  of  friends  among  them.  He  is 
strictly  temperate,  pays  the  closest  attention  to  his  busi- 
ness, and  is,  withal,  one  of  the  most  courteous  and 
kindly  officials  connected  with  the  sport.  When  his 
regular  duties  permit,  he  is  often  called  upon  to  act  as 
announcer  at  athletic  and  other  events. 


ALBERT  ADLER 


year  at  all  the  important  tracks,  and  is  thoroughly  liked 
by  horsemen  of  all  conditions  and  classes. 


444 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


From  the  time  that  he  was  eleven  years  of  age,  Mr. 
Thomas  S.  Ford  has  been  contuiually  identified  with  rac- 


•>  ; 


THOMAS  S.    FORD 

ing  affairs.  He  is  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  having  been 
born  in  Newark  in  1862.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent 
at  home,  and  he  attended  the  public  schools,  where  he 
received  a  good  education.  At  the  customary  youthful 
age  of  young  aspirants  for  turf  honors,  he  engaged  to 
work  as  exercise  boy  in  the  celebrated  Rancocas  Stable 
of  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  at  Jobstown.  His  experience  in 
this  establishment  was  not  only  of  an  agreeable  char- 
acter, but  it  secured  for  him  a  training  that  was  simply 
invaluable  in  the  pursuits  to  which  he  has  since  devoted 
himself.  In  the  Rancocas  Stable  at  that  time  were  the 
famous  Parole,  Iroquois  and  other  champions,  and  his 
acquaintance  with  them  was  in  itself  an  education  in 
regard  to  the  blood  horse  family. 

For  four  years  the  lad  exercised  and  rode  the  horses  of 
the  Rancocas  Stable,  and  was  also  engaged  to  some 
extent  by  outside  owners.  At  the  expiration  of  his  con- 
tract with  Mr.  Lorillard  he  engaged  to  ride  for  Mr.  E.  H. 
McGee,  riding  such  horses  as  Pilson,  Mamie  S.  and 
others.  Remaining  with  Mr.  McGee  for  five  years,  he 
next  engaged  as  trainer  for  Mr.  C.  L.  Carter,  and  during 
his  two  years'  connection  with  that  establishment  he 
trained  such  horses  as  Warsaw,  Pigeon  and  others  of 
their  class.  Offered  a  position  under  the  administration 
of  The  Jockey  Club,  he  accepted,  and  has  since  retained 
that  connection.  At  the  present  time  he  is  assistant 
patrol  judge  and  superintendent  of  numbers  and  jockeys. 


All  of  Mr.  F.  A.  Heckler's  immediate  family  are  musi- 
cians by  profession,  though  one  of  his  uncles,  Mr. 
Augustus  Heckler,  is  better  known  to  the  public  by 
reason  of  a  lifelong  connection  with  the  stage,  having 
been  for  many  years  with  Edwin  Booth  in  his  dramatic 
tours  as  manager,  and  has  also  been  identified  with  The 
Dramatic  News.  Mr.  Heckler  was  born  in  New  York 
City,  February  4,  1869,  and  received  a  thorough  musical 
education,  intending  to  make  music  his  avocation.  He 
was  related  to  gentlemen  more  or  less  prominent  upon 
the  turf,  particularly  Mr.  Thomas  Croft,  the  ex-Secretary 
of  the  Monmouth  Park  Association,  and  also  by  marriage 
to  Mr.  D.  D.  Withers.  It  was  accordingly  at  Monmouth, 
in  the  season  of   1885,  that  he  had  his  first  experience. 

Prior  to  1888,  the  summoning  of  horses  to  the  post 
had  been  attended  with  difficulty  and  it  was  suggested 
that  a  call  uponjhe  bugle  should  be  substituted.  Officia- 
ting at  the  first  experiment,  Mr.  Heckler  has  since  con- 


F.    A.    HECKLER 


tinned   to  act    in    the 
courses    in    the    East. 


same   capacity   at    all    the    race 


445 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Mr.  Frank  M.  Bray  has  had  nearly  twenty  years  of  active 
connection  with  racing  affairs.     Beginning  at  the  lowest 


FRANK    M.    BRAY 

round  of  the  ladder,  he  has  climbed  steadily  upward  until 
he  has  come  to  hold  responsible  and  important  positions. 
He  was  born  at  Cheltenham,  Montgomery  County,  Pa., 
March  lo,  1866.  His  first  acquaintance  with  thorough- 
bred horses  began  in  1879,  when  he  was  engaged  by 
Mr.  John  Henry  as  exercise  boy.  In  the  Henry  Stable 
were  such  runners  as  Blush  Rose,  Odd  Fellow  and  others 
of  their  class,  and  with  them  the  lad  had  an  altogether 
agreeable  acquaintance.  Leaving  the  stable  of  Mr.  Henry, 
in  1883,  he  went  to  Texas,  and  there  was  engaged  to 
train  for  Mr.  H.  B.  Sanborn.  Soon  after,  he  brought 
several  horses  East,  and  ran  them  with  fair  success. 
Afterward  he  had  in  training  Juggler,  a  speedy,  but  un- 
reliable animal;  Tenafly,  Englewood  and  a  few  other 
horses  of  lesser  importance,  who  were  members  of  the 
string  of  Colonel  Comegys. 

Soon  after,  he  trained  the  Schuylkill  Stable,  in  which 
were  Burlington,  La  Tosca,  Drizzle,  Come  to  Taw, 
Saunterer,  Granite  and  Forest  King,  all  of  whom  were 
stake  winners.  He  also  trained  Lord  Harry,  another 
stake  winner,  and  brought  him  into  condition  so  that  he 
won  many  races.  He  had  that  horse  until  the  animal 
broke  down  and  was  retired.  When  the  Arlington 
track  was  opened,  Mr.  Bray  was  appointed  starter,  and 
subsequently  was  asked  to  preside  as  judge  at  both  the 
Singerly  and  Iron  Hill  Tracks,  in  Maryland,  where  his 
services  were  of  a  very  efficient  character. 


Before  he  became  connected  with  the  turf,  Mr.  John 
D.  Levien  had  a  substantial  business  experience,  which, 
as  has  been  frequently  remarked  in  these  pages,  consti- 
tutes a  very  desirable  basis  for  the  career  of  a  man  who 
hopes  to  achieve  success  on  the  speculative  side  of  rac- 
ing. His  father,  who  is  still  living,  is  Mr.  Douglas  A. 
Levien,  a  well-known  lawyer,  and  at  one  time  Corpora- 
tion Counsel  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn.  His  mother  came 
from  a  prominent  Southern  family,  her  father  being  a 
wealthy  planter  before  the  war  and  a  brave  soldier  in 
the  Confederate  Army.  Mr.  Levien  was  born  in  Brook- 
lyn and  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  New  York  City. 
He  was  graduated  from  Grammar  School  No.  59,  and 
also  studied  in  the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

He  was  not  altogether  without  racing  alliances  even 
in  his  business  days,  his  uncle,  Mr.  Ridge  C.  Levien,  be- 
ing one  of  the  old-timers  identified  with  the  track.  Natu- 
rally, therefore,  the  younger  Mr.  Levien  was  attracted 
toward  the  sport,  and  when  his  uncle  made  him  an  offer 
that  was  exceptionally  liberal  in  the  way  of  salary,  he 
felt  that  his  future  was  well  open  before  him.  Dropping 
commercial  pursuits,  he  entered  at  once  upon  the  voca- 
tion with  which  he  has  now  been  identified  since  early 
in  the  eighties.  With  his  uncle,  he  opened  up  at  Jerome 
Park  on  that  historic  day  when  Tyrant  won  the  With- 
ers Stakes.  Since  then  he  has  filled  with  satisfaction  and 
with  advantage  to  himself  every  position  known  in  the 
bookmaker's  business.  He  is  a  bright,  pushing  man, 
very  popular  among  his  friends  and  business  associates, 
and  handles  the  money  of  the  public  interested  in  racing 
affairs  in  large  amounts,  giving  satisfaction  to  all  with 
whom  he  has  dealings. 

Born  in  New  York  City,  October  22,  1848,  and  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools,  Mr.  James  Clare  was  first 
employed  at  the  age  of  eighteen  in  the  service  of  the 
American  Jockey  Club  at  Jerome  Park.  For  fourteen 
years  he  remained  with  that  famous  race  course,  filling 
faithfully  and  capably  many  subordinate  positions  in  con- 
nection with  the  track.  In  1880,  he  made  a  change, 
however,  and  accepted  the  office  of  superintendent  and 
starter  for  the  Brighton  Beach  Racing  Association.  There 
he  has  since  remained,  being  still  the  superintendent, 
although  after  1882,  he  ceased  to  act  as  starter,  his  whole 
time  and  attention  being  required  by  the  care  of  the  track, 
stables,  stands  and  other  accessories  of  that  popular  estab- 
lishment. All  the  many  details  of  construction  and  man- 
agement that  have  characterized  the  Brighton  Beach  track, 
have  been  largely  the  result  of  his  skill  and  indefatigable 
labor.  In  addition  to  his  regular  engagement  at  Brighton, 
he  has  also  been  frequently  consulted  or  employed  in  the 
laying  out  or  the  construction  of  other  race  tracks,  notably 
that  at  Clifton,  N.  J.  He  has  also  acted  as  superintendent 
at  Buffalo,  Ivy  City  and  Bennings.  Mr.  Clare  is  a  man 
of  untiring  activity  of  mind  and  body. 
446 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


For  something  approachino;  two  decades,  Mr.  Edward 
E.  Williams  inas  been  connected  in  various  capacities 
witii  racing  affairs.  Few  men  of  tlie  day  iiave  had  a 
wider  or  more  varied  experience  and  enjoy  a  greater 
familiarity  with  thoroughbreds  or  a  larger  personal 
acquaintance,  alike  with  those  who  direct  racing  affairs 
and  those  who  are  merely  spectators  of  the  great  equine 
contests.  He  is  a  native  ot  New  York  City,  where  he 
was  born  May  s,  1862.  He  received  a  good  education, 
and  although  he  entered  upon  a  racing  career  compara- 
tively early,  he  was^  ahead  of  most  of  the  boys  of  his 
time  in  years  and  in  substantial  equipment  for  his  pro- 
fession. His  first  turf  experience  was  when  he  became 
connected  with  the  stable  of  Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  as  a 
rider.  Remaining  with  the  Lorillard  establishment  for  a 
considerable  length  of  time,  Williams  finally  gave  up  his 
position  there  and  returned  to  New  York. 

In  the  winter  of  1884,  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  and 
remained  several  months.  Returning  East  for  the  sum- 
mer, in  the  following  winter  he  went  to  New  Orleans 
again,  where  he  worked  for  some  considerable  time. 
From  New  Orleans  he  went  to  Birmingham,  Ala.,  and 
there  became  well  known  for  the  skill  which  he  dis- 
played in  riding  half-mile  heats.  His  next  employer  was 
Mr.  Sigmund  Cohen,  who  owned  Bootblack,  Rio  Grande 
and  others.  For  the  Cohen  Stable  he  was  engaged  some 
time.  Mr.  Bud  Pulford  was  another  of  his  employers, 
and  while  with  him  Williams  won  some  $18,000.  Mr. 
Pulford  had  a  very  good  stable,  and  one  of  his  string. 
Drumstick,  was  very  speedy.  Williams  was  engaged 
with  the  Pulford  Stable  for  a  considerable  length  of  time, 
and  that,  too,  very  successfully.  He  rode  many  races  at 
Latonia  and  elsewhere  on  the  Western  and  Southern  cir- 
cuit. After  a  time  he  went  to  Chicago  and  participated 
in  some  of  the  leading  racing  events  upon  the  race 
courses  of  the  Garden  City. 

During  his  career  up  to  this  time  he  had  been  very 
fortunate.  He  had  made  considerable  money,  and, 
being  thoughtful  and  thrifty,  invested  it  in  houses  and 
other  property,  in  addition  to  buying  the  pleasant  home 
in  Brooklyn  that  he  has  since  occupied.  He  also  pur- 
chased real  estate  in  Orange,  N.  J.,  and  elsewhere. 
When  the  time  came  that  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the 
saddle  on  account  of  increasing  weight,  he  engaged  in 
training,  his  first  connection  being  with  the  stable  of 
Mr.  Edward  Gwynne.  His  experience  as  a  trainer  lasted 
only  a  short  time,  for  he  found  that  he  could  make  more 
money  by  operating  on  the  speculative  side  of  racing 
than  by  riding  or  training.  In  recent  years  he  has  been 
prominent  in  his  present  occupation  on  all  the  tracks  in 
the  country.  He  has  been  a  courageous  bettor,  but 
never  reckless,  while  his  judgment  as  to  the  form  of 
horses  has  brought  him  many  good  results.  He  must 
be  regarded  one  of  the  prosperous  turfmen  of  the  day. 


Although  now  leading  a  quiet  life,  Mr.  Samuel  G. 
Storm  has  been  for  many  years  a  notable  figure  in  the 
racing  world,  and  is  a  representative  of  the  best  element 
among  the  professional  betting  men  whose  support  is  so 
necessary  to  the  running  turf,  not  only  in  a  direct  pecun- 
iary sense,  but  also  on  account  of  the  popularity  they 
give  to  the  sport  with  a  very  large  section  of  the  general 
public. 

Mr.  Storm  was  born  at  Gravesend,  N.  Y.,  August  27, 
i8s7,  and  has  continued  to  make  that  place  his  perma- 
nent residence.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was  engaged 
successfully  in  business,  but  in  1881,  began  his  racing 
experiences  as  a  poolseller.  For  many  years  he  was 
one  of  the  best  known  men  in  that  business,  and  estab- 
lished a  reputation  for  correct  methods  and  upright  deal- 
ing that  won  for  him  the  respect  of  all  who  follow  the 
turf.  He  was  exceedingly  successful,  and  was  noted 
for  the  conservatism  which  he  observed  throughout  his 
turf  career.  As  he  describes  it,  his  record  contains  no 
instances  of  phenomenal  winnings  or  losses.  It  was 
rather  one  of  small  and  continuous  profits.  At  the  same 
time,  his  attention  to  business  was  of  the  strictest  kind, 
and  in  the  course  of  the  long  period  during  which  he 
figured  as  one  of  the  foremost  poolsellers  in  the  country 
there  was  scarcely  an  important  race  meeting  at  which 
he  failed  to  be  present  or  a  notable  race  which  he  did 
not  witness. 

The  legislative  prohibition  of  poolselling  in  this  and 
other  States  finally  caused  Mr.  Storm  to  retire  from  the 
business.  His  own  personal  views  on  the  subject  of 
betting  in  relation  to  the  turf  are  valuable,  both  as  those 
of  an  expert  and  in  addition  as  coming  from  one  whose 
success  was  attained  by  honorable  methods  and  a  regard 
for  the  best  interests  of  racing.  He,  in  company  with 
others  of  similar  professional  standing,  holds  that  the  old 
method  of  bookmaking  openly  conducted  and  of  mutuel 
pools  is  the  only  feasible  one  by  which  the  turf  itself  can 
profit,  and  the  inclination  of  the  general  public  to  back 
its  opinions  be  satisfied. 

At  one  time  his  racing  interests  took  a  wider  form, 
and  the  success  of  the  small  stable  which  he  organized 
was  a  tribute  alike  to  his  knowledge  of  horseflesh  and 
of  the  business  capacity  which  has  been  his  distinguish- 
ing characteristic.  Among  the  horses  which  he  owned 
and  raced  was  the  well-known  performer  Pat  Daly. 

Among  Mr.  Storm's  many  friends  his  continued  retire- 
ment from  the  turf  is  attributed  in  a  measure  to  domestic 
reasons  of  an  exceedingly  agreeable  character.  Not  long, 
ago  he  married  a  lady,  Miss  Jones,  of  Gravesend,  pos- 
sessed of  a  considerable  fortune  in  her  own  right.  Since 
then  home  life  has  apparently  possessed  the  largest 
attractions  for  him,  while  the  enjoyment  of  his  driving 
horses  and  other  pleasures  of  a  retired  existence  seem  to 
agreeably  fill  out  his  leisure  time, 


447 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Among  the  factors  that  have  contributed  most  power- 
fully toward  the  public  knowledge  of  running  races  in 
the  United  States  the  Official  Turf  Guide,  published  by 
Messrs.  Frederick  S.  and  John  Goodwin,  composing  the 
firm  of  Goodwin  Brothers,  holds  a  leading  place.  Within 
the  entire  realm  of  sports  there  is  no  publication  at  once 
so  necessary  and  so  complete  as  that  which  the  Ameri- 
can turf  enjoys  in  the  form  of  this  Guide.  The  begin- 
nings of  the  publication  were  humble.  The  first  num- 
ber, issued  in  1881,  was  a  small  pamphlet  of  sixteen 
pages,  containing  the  records  of  all  races  run  in  the  pre- 
ceding week.  This  weekly  publication  was  continued 
during  the  year,  and  in  1882,  weekly  and  monthly 
editions  were  issued,  while  in  January,  1883,  the  firm 
brought  out  the  first  of  its  annual  publications. 

Principally  through  the  influence  of  the  late  Mr.  D.  D. 
Withers,  the  leading  racing  bodies  of  the  country  shortly 
stamped  the  Guide  with  their  approval,  as  has  also  The 
Jockey  Club  and  the  Western  Turf  Congress.  Since 
1893,  the  annual  has  become  a  two-volume  publication, 
each  volume  covering  the  racing  for  half  of  the  year. 
Many  new  features  have  been  from  time  to  lime  incor- 
porated in  the  Guide,  which  has  become  unquestionably 
the  most  valuable  turf  compendium  ever  known  to  this 
country,  while  it  rivals  in  importance  anything  of  the  knd 
that  has  ever  been  attempted,  even  in  England,  the  home 
of  thoroughbred  racing. 

One  of  the  best  known  figures  in  American  racing  of 
the  present  day  has  been  Mr.  Charles  H.  Pettingill,  who 
was  recently  the  efficient  starter  of  the  Eastern  tracks 
under  contract  with  The  Jockey  Club.  He  has  had  a 
long  and  successful  experience  in  that  official  capacity  at 
other  meetings  in  the  country  outside  the  metropolitan 
district,  and  has  attained  to  rank  as  a  veteran  of  the  turf. 
He  is  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maine,  and  received  an 
academic  education  there.  During  the  Civil  War  he 
served  in  the  Union  Army,  and  won  the  rank  of  Captain. 
After  the  war  had  ended  he  settled  in  Charleston,  S.  C. , 
and  engaged  in  wholesale  business,  and  for  one  term, 
during  the  administration  of  President  Grant,  held  the 
office  of  Assessor  of  Internal  Revenue.  About  this  time 
he  began  his  experiences  with  the  turf,  becoming  a  part- 
ner with  Mr.  W.  P.  Burch  in  the  ownership  of  a  racing 
stable.  Upon  the  dissolution  of  this  partnership  Mr. 
Pettingill  continued  to  race  horses  on  his  own  account. 

Withdrawing  from  ownership,  he  entered  into  the 
business  of  furnishing  poolrooms  with  telegraphic  news 
of  the  races.  Late  in  the  eighties  he  became  a  starter  at 
the  Gloucester,  N.  J.,  track,  then  in  its  infancy.  There 
he  had  virtually  the  entire  management  of  the  enterprise, 
and  proved  himself  not  only  an  efficient  starter,  but  a 
practical  handicapper  and  a  satisfactory  all-around  racing 
official.  Remaining  at  Gloucester  until  1893,  he  resigned 
his  position  for  the  more  important  one  of  starter  on  the 


Western  circuit,  and  officiated  in  that  capacity  at  all  the 
leading  tracks  in  the  West  and  South.  He  was  then 
appointed  starter  for  the  courses  under  jurisdiction  of 
The  Jockey  Club  and  officiated  until  the  close  of  the 
season  of  1897. 

Few  men  have  been  better  known  in  this  generation 
in  connection  with  betting  at  the  races  than  Mr.  Isaac  S. 
Thompson.  He  was  born  in  Liverpool,  England,  but 
was  brought  to  this  country  in  infancy,  and  was  reared 
and  educated  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  He  was  twenty-four 
years  of  age  when  he  made  his  first  appearance  at  the 
race  tracks  as  a  layer  of  odds.  Since  that  time  he  has 
been  continually  a  bookmaker,  confining  his  operations 
principally  to  the  Eastern  tracks.  During  his  active 
career  vast  sums  of  money  have  passed  through  his 
hands,  and  he  has  made  and  lost  fortunes.  He  has  been 
one  of  the  heaviest  layers  known  to  the  turf  in  this  gen- 
eration, and  has  taken  many  large  wagers  at  startling 
odds.  He  tells  of  one  instance  where  he  bet  $1,000  to 
$1  against  Dahlman  at  the  old  Guttenberg  track,  and  has 
always  congratulated  himself  that  he  succeeded  in  win- 
ning the  dollar. 

The  apprenticeship  of  Mr.  Joseph  F.  Ullman  in  turf 
matters  dates  back  to  1878,  when  he  made  his  d^but  as 
a  clerk  of  the  betting  ring  at  the  Memphis  Course.  After 
some  years  of  experience  in  a  subordinate  capacity  he 
undertook  the  management  of  the  East  St.  Louis  Track 
in  1883,  and  accumulated  a  small  capital  there.  He  was 
then  invited  to  take  charge  of  the  foreign  book  at  Haw- 
thorne Park,  Chicago,  and  began  business  on  a 
large  scale.  Gradually  he  rose  to  a  position  of  promi- 
nence in  the  profession  to  which  he  was  devoting  him- 
self, and  became  conspicuously  identified  with  the  bet- 
ting in  connection  with  many  of  the  most  important 
tracks  in  the  country.  He  has  had  the  betting  privileges 
at  Memphis,  Little  Rock,  St.  Louis  and  elsewhere,  and 
has  also  been  for  many  years  a  conspicuous  figure  at  all 
the  great  Eastern  race  tracks,  where  he  has  played  a 
prominent  part  in  the  betting. 

Born  in  New  York  in  1848,  Mr.  William  Kane  began 
his  racing  experiences  about  i860,  at  the  old  Long  Island 
Fashion  Course.  He  was  employed  as  exercise  boy  in 
the  stable  of  Mr.  John  Hunter,  and  afterward  rode  for 
Messrs.  James  Watson,  M.  H.  Sanford  and  others.  Sub- 
sequently he  had  an  experience,  training  and  riding  in 
Lima,  Peru.  He  trained  the  first  lot  of  yearlings  that 
Mr.  Pierre  Lorillard  owned,  trained  a  year  for  Governor 
Bowie,  of  Maryland,  and  also  had  charge  of  the  Califor- 
nia Stock  Farm  of  Mr.  Theodore  Winters.  In  1880,  he 
went  to  England  with  the  stable  of  Mr.  James  R.  Keene. 
For  one  season  he  officiated  as  starter  at  the  Guttenberg 
track.  He  was  afterward  associated  with  Mr.  H.  C.  Dit- 
mas  in  sending  descriptions  of  turf  events  to  the  turf 
exchanges  throughout  the  country. 


RACING  ASSOCIATIONS 

AND 

FAMOUS  RACE  COURSES. 


RACING  ASSOCIATIONS  AND  FAMOUS  RACE  COURSES 


The  Racing  Centres  in  Colonial  Days — Early  Tracks  in  Virginia,  South  Carolina,   Kentucky  and 
Louisiana — Old  Race  Courses  near  New  York — ^Jerome  Park  and 
Other  Contemporaneous  Courses 


'  /  iS  we  have  already  many  times  pointed   out  in 

rr  these  pages,  race  courses  were  established  in 
/"y  various  parts  of  the  United  States  during  the 
■/  1  closing  years  of  the  last  century.  Virginia, 
South  Carolina  and  New  York  had  then  long 
enjoyed  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  formal  racing 
arranged  under  the  auspices  of  turf  associations  and 
engaged  in  upon  courses  regularly  laid  out.  When  the 
nineteenth  century  opened  several  courses  were  in  exist- 
ence in  Virginia.  One  of  the  oldest  of  these  was  the 
Newmarket  at  Petersburg,  Va.,  which  was  established 
before  the  Revolution,  and  maintained  its  standing  and 
popularity  for  several  successive  generations.  It  was 
laid  out  in  its  complete  style  previous  to  the  year  1800, 
but  the  jockey  club  that  ultimately  undertook  its  manage- 
ment was  not  organized  until  180^. 

The  record  of  one  of  the  earliest  meetings  upon  this 
course  possesses  something  more  than  passing  historical 
interest.  It  introduces  us  to  the  names  of  several  of  the 
prominent  owners  and  horses  who  were  leaders  in  Vir- 
ginia turf  affairs  at  that  time.  The  report  shows  that  for 
a  race  of  four-mile  heats  in  the  spring  of  1802,  there 
were  entered  Dr.  Parteur's  Snapdragon  by  Callator; 
Bellefield  Stark's  Bucephalus  by  Daredevil  ;  John 
Hoome's  imported  Moll  in  the  Wad;  Milo  Selden's 
Proserpine  by  Daredevil;  Thomas  Gray's  Vulture  by 
Daredevil;  A.  T.  Dixon's  Thunderclap  by  Wildair,  and 
Mr.  Swan's  Cygnet.  It  will  be  noted  that  four  of  these 
horses  were  the  get  of  Daredevil,  who  was  one  of  the 
famous  stallions  of  Virginia  a  century  ago.  Records  of 
the  time  in  which  this  race  was  run  are  lacking,  but 
Snapdragon  won  the  second  and  third  heats  and  the 
race,  while  Bucephalus  was  second,  having  carried  off 
the  first  heat.  Proserpine,  Vulture  and  Thunderclap 
were  distanced  in  the  third  heat,  and  Moll  in  the  Wad  in 
the  second  heat,  while  Cygnet  was  sold  before  starting 
and  withdrawn. 

Even  before  the  century  began,  the  celebrated  Wash- 
ington Course  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  was  opened.  This 
was  practically  a  successor  to  the  Newmarket  Course, 
that  had  been  in  existence  in  that  city  from  about  fifteen 
years  or  so  previous  to  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution- 
ary War.  The  South  Carolina  Jockey  Club,  that  con- 
trolled the  Washington  Course,  was  organized  in  1792, 
and  entered  upon  a  career  of  brilliant  and  uninterrupted 


success  that  continued  even  down  to  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Civil  War,  a  period  of  almost  three-quarters  of  a 
century.  From  the  beginning  this  club  was  one  of  the 
strongest  organizations,  both  socially  and  financially, 
that  ever  existed  in  the  South  devoted  to  the  conserva- 
tion of  turf  interests.  Its  original  proprietors  were 
General  C.  C.  Pinckney,  General  William  Washington, 
General  Wade  Hampton,  General  M'Pherson,  Colonel 
Mitchell,  Colonel  M'Pherson,  Colonel  Morris,  Captain 
White,  General  Reed,  and  Messrs.  O'Brien  Smith,  John 
Wilson,  James  Ladson,  William  Alston,  H.'  M.  Rutledge, 
Gabriel  Manigault,  James  Burn,  L.  Campbell,  William 
Moultrie,  E.  Fenwick  and  William  McLeod. 

Colonel  Washington  gave  to  the  club  the  land  upon 
which  the  course  was  laid  out,  upon  condition  that  it 
should  receive  the  name  of  Washington  in  honor  of  his 
illustrious  uncle,  the  Father  of  his  Country.  The  club 
succeeded  to  the  tradition  and  the  patronage  of  the  old 
Newmarket  Course  that  had  been  closed  in  1791,  after 
thirty-one  years  of  existence,  and  was  not  long  in  be- 
coming the  great  social  centre  of  Charleston.  In  its 
membership  were  comprised  representatives  of  all  the 
old  aristocratic  families  of  the  city  and  even  of  the  State, 
and  it  became  the  exponent  of  fashion  quite  as  much  as 
it  was  the  guardian  and  supporter  of  the  turf.  To  an 
extent,  which  it  is  difficult  to  understand  in  these  days 
of  multifarious  public  interests,  society  then  attached 
itself  to  the  turf,  and  the  racing  meetings  of  the  year 
were  really  the  great  fashionable  functions.  For  many 
years  only  a  single  week  was  annually  set  apart  for  the 
meeting,  but  this  was  looked  forward  to  throughout 
several  months  preceding  it  as  the  one  occasion  that 
commanded  the  attention  of  the  entire  community,  not 
alone  of  Charleston,  but  even  of  South  Carolina. 

Indeed,  the  fame  of  this  annual  meeting  extended 
throughout  the  South  and  not  infrequently  attracted  the 
attention  of  public  men  and  society  people  from  the  far 
distant  North.  The  first  week  in  February  was  given 
over  to  this  meeting,  and  the  opening  was  always  on 
Wednesday.  The  annual  dinner  of  the  Jockey  Club 
occurred  on  this  opening  day  and  attracted  horsemen, 
statesmen  and  the  gentry  from  all  parts  of  the  State.  It 
was  a  convivial  occasion,  well  calculated  to  put  every- 
body in  good-humor  for  the  sport.  Leading  turfmen 
from  all  over  the  South  were  brought  together  around 


451 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


the  festal  board,  and  many  were  the  battles  good- 
naturedly  fought  concerning  the  relative  merits  of  differ- 
ent families  of  thoroughbreds.  When  the  racing  was  in 
full  force  came  the  great  Jockey  Club  ball  on  Friday  even- 
ing following  the  opening  of  the  meeting.  This  event 
shared  in  importance  even  the  performances  on  the  track. 
Elaborate  and  extensive  preparations  were  made  for  it, 
and  it  occupied  first  position  as  the  great  social  event  of 
the  year  in  Charleston. 

Not  long  after  the  establishment  of  the  Washington 
Course  in  Charleston  and  about  the  same  time  that 
courses  were  established  in  Petersburg,  Richmond  and 
other  cities  of  Virginia  and  Maryland,  a  race  course  was 
laid  out  in  the  City  of  Washington.     In  point  of  fact, 


with  that  of  Charleston.  Its  meetings  called  out  the 
attendance  of  those  prominent  in  wealth  and  fashion  and 
in  the  public  and  professional  life  of  the  capital,  all  vying 
with  each  other  in  the  enthusiasm  with  which  they  fol- 
lowed the  races.  From  time  to  time  the  most  celebrated 
horses  of  the  first  half  century  of  the  Republic  were  seen 
there.  Eclipse,  Fashion,  Revenue,  Sir  Henry,  Sir  Charles, 
Sir  Archy,  Boston,  Timoleon,  Lexington,  Oscar,  Hickory, 
Blue  Dick  and  hundreds  of  others.  The  dinners  and 
bails  of  the  Jockey  Club  were  included  among  the  most 
important  social  events  of  the  fashionable  season  in  the 
Federal  city. 

For  nearly  half  a  century  the  brilliant  career  of  this 
course  at  Washington  continued  without   interruption. 


MORRIS    PARK 


THE    CLUB    HOUSE 


this  course  was  almost  as  old  as  the  Federal  City  itself, 
having  been  planned  in  1802,  during  the  administration 
of  President  Thomas  Jefferson.  It  was  located  on  the 
Holmead  Farm,  about  two  miles  north  of  the  White 
House.  The  Jockey  Club  which  controlled  this  course 
became  one  of  the  most  efficient  and  most  distinguished 
in  the  United  States.  For  many  years  it  was  presided 
over  by  Colonel  John  Tayloe,  and  among  its  members 
were  included  many  of  the  most  distinguished  citizens 
of  the  capital,  and,  naturally,  leading  representatives  of 
all  sections  of  the  country.  The  patronage  of  the 
National  Course,  as  it  was  called,  vied  in  character  even 


It  was  not  until  about  the  time  of  the  Mexican  War,  or, 
to  be  more  precise,  soon  after  1844,  that  the  sun  of  pros- 
perity that  had  hitherto  continuously  shone  upon  its 
affairs  began  to  set.  Governor  Samuel  Sprigg,  of  Mary- 
land, was  then  the  President  of  the  club,  and  it  was  for 
two  years  or  more  during  his  administration  that  it  con- 
tinued in  a  very  uncertain  condition.  Finally,  in  1846, 
even  those  who  had  been  most  devoted  to  the  turf  affairs 
of  the  capital  began  to  recognize  the  futility  of  further 
efforts  to  maintain  public  interest  in  it.  Accordingly  the 
Jockey  Club  was  disbanded,  and  racing  on  the  historic 
course  was  altogether  abandoned.     The  political  animos- 


452 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


ties  of  that  period,  culminating  in  tlie  Civil  War  sxime 
fifteen  veais  later,  were  largely  responsible  foi'  a  condi- 
tion of  affairs  that  prevented,  for  the  time  being,  any 
revival  of  the  old-time  interest  in  racing.  Men  who 
were  daily  wrought  up  over  the  great  questions  of  slav- 
ery, State  rights  and  other  transcendent  political  issues 
of  the  dav,  had  little  interest  for  the  turf  or  other  sports, 
and  could  scarcely  be  expected  to  meet  each  other  with 
equanimity  upon  any  common  platform  amid  the  stirring 
issues  of  the  hour.  So  racing  died  out  entirely  in  the 
Federal  capital. 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  attempts  were  several 
times  made  again  to  engage  public  attention  to  the  sport, 
and  projects  were  put  forth  looking  to  the  opening  of  a 


its  really  lirst  great  meeting  for  nearly,  if  not  quite,  half 
a  century. 

Those  who  were  most  active  in  the  management  of 
this  club  at  that  time  were  Messrs.  J.  C.  McKibben,  John 
S.  Barbour,  George  W.  Hooker,  H.  W.  Blunt,  Hallet 
Kilbourn,  O.  P.  Green,  H.  D.  Mclntyre  and  Colonel 
Charles  Stone.  They  were  able  to  secure  the  attendance 
of  such  stables  as  those  of  the  Messrs.  Lorillard,  Dwyer, 
Cassatt,  Gebhard  and  others,  and  inaugurated  a  really 
interesting  racing  season.  In  the  present  the  annual 
meetings  at  Bennings,  although  important,  especially  as 
practically  opening  the  Eastern  racing  season  and  attract- 
ing general  attention,  have  not  attained  to  the  brilliancy 
that  characterized  their  predecessors. 


r ! 

i     j 
i     1 

--.. 

ENTRANCE    HALL,  THE    CLUB    HOUSE 


MORRIS  PARK 


new  course  at  the  capital  by  those  who  had  not  yet  for- 
gotten the  attractions  of  the  past.  When  the  National 
Fair  Association  was  organi-zed  great  hopes  were  enter- 
tained concerning  the  future  of  racing  that  it  was  pro- 
posed to  inaugurate  under  that  management.  The  asso- 
ciation, however,  failed  to  come  up  to  public  expecta- 
tion, and  soon  passed  out  of  existence  without  having 
made  any  definite  impression  upon  turf  affairs.  This 
organization  was  succeeded  by  the  National  Jockey  Club, 
which  came  into  existence  in  the  early  eighties,  and  in 
1883,  under  the  auspices  of  this  club,  Washington  had 


The  race  courses  that  continued  longest  in  existence 
were  the  three  that  have  just  been  mentioned  at  Peters- 
burg, Va. ;  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  Washington,  D.  C. 
The  Metairie,  in  New  Orleans,  was  also  a  course  that 
had  pre-eminent  standing  in  the  early  part  of  the  cen- 
tury. It  held  its  position  unchallenged  for  nearly  fifty 
years  quite  down  to  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  The 
Jockey  Club  that  controlled  the  course  offered  good  purses 
and  arranged  races  that  attracted  the  best  thoroughbreds 
of  the  time,  such  as  Lexington,  Lecomte,  Hampton, 
Peytona,    Fanny  King,  Charmer,  Oliver  and   numerous 


453 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


others.  Upon  many  an  occasion  the  four-mile  day 
would  bring  several  of  the  great  champions  together, 
when  they  would  roll  off  heat  after  heat  in  from  7.31  to 
7.46,  with  every  horse  well  up  at  the  finish.  Some  of 
the  most  sensational  racing  events  ever  run  in  the  United 
States  took  place  over  this  course,  and  accounts  of  sev- 
eral of  them  are  given  in  our  chapter  on  Famous  Racing 
Events,  in  1856,  the  Jockey  Club  expired  by  limitation, 
but  immediately  thereafter  another  association  arose  as 
its  successor  and  started  in  to  restore  to  the  old  course 
some  of  the  transcendent  glories  of  former  days.  Among 
the  veteran  turfmen  who  were  particularly  interested  in 
this    rejuvenation   were  Governor    Hebert,    Judge   Cox, 


some  very  good  racing  there,  and  their  spring  meetings 
opened  the  season,  which  was  afterward  followed 
by  the  meetings  of  the  Chickasaw  Club  at  Memphis,  the 
Nashville  Jockey  Club  and  then  by  the  Maryland  jockey 
Club  and  other  courses  of  the  North.  On  the  Metairie 
Course  in  those  days  were  seen  such  good  race  horses  as 
Foster,  Morgan  Scout,  Regent,  Bonita,  Salina,  Nellie 
Ransom,  Monarchist,  Wanderer  and  others,  in  1872, 
the  Louisiana  Jockey  Club  succeeded  the  Metairie  Jockey 
Club  in  the  management  of  affairs,  and  racing  under  its 
direction  continued  to  be  popular  and  successful.  There 
was  a  time,  for  a  few  years,  when  winter  racing  was  in 
vogue  in  the  North,  that  the  Metairie  Course  suffered 


MORRIS    PARK 


LADIES'    PARLOR,    THE    CLUB    HOUSE 


Captain  Minor,  General  Wells,  D.  F.  Kenner,  William 
B.  Stark  and  others.  This  movement,  promising  as  it 
was  to  the  future  of  the  turf  in  the  Southwest,  was  of 
little  avail.  The  tide  of  Civil  War  was  setting  in  too 
strongly,  and  after  a  few  years  of  futile  effort  racing 
matters  in  New  Orleans  were  for  a  time  relegated  to  the 
background,  as  they  were  elsev/here  in  the  country. 

At  a  later  date,  in  the  sixties  and  seventies,  interest  in 
the  Metairie  Course  was  revived  in  the  growing  public 
favor  that  was  again  being  accorded  to  racing  in  all  parts 
of  the  country  in  the  post-bellum  period.  The  Metairie 
Jockey  Club,  which  had  charge  of  this  course,  managed 


something  of  a  setback.  But  after  Northern  winter  rac- 
ing was  abandoned  and  the  turf  generally  returned  to  its 
normal  condition,  the  old  course  renewed  its  former 
popularity,  and  under  new  management  became  again 
one  of  the  important  racing  centres  of  the  country. 

in  the  South  no  race  course  has  ever  existed  that  has 
had  a  longer  or  more  honorable  career  than  that  of  Lex- 
ington, Ky.  Many  circumstances  have  operated  to  make 
its  well-established  pre-eminence  historical.  Much  of 
the  supreme  success  which  has  attached  to  its  career 
has  unquestionably  been  due  to  its  favorable  location  in 
the  blue  grass  region,  where  racing  and  the  breeding  of 


454 


TTTE     AMERICAN     TURF 


the  thoroLighbicd  have  been  tlic  engrossing  occLipation 
of  the  people  ever  since  tiie  section  passed  out  of  its 
wilderness  state.  The  association  that  controlled  the 
JA-xington  Course  for  several  generations  was  chartered 
in  icS^S,  but  the  history  of  the  course  can  be  fairly  con- 
sidered as  long  antedating  even  that  time.  The  Lex- 
ington Jockey  Club,  the  oldest  active  organization  of  the 
kind  in  the  United  States,  was  founded  as  far  back  as 
I7qs,  only  a  year  after  Mad  Anthony  Wayne  had  broken 
the  power  of  the  Indian  tribes  on  the  Maumee  River. 
From  early  in  the  century  down  to  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Civil  War,  two  and  sometimes  three  meetings  were 
held  every  year,   and   were   uniformly   successful   from 


the  war  was  in  progress  and  all  other  courses,  of 
both  the  North  and  the  South,  were  deserted,  the  inher- 
ent racing  passion  of  the  Kentuckians  could  not  be 
dampened,  and  they  continued  their  attention  to  the  turf 
even  with  war's  dread  alarms  ringing  in  their  ears. 
Only  in  1862,  did  they  limit  themselves  to  one  annual 
meeting,  that  which  was  held  in  the  spring.  In  the 
autumn  of  that  year  circumstances  quite  beyond  their 
control  compelled  them  to  relinquish  their  plans  for  a  fall 
meeting,  since  General  Kirby  Smith  with  a  Federal  army 
was  encamped  upon  their  grounds.  This  record  is  the 
more  remarkable  when  we  consider  that,  Kentucky,  being 
a  border  State,  was  exposed  to  the  special  disturbance 


DINING    ROOM,    THE    CLUB    HOUSE 


MORRIS  PARK 


every  point  of  view,  commanding  the  attention  of  the 
leading  turfmen  of  the  country  and  enlisting  the  services 
of  the  great  race  horses  of  every  period.  One  thing  in 
particular  has  distinguished  this  course  from  all  others 
throughout  its  whole  career.  In  this  respect  it  is  unique, 
in  that  it  has  been  the  field,  until  comparatively  recent 
years  at  least,  whereon  most  of  the  colts  destined  to 
become  the  great  champions  made  their  first  appearance. 
The  Lexington  Course  has  also  the  enviable  distinction 
of  being  the  only  place  in  the  United  States  where  racing 
was  continued,  practically  without  interruption,  through- 
out the  dark  and  tragic  days  of  the  Civil  War.     While 


of  being  overrun  by  the  armies  of  both  contending  pow- 
ers. Sometimes  the  Confederates  held  the  City  of  Lex- 
ington, and  again  the  Union  forces  were  in  control. 
Nevertheless,  the  racing  association  was  true  to  its 
instincts  and  unswerving  in  its  determination  to  main- 
tain an  unbroken  record  of  meetings,  no  heed  which 
army  might  be  in  the  ascendancy  or  what  might  be  the 
ultimate  result  of  the  sanguinary  struggle  that  was 
going  on. 

Although  two  race  courses,  as  we  have  elsewhere 
seen,  early  existed  on  Long  Island,  in^'the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  one  called  the  Newmarket,  near  the  centre 


455 


The    AMERICAN    TURF 


of  Suffolk  County,  and  the  other  near  Jamaica,  in  King's 
County,  the  really  great  historic  courses  near  the  met- 
ropolis were  not  instituted  until  well  into  the  present 
century.  In  the  increasing  interest  in  blood  horses 
that  marked  the  beginning  of  our  national  existence,  the 
North  bore  its  full  share,  especially  after  the  present 
century  had  opened.  Meantime,  the  old  Newmarket 
Course  and  the  Beaver  Pond  Course,  at  Jamaica,  had 
passed  out  of  existence  and  were  well-nigh  forgotten. 
As  early  as  1800,  however,  there  were  courses  at  Albany, 
Poughkeepsie  and  Harlem,  and  races  ranging  from  one 
to  four-mile  heats  were  run,  some  very  good  sport  being 
put  up.     Until  1804,  so  far  as  the  recollection  of  old  turf- 


carry  on  the  enterprise  as  it  had  been  conducted  up  to 
that  time.  An  insuperable  difficulty  in  their  way  also 
arose  from  the  fact  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
enforce  regulations  for  racing  on  an  uninclosed  course, 
as  had  hitherto  been  attempted.  Accordingly,  they 
reorganized  the  society  and  established  an  inclosed 
course,  located  about  a  mile  from  that  which  they  had 
previously  controlled,  and  gave  it  the  same  name. 
Under  these  auspices  racing  continued  with  varying  suc- 
cess for  the  ensuing  decade  or  more,  and  was  fairly  well 
supported  by  the  public-spirited  and  sport-loving  citizens 
of  the  metropolis.  Some  of  those  horses  who,  in  them- 
selves and  their  families,  have  been  among  the  most  dis- 


SMOKING    ROOM,    THE    CLUB    HOUSE 


MORRIS    PARK 


men  of  previous  generations  went,  there  was  no  regu- 
larly organized  jockey  club  in  New  York  City.  In  that 
year  an  association,  whose  members  were  principally 
drawn  from  the  farming  population  of  Long  Island,  was 
organized  with  the  definite  plan  of  continuing  in  exist- 
ence for  five  years.  The  old  Newmarket  Course  was 
secured  and  remodeled,  and  two  meetings  a  year,  in 
May  and  October,  were  arranged  for.  Purses  were 
offered  for  four,  three  and  two-mile  heats,  and  the  best 
racers  of  the  period  were  there  seen. 

When  this  association  had  expired  by  limitation  the 
members  found  it  difficult  to  raise  sufficient  funds  to 


tinguished  in  the  country,  were  first  entered  on  these 
courses.  Among  them  were  Tippoo  Sultan,  Hamble- 
tonian,  Bright  Phoebus,  Miller's  Damsel,  Empress,  First 
Consul,  Cock  of  the  Rock,  Eclipse  and  other  noted  ones. 
Among  the  turfmen  who  were  regularly  seen  at  New- 
market, both  in  its  earlier  and  its  later  period,  the  Messrs. 
Bond  and  Hughes,  of  Philadelphia,  were  particularly 
conspicuous. 

Nor  was  Newmarket  the  only  course  that  was  open  to 
lovers  of  the  turf  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York.  At  Har- 
lem a  course  was  kept  up  for  many  years  during  this 
period,  and  one  also  existed  at  Powle's  Hook,  in  New 


455 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Jersey.  Howcvlt,  it  was  not  until  iSiqtiiat  tiie  citizens 
of  New  Yoiic  betian  to  manifest  a  full  appreciation  of  the 
sport.  Legislation  against  racing,  which  had  hitherto 
been  of  a  burdensome  character,  was  at  last  modified, 
and  active  steps  were  taken  to  place  turf  affairs  on  a 
permanent  basis.  In  that  year  a  jockey  club  was  formed 
and  a  track  laid  out  at  Bath,  L.  I.,  thus  prefiguring  the 
location  of  the  famous  Coney  Island  and  Gravesend 
tracks  of  this  generation.  The  club  proved  to  be  a  suc- 
cessful institution,  and  very  good  races  were  run  for 
two  seasons. 

it  was  found,  however,  that  the  location  of  the  course 
was  not  altogether  satisfactorv  on  account  of  its  inaccess- 


Course  events  were  largely  increased,  and  racing  was 
placed  on  a  more  elevated  and  permanent  footing  than 
before. 

In  1828,  a  racing  association  was  organized  in  Uiitchess 
County,  New  York,  and  a  course  laid  out  near  Pough- 
keepsie.  Liberal  purses  were  offered,  and  for  several 
years  there  was  well  conducted  and  good  racing,  this 
course  being  the  scene  of  some  of  the  best  performances 
of  Mr.  John  C.  Stevens'  Black  Maria  and  other  horses  of 
her  class.  Ten  years  later  the  Beacon  Course  at  Hoboken, 
N.  J.,  was  established,  and  grounds  laid  out  and  build- 
ings erected  at  great  cost.  Large  purses  were  given, 
and  for  a  few  years  this  course  was  very  popular,  inas- 


SLEEPING    APARTMENT,    THE    CLUB    HOUSE 


MORRIS  PARK 


ibility,  for  we  must  remember  that  the  means  of  travel 
in  those  days  were  not  what  they  are  now.  A  location 
nearer  the  city  was  accordingly  deemed  essential,  and  in 
1 82 1,  the  club  purchased  a  plot  of  ground  some  eight 
miles  from  Brooklyn,  inclosed  it,  and  laid  out  a  track. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  celebrated  Union  Course, 
that  for  nearly  fifty  years  remained  one  of  the  most 
famous  centres  of  turf  interest  in  America.  In  fact,  it 
became  the  chosen  battle  ground  for  the  greatest  con- 
tests between  horses  that  the  earlier  history  of  the  turf 
in  this  country  can  show.  Under  the  enterprising  man- 
agement of  the  Jockey  Club,  the  purses  for  the  Union 


much  as  it  presented  some  of  the  leading  attractions  of 
that  period.  Trenton,  N.  J.,  also  had  a  course  in  these 
early  days  under  the  name  of  the  Eagle  Course,  and  its 
purses  insured  some  good  racing.  Ultimately,  however, 
all  these  courses  were  abandoned,  until  in  the  period 
just  preceding  the  Civil  War  none  of  them  were  in  exist- 
ence, except  the  old  Union  Course,  and  that  had  been 
largely  given  over  to  the  trotting  horse. 

For  many  years  previous  to  the  time  when  discredit 
attended  the  decline  of  racing  in  the  North,  the  celebrated 
Fashion  Course  on  Long  Island  was  one  of  the  most 
popular  racing  resorts  in  the  country.     The  course  was 


457 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


laid  out  upon  a  magnificent  scale  for  those  times,  and 
the  enterprise  was  conducted  in  a  generous  and  sports- 
manlike manner.  Thousands  of  dollars  were  expended 
upon  the  course,  and  its  original  cost  was  said  to  have 
been  not  less  than  five  or  six  times  more  than  had  been 
the  cost  of  any  other  course  in  the  country.  The  head- 
quarters of  the  club  were  on  one  of  the  finest  old  ances- 
tral estates  that  could  be  anywhere  found  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York,  and  on  this  was  a  commodious  clubhouse 
and  mansion,  with  a  most  attractive,  aristocratic  air. 
Special  attention  was  given  by  the  club  management  to 
accommodate  ladies,  whose  attendance  at  the  meetings 
was  very  much  desired;  in  this  respect  it  was  declared 


Course,  and  subsequently  the  Fashion  Course,  had  passed 
out  of  existence,  a  new  jockey  club  was  organized  in 
New  York  in  18^7,  at  a  time  when  many  people  looked 
forward  with  confident  expectation  to  a  gratifying 
change  in  the  condition  of  turf  affairs  as  they  then 
existed.  The  officers  of  this  club  were:  President, 
Robert  B.  Morris;  Vice-Presidents,  Anson  Livingston, 
Francis  Morris,  William  H.  Gibbons  and  Henry  Lloyd; 
Secretary,  Lovell  Purdy;  Treasurer,  William  B.  Duncan; 
Membership  Committee,  Edward  Pearsall,  Henry  A. 
Coster,  Robert  G.  Remsen  and  Jotham  Post,  all  of  them 
well  known  as  staunch  supporters  of  the  turf  and  gen- 
tlemen of  the  highest  social  character.     The  club  enlisted 


MORRIS   PARK 


THE  SUPERINTENDENT'S   RESIDENCE 


that  the  club  vied  in  distinction  even  with  the  old  South 
Carolina  Jockey  Club  at  Charleston,  and  as  a  social  resort 
came  to  have  almost  a  world-wide  reputation.  The 
Fashion  Jockey  Club  offered  generous  purses,  and  stables 
from  Maryland,  Virginia,  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  else- 
where throughout  the  South  and  West  were  always 
represented  at  its  meetings.  Messrs.  Francis  Morris, 
John  Hunter,  Charles  R.  Coster,  William  H.  Gibbons, 
N.  B.  Young  and  others  not  less  prominent  in  the  turf 
world  then  were  always  to  be  found  at  this  course. 
After  the  jockey  clubs  that  had  controlled  the  Union 


the  patronage  of  other  gentlemen  of  social  distinction, 
and  upon  their  support  was  based  the  confident  expecta- 
tion that  New  York  might  again  see  an  era  of  whole- 
some, honest  racing  such  as  had  distinguished  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  metropolis  in  previous  generations. 
What  might  have  been  the  outcome  of  this  new 
movement  had  not  the  Civil  War  intervened  to  destroy 
all  calculations,  it  is  not  possible  now  to  say.  It  may 
be,  however,  that  in  this  club  organization  were  the 
germs  of  the  healthy  revival  of  interest  in  racing  that 
was  destined  to  come  to  full  fruit  when  the  American 


458 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


Jockcv  (^lub  and  the  K'lvinii.'  V:\vk  C.ouvsc  binssomod  into 
existence  a  decade  iatei'. 

Westchester  (.oimlv.  New  Yoi'k,  has  (ov  more  tiian 
one  hundred  years,  witiiout  a  break,  been  a  racing  centre 
for  the  North.  Its  proximity  to  the  great  metropolis,  its 
fine  grass  lands  and  the  fact  that  it  has  always  been  the 
home  of  many  wealthy  New  York  families  who  have 
maintained  country-seats  there,  have  been  prime  contrib- 
uting causes  to  its  identification  with  tLirf  affairs.  The 
names  of  Morris,  Bathgate,  Hunter,  Jerome  and  others 
hold  important  places  in  its  racing  and  breeding  annals, 
and  not  a  few  of  the  great  American  thoroughbreds  in 


those  of  Mr.  Francis  Morris.    Mr.  John   Hunter  and   the 
Bathgates  in  two  generations. 

imported  Barefoot,  who  won  the  Doncaster  St.  Leger 
in  1823,  came  to  this  country  some  six  or  seven  years 
after  and  stood  in  the  vicinity  of  Westchester  village. 
In  a  stud  at  West  Farms  about  the  same  time  was  Amer- 
ican Eclipse,  and  in  the  same  place  in  1847,  imported 
Trustee,  the  sire  of  the  great  brood  mare  Levity,  went 
the  final  way  of  all  horses,  good  or  bad.  Imported 
Leamington  and  Censor  had  their  homes  with  Mr.  John 
Hunter  at  his  Pelham  Farm,  while  for  thirteen  years, 
from  i860  to  187^,  imported  Eclipse  stood  in  Mr.  Francis 


IN    THE    LANE 


MORRIS    PARK 


times  past  have  had  their  homes  there.  Back  in  Revolu- 
tionary times  racing  was  conducted  there  upon  a  broad 
meadow  near  Eastchester  Church  that  was  called  the  race 
field,  and  thither  the  gentlemen  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try brought  their  horses  for  friendly  rivalry  and  gratified 
their  inherited  English  tastes.  It  was  not  long  after  the 
general  interest  in  racing  began  in  the  early  years  of  the 
century  that  Northern  breeders  fixed  upon  Westchester 
County  as  a  very  desirable  location  and  as  affording 
many  advantages  for  the  development  of  the  thorough- 
bred.    Several  stud  farms  were  established,  particularly 


Morris'  stud  at  Throgg's  Neck.  These  are  only  a  few 
names  of  the  thoroughbreds  who  have  been  identified 
with  Westchester  County.  For  a  long  time,  fifty  years 
or  more  ago,  a  straight  mile  of  roadway  in  Fordham  was 
used  for  a  race  course,  and  afterward  the  Bathgate  track 
at  Morrisania  afforded  opportunities  for  speed.  This,  in 
turn,  was  succeeded  by  the  famous  Jerome  Park,  and 
when  that  had  passed  away  the  splendid  Morris  Park 
entered  upon  the  field  thus  vacated. 

Saratoga  was  the  first  locality  in  the  North  to  under- 
take racing  after  the  Civil  War.     In  fact,  the  sport  was 

459 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


inaugurated  there  before  the  war  had  ended.  The  credit 
that  has  been  given  to  that  fashionable  summer  resort  as 
the  cradle  of  modern  racing  in  the  East,  is  fully  merited. 
Previous  to  the  inauguration  of  the  sport  there  the  out- 
look for  the  immediate  future  was  poor  indeed,  for  there 
seemed  slight  prospect  of  returning  to  the  whilom  con- 
dition of  affairs  existing  before  the  war.  The  wealth 
and  the  leisure  that  had  hitherto  made  the  South  invin- 
cible in  pursuit  of  sports  had  for  the  time  departed.  It 
then  devolved  upon  the  North  to  support  racing,  and 
particularly  New  York,  wherein  the  wealth  of  the  coun- 
try had  become  so  considerably  concentrated  and  where 
a  large  population  had  grown  up  and  could  be  depended 


ing  matters  during  the  ensuing  quarter  of  a  century  and 
more,  was  inaugurated  in  1863.  The  general  response 
of  turfmen  from  all  over  the  country  to  this  venture  and 
the  patronage  of  the  public  was  even  more  gratifying 
than  those  who  were  most  active  in  the  affair  had  antici- 
pated, and  the  inaugural  meeting  was  altogether  success- 
ful. At  the  outset  the  stables  gathered  at  Saratoga  were 
few  in  number  when  compared  with  the  present  day, 
and  the  horses  were  not  numerous.  At  the  first  meeting 
in  1863,  the  principal  entries  were  Captain  Moore's 
Mamona,  Mr.  D.  E.  Weldon's  Sympathy  and  Lizzie  W., 
Mr.  Reedy's  Thunder,  Mr.  Francis  Morris'  Dangerous 
and  Surprise,   Mr.  J.  S.  Watson's  Aldebaran,    Mr.  John 


MORRIS   PARK 


THE    CLUB    STABLES 


upon  to  give  its  practical  support  to  the  sport.  Saratoga, 
being  the  summer  capital  of  New  York,  and  having  for 
years  drawn  to  it  the  patronage  of  wealthy  and  fashion- 
able folk  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  the  opportunity 
thus  offered  to  establish  racing  among  the  pines  as  a 
fashionable  divertisement  seemed  to  be  almost  provi- 
dential. 

There  was  an  old  race  track  in  Saratoga,  296  yards 
short  of  a  mile,  that  had  been  used  in  a  desultory  sort  of 
a  way,  and  with  that  as  a  foundation  the  new  enterprise, 
that  was  destined  to  play  such  an  important  part  in  rac- 


M.  Clay's  Lodi  and  Mr.  Lloyd's  Echo.  This  first  Sara- 
toga racing  meeting  was  undertaken  entirely  upon  the 
responsibility  of  John  Morrissey,  and  Charles  'Wheatly, 
the  eminent  turfman,  was  engaged  to  act  as  Secretary 
and  manager. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  meeting  several  gen- 
tlemen of  means  formed  an  association  for  the  purpose 
of  establishing  racing  in  Saratoga  upon  substantial  and 
permanent  foundation.  Mr.  William  R.  Travers  was 
elected  President;  Mr.  John  H.  White,  Treasurer,  and 
Mr.  Charles  Wheatly,  Secretary.     Of  these  three  officials 


460 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


only  Mr.  Whe;itly  now  survives.  The  Hxecutive  Com- 
mittee of  tile  new  association  bought  suitable  land  on 
the  southerly  side  of  Union  Avenue,  and  delegated  to  its 
secretary  authority  to  construct  the  race  course.  Within 
a  year  this  course  was  completed,  to  the  entire  satisfac- 
tion of  the  association,  and  was  ready  for  use  at  the 
opening  of  the  meeting  in  the  summer  of  1864. 

For  at  least  twenty  years  the  Saratoga  Course  contin- 
ued on  an  extraordinary  career  of  almost  uninterrupted 
prosperity.  The  modest  three  days'  meetings  of  1869 
and  1864  rapidly  grew  in  proportions,  until  in  1870,  the 
racing  season  had  expanded  so  as  to  include  two  meet- 
ings every  summer.     Not  long  afterward  it  developed 


the  strong  and  widespread  inlliience  of  Saratoga  upon 
racing  affairs  throughout  the  country.  In  the  seventies 
Sai'atoga  was  patronized  by  such  eminent  turfmen  as 
Messrs.  August  Belmont,  D.  D.  Withers,  Leonard 
Jerome.  John  F.  Purdy,  Oden  Bowie,  Charles  W.  Bath- 
gate, John  Hunter,  W.  R.  Travers,  H.  P.  McGrath, 
Pierre  Lorillard,  John  T.  Hoffman,  Harry  Genet,  J.  G. 
K.  Lawrence,  M.  A.  Littell,  O.  M.  Bassett,  H.  Harding, 
William  Turnbull,  James  McGowan  and  others.  At  the 
track  were  the  stables,  year  after  year,  of  owners  of 
national  reputation,  such  as  Major  Bacon,  Captain  T.  G. 
Moore,  Colonel  D.  McDaniel,  and  Messrs.  D.  J.  Grouse, 
R.    Wyndham   Walden,   John    Harper,    David   McCoun, 


MORRIS   PARK 


EXTERIOR    OF   A    RACING    STABLE 


Still  further,  such  was  the  demand  of  the  patronizing 
public  and  the  enthusiastic  rivalry  between  all  the  repre- 
sentative stables  of  the  North  and  South.  Finally  a 
season  of  seven  weeks'  sport  became  one  of  the  features 
of  every  summer,  and  the  prosperity  that  attended  this 
protracted  gathering  of  sportsmen  fully  demonstrated 
the  high  standing  to  which  Saratoga  had  attained  as  one 
of  the  most  prosperous  and  most  influential  racing 
centres  that  had  up  to  that  time  been  established  any- 
where in  the  United  States. 

Another  thing  was  soon  clearly  shown,  and  that  was 

461 


James  Thompson,  Woodford  Springfield,  Ephraim 
Snedeker,  W.  R.  Babcock,  M.  H.  Sanford,  George  L. 
Lorillard,  Pierre  Lorillard,  John  O'Donnell,  Francis  Morris, 
and  many  others. 

In  the  course  of  time  changes  in  the  ownership  and 
management  of  the  Saratoga  Course  came  about.  In  the 
later  seventies  the  course,  with  all  its  privileges,  was 
leased  to  John  Morrissey,  with  Charles  Reed  and  Albert 
Spencer  as  his  partners.  No  changes  were  made  in  the 
racing,  which  still  continued  under  the  control  and 
authority  of  the  Saratoga  Association.     Upon  the  death 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


of  Mr.  Travers,  Mr.  James  M.  Marvin  succeeded  to  the 
Presidency.  After  tlie  deatli  of  Mr.  Morrissey,  in  1880, 
Messrs.  Reed  &  Spencer  became  tlie  lessees  of  tlie  prop- 
erty, and  continued  tlie  business  until  the  sale  of  the 
course,  which  took  place  early  in  1892.  Mr.  Wheatly 
remained  Secretary  of  the  association  through  all  these 
years,  only  resigning  his  office  in  1892,  when  the  old 
association  closed  out  its  affairs  and  was  succeeded  by 
that  which  is  now  in  existence. 

Early  in  the  eighties  the  course  fell  away  somewhat 
from  its  former  high  estate,  and  its  period  of  decadence 
lasted  for  some  considerable  length  of  time.     The  high 


increased  the  supply  beyond  its  power  to  care  for  them 
unassisted.  Other  outlets  were  needed  to  make  racing 
profitable  to  breeders  and  owners,  and  also  to  meet  the 
growing  interest  of  the  public.  Especially  was  this 
true  of  New  York  City  and  vicinity.  Thousands  there, 
who  did  not  always  find  it  practicable  or  desirable  to  go 
to  Saratoga  to  follow  the  races,  joined  in  the  demand  for 
courses  nearer  home.  Something  of  this  feeling,  as  well 
as  the  desire  for  social  prominence,  moved  the  projectors 
of  the  famous  American  Jockey  Club  in  their  building  of 
the  J  erome  Park  Course  a  few  years  after  Saratoga  had 
been   started.     Similar  reasons,  with  perhaps  less  of  the 


MORRIS  PARK 


A    RACING   STABLE    INTERIOR 


degree  of  prosperity  that  had  attended  its  earlier  years 
had  much  to  do  with  bringing  about  this  result.  Largely 
affected  by  the  influence  that  went  out  from  this  famous 
summer  resort,  and  moved  also  by  a  consideration  of  the 
success  that  had  elevated  Saratoga  financially  and  socially, 
as  well  as  from  a  sporting  point  of  view,  followers  of 
the  turf  elsewhere  naturally  saw  no  reason  why  they 
should  not  establish  other  courses  that  might  rival  this 
parent  of  modern  racing  in  the  North.  Another  factor 
also  entered  largely  into  the  problem.  The  demand  that 
Saratoga  had  made  for  racers  of  the  first  class  had  rapidly 


social  side  brought  into  prominence,  led  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  courses  at  Monmouth  Park,  Brighton  Beach 
and  Sheepshead  Bay. 

Some  dissatisfaction  with  the  management  of  the 
Saratoga  Course  began  to  be  felt,  and,  for  a  time,  prin- 
cipally perhaps  on  account  of  the  undue  prominence  of 
the  purely  gambling  element  there,  the  course  was  some- 
what under  a  cloud.  With  the  establishment  of  Mon- 
mouth Park  and  its  subsequent  purchase  by  some  of  the 
leading  racing  men  of  the  East,  several  of  the  great 
stables  upon  which   Saratoga  had  depended,    the   Ran- 


462 


THE     AMERICAN    TURF 


coCMS,  Westbiooke,  Biookdale  ;ind  (^hfsterbrook,  wen.' 
withdrawn.  This  reverse  was  but  temporary,  however. 
The  Brooklyn  and  the  Preakness  Stables  still  continued 
to  patronize  Saratoga.  Mr.  Aristides  Welch's  Erdenheim 
Stable  also  came  to  the  front,  while  numerous  stables  of 
the  West  and  South  added  their  forces.  Saratoga  soon 
started  on  a  career  of  renewed  prosperity,  in  which  it 
has  continued  ever  since,  with  only  such  incidental 
revei'ses  as  seem  to  be  inseparable  from  the  history  of 
all  great  race  courses. 

For  the  season  of  i8q8  the  officers  of  the  Saratoga  Asso- 
ciation were:  Edward  Kearney, President;  John  T.  Eagan, 
Treasurer,  and  B.  A.  Chilton,  Secretary.  Joseph  J. 
Burke  was  the  judge,  M.  N.  Nolan, Steward,  and  Matthew 


The  emphatic  success  that  attended  the  Saratoga  meet- 
ings in  1864  and  i86s  was  the  direct  incentive  to  the 
organization  of  the  American  Jockey  Club  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  Jerome  Park.  Mr.  Leonard  W.  Jerome,  the 
moving  spirit  in  the  new  enterprise,  engaged  Mr.  Charles 
Wheatly  to  lay  out  the  place  at  a  cost  of  probably  not 
far  from  half  a  million  dollars.  The  course,  one  long 
stretch  and  three  curves,  was  laid  out  according  to  the 
personal  plans  of  Mr.  Jerome,  and  the  club  buildings 
were  also  his  creation.  The  entire  establishment  was 
completed  at  Mr.  Jerome's  personal  expense,  he  being 
the  sole  proprietor,  but  the  control  of  racing  affairs  was 
delegated  to  the  American  Jockey  Club.  Ultimately  Mr. 
Jerome  sold  the  property  to  a  number  of  gentlemen,  who 


M3RRIS    PARK 


THE  PADDOCK 


Byrnes  olTiciated  as  Starter.  The  course  is  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  in  its  surroundings  of  any  in  the  coun- 
try. It  is  beautifully  laid  out,  and  all  its  appointments 
are  in  perfect  style.  The  season  extends  from  late  in 
July  until  the  first  of  September.  Some  of  the  most  his- 
toric events  in  American  racing  annals  have  been  con- 
nected with  Saratoga.  Those  that  are  most  prominent 
in  recent  times  are  the  Flash,  the  Travers,  the  Flirtation, 
the  Alabama,  the  Congress  Hall,  the  Citizens',  the  Ken- 
ner  and  the  Kearney  Stakes,  the  Hunter  Steeplechase, 
the  Spencer  Handicap,  the  Beverwyck  Steeplechase,  the 
Midsummer  Handicap  and  the  Saratoga  Green  Steeple- 
chase. 


constituted  the  Jero'me  Park  Villa  Site  and  Improvement 
Company,  of  which  Mr.  Francis  Skiddy  was  the  Presi- 
dent. The  new  company,  however,  only  took  the  place 
of  Mr.  Jerome,  and  the  racing  was  continued  under  the 
authority  of  the  American  Jockey  Club. 

Probably  no  race  course  in  the  country  ever  had  wider 
renown  or  a  more  brilliant  career  than  the  famous  Jerome 
Park.  In  the  later  sixties  it  was  the  most  notable  resort 
in  this  country  not  only  from  the  standpoint  of  racing, 
but  socially  as  well.  The  glories  of  Jerome  Park  in  the 
time  when  it  was  famous,  wherever  gentlemen  sports- 
men gathered  to  enjoy  this  "  sport  of  kings,"  still  linger 
fondly  in  the  memory  of  many  who  participated  in  the 


463 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


events  of  those  grand  old  days.  Sport  for  sport's  sake 
was  the  motto  then,  and  the  honor  of  the  track  was  the 
honor  of  the  men  who  controlled  it.  Here  was  the 
recreation  place,  the  prime  interest  in  life,  of  such  men 
as  the  elder  James  Gordon  Bennett,  Commodore  Cor- 
nelius Vanderbilt,  Commodore  Cornelius  K.  Garrison, 
Judge  A.  C.  Monson,  Senator  Thomas  Bayard,  Mr.  Rich- 
ard O'Gorman,  Mr.  Hosea  B.  Perkins  and  scores  of  others 
of  wealth,  refinement  and  position.  There  August  Bel- 
mont pitted  his  horses  against  those  of  his  friends, 
Messrs.  Leonard  W.  and  Lawrence  Jerome;  there  Will- 
iam R.  Travers  loosed  the  shafts  of  his  wit,  and  there 
Judges   Barnard  and  Donohue  came  daily  through  the 


of  comparison  with  it  existed  anywhere  in  the  country. 
There  was  plenty  of  money  back  of  the  club,  and  under^ 
the  leadership  of  such  men  as  Messrs.  Leonard  W. 
Jerome,  William  R.  Travers,  August  Belmont,  C.  H. 
Bathgate,  Francis  Morris  and  others  it  soon  became  the 
racing  centre  of  the  country,  its  meetings  may  fairly 
be  said  to  have  served  as  the  foundation  for  the  racing 
taste  of  the  present  generation.  The  first  meeting  in 
September,  1866,  was  a  remarkable  occasion.  It  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  best  people  of  New  York  and 
vicinity,  and  many  were  the  encomiums  bestowed  upon 
the  members  of  the  club  for  the  skill  with  which  they 
had  undertaken  the  new  enterprise.     The  appointments 


MORRIS   PARK 


A    QUIET    PART    OF   THE    PADDOCK 


racing  season  to  match  their  judgment  of  horseflesh  or 
their  skill  and  luck  in  poker  or  whist  against  James  T. 
Brady,  Charles  O'Connor,  Cortlandt  Morris  and  others  of 
that  class  of  sportsmen.  If  the  history  of  that  old  race 
course  had  ever  been  set  down  by  those  who  were  most 
familiar  with  it  and  were  active  participants  in  all  the  life 
that  centred  around  it,  the  record  would  be  one  of  the 
most  entertaining  and  most  valuable  pages  of  metropoli- 
tan experience. 

When  the  American  Jockey  Club  was  started  in  i86s, 
no  important  racing  organization  that  was  at  all  worthy 


of  the  course,  although  they  would  suffer  somewhat 
from  a  comparison  with  the  superb  arrangements  of 
some  of  the  later  tracks,  called  out  the  warmest  com- 
mendation. A  conservative  turf  writer  of  the  day  thus 
expressed  himself  concerning  the  enterprise:  "We 
come  upon  a  race  course,  stands  and  stables  which  far 
exceed  any  we  have  hitherto  seen  in  this  country,  and 
which  are  not  surpassed,  we  believe,  in  any  other." 
Again,  in  describing  the  scene  on  the  first  day  of  the 
inaugural  meeting,  he  writes:   "  The  place  and  its  beau- 


tiful buildings  and  surroundings  were  filled  with  thou- 


464 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


s;inds  of  delii;htcd   people,    whose  ndmiration    of   that 
which  the  club  has  so  speedily  effected  was  intense." 

The  racing  attractions  of  this  meeting  were  quite  in 
keepinu'  with  the  importance  of  the  event.  Asteroid 
came  from  the  West  to  meet  his  rival,  the  great  Ken- 
tucky. Idlewild.  who  had  been  a  famous  horse,  but  who 
was  now  in  the  decadence  of  power,  was  also  present. 
Among  the  two-year  olds.  Ruthless  and  Monday,  and 
among  the  three-year  olds,  Watson  and  Local,  M'ere 
especially  conspicuous.  However,  although  a  new  era 
in  the  history  of  the  American  turf  had  dawned  with 
this  meeting,  the  future  was  by  no  means  fully  assured. 
More  or  less  aversion  to  the  turf  still  continued,  and  there 


interest  and  to  bring  about  their  just  rewards.  Horses 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  came  to  Jerome  Park  to 
compete  for  the  stakes  offered,  the  i'ich  purses  holding 
out  exceptional  attraction  to  them.  Many  a  famous  race 
was  won  and  lost  on  that  track  in  its  earlier  days,  and, 
as  well,  in  latei'  times.  Kentucky  ran  there  in  his  efforts 
to  beat  the  time  of  Lexington,  then  king  of  the  turf,  and 
just  a  stride  or  two  short  of  the  wire  lost  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  New  York's  money.  The  National  Handi- 
cap, won  by  such  great  thoroughbreds  as  Kentucky, 
Local.  La  Polka,  Monarchist,  Preakness  and  Vigil;  the 
Hunter  Stakes,  won  by  Remorseless,  Woodbine,  Madge, 
Olitipa  and  Sultana;  the  Nursery  Stakes,  that  were  car- 


MORRIS   PARK 


GOING    TO    THE    POST 


was  also  a  large  element  in  the  community  that  looked 
with  special  disfavor  upon  racing  because  of  its  English 
origin.  Patriotism  engendered  by  the  Civil  War,  which 
had  just  ended,  was  the  cause  of  much  anti-English  feel- 
ing, largely,  perhaps,  on  account  of  the  famous  Alabama 
question,  and  this  intolerance  extended  even  to  matters 
of  racing.  Moreover,  the  effect  of  the  war  upon  busi- 
ness and  industrial  affairs  had  not  entirely  passed  away, 
and  there  was  much  hard  work  necessary  before  general 
attention  could  be  attracted  to  sporting  affairs. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  efforts  of  the 
American  Jockey  Club  began  to  command  respect  and 


ried  off  by  such  representative  thoroughbreds  as  Ruth- 
less. Remorseless,  Harry  Bassett,  Rutherford,  Leonard 
and  imported  Patience;  the  Manhattan  Handicap,  that 
fell  to  Enchantress,  R.  B.  Connolly,  Corsican,  Fanchon, 
Preakness,  Picolo,  Virginius  and  others;  the  Annual 
Sweepstakes,  won  by  Nellie  McDonald,  Kingfisher, 
Monarchist,  Joe  Daniels,  Tom  Bowling,  Tom  Ochiltree 
and  Sultana;  the  Jerome  Stakes,  which  went  to  Metairie, 
Bayonet,  Glenelg,  Kingfisher,  Harry  Bassett,  Joe 
Daniels.  Tom  Bowling,  Acrobat.  Aristides  and  others; 
these,  with  the  Juvenile  Stakes,  the  Westchester  Cup 
and  the  Fordham  Handicap,  were  among  the  great  fea- 


465 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


t'ures  of  the  early  Jerome  Park  meetings,  and  the  old  turf- 
men of  the  generation  that  is  just  passing  away  look 
hack  upon  the  racing  connected  with  them  with  the 
tenderest  memories. 

After  a  time  the  scope  of  the  American  Jockey  Club 
enlarged  more  and  more,  and  with  its  new  social 
aspirations  it  entered  upon  an  even  more  brilliant 
career  than  had  been  anticipated  for  it.  Hitherto  custom 
had,  as  a  rule,  made  the  attendance  of  ladies  upon  racing 
events  in  the  Northern  States,  in  contemporaneous 
times  at  least,  inadvisable.  It  appeared,  however,  that 
the  time  had  arrived  for  a  very  decided  change  in  this 
respect.     The  character  of  the  gentlemen  who  managed 


gathering.  From  that  day  Jerome  Park  became  christ- 
ened the  Mecca  of  fashion.  Foreigners  visiting  the  city 
were  always  taken  there,  as  being  the  place  of  all  places 
where  the  most  desirable  people  were  to  be  met.  In- 
deed, for  years  the  women  almost  ruled  the  track,  mak- 
ing their  influence  felt  in  all  its  concerns.  An  English 
nobleman  was  once  boasting  of  the  character  of  the 
Ascot  races  in  the  presence  of  a  member  of  the  Ameri- 
can Jockey  Club.  The  American  afterward  said  that  he 
was  proud  to  be  able  to  declare  to  the  Englishman,  as 
he  did:  '•  We  have  at  Jerome  Park  a  race  track  where 
you  could  take  your  fifteen-year  old  daughter  with  never 
a  fear  that  she  would  see  or  hear  aught  to  harm  her.      i 


MORRIS   PARK 


THE  STARTER'S  STAND 


the  club  and  the  park  affairs  was  a  sufticient  guarantee, 
and  the  place  became  a  social  centre  such  as  the  city 
never  had  before  possessed.  Beautiful  and  brilliant 
women  made  the  clubhouse  their  other  home,  there  to 
while  away  the  hours  in  pleasure.  Scarcely  a  family  of 
social  importance  in  New  York  did  not  then  have  its 
affiliations  in  the  racing  set,  and  membership  in  the  club 
was  in  itself  a  sign  and  seal  of  position. 

The  cream  of  Gotham  society  honored  every  racing 
occasion  with  its  presence  until  the  costumes  on  the 
grand  stand  outshone  in  splendor  those  seen  at  any  other 


have  never  seen  at  that  track  a  man  drunk,  or  a  woman 
disgracing  herself.'.' 

It  was  this  reputation,  which  it  is  almost  needless  to 
say  was  fully  deserved,  that  established  Jerome  Park 
firmly  as  a  great  social  as  well  as  racing  centre,  and 
enabled  it  to  hold  its  position  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
Yet  betting  ran  high  there,  the  women  often  being 
among  the  most  reckless  players.  In  the  clubhouse, 
too,  there  were  poker  and  whist  for  high  stakes,  and  the 
turn  of  a  card  often  won  and  lost  sums  that  would  have 
been  enormous  to  any  but  the  men  and  women  who 


466 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


played.  As  an  outgrowth  of  this  clLib  came  the  Coach- 
ing Club,  with  the  Jeromes,  Vanderhilts  and  Belmonts 
as  founders,  and  the  (xiaching  Club  House  at  Fort  Wasii- 
ington  was  the  scene  of  many  brilliant  festivities  of  the 
Jerome  Park  set.  Ultimately,  however,  the  old  Ameri- 
can Jockey  Club  spirit  began  to  die  out,  as  the  spirit  of 
sport  for  sport's  sake  gave  way  to  a  more  mercenary 
sentiment.  Other  clubs  sprang  up  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  and  Jerome  Park  ceased  to  be  what  it  once 
was.  Racing  was  continued  on  the  course,  however, 
until  into  the  nineties,  and  in  the  early  part  of  this  decade 
the    Dwyers   revived    the   old    American    Jockey    Club 


character  of  its  patronage  other  supporters  of  the  turf 
were  encouraged  to  take  up  the  good  work  thus  well 
begun.  Saratoga  already  had  a  course,  and  soon  the 
Maryland  and  Monmouth  Clubs  followed,  and  afterward 
came  the  institution  of  race  courses  at  Coney  Island. 
But  throughout  its  earlier  career,  before  it  began  to 
wane,  the  American  Jockey  Club  never  ceased  to  stand 
at  the  head  of  turf  affairs  and  to  lead  its  competitors. 
The  rules  which  its  stewards  had  formulated  for  the 
government  of  their  course  were  generally  adopted  by 
other  clubs,  either  in  their  entirety  or  modified  as  might 
be  necessary  to  meet  new  conditions.     In  every  measure 


THE   START 


MORRIS    PARK 


charter  and  instituted  racing  again  upon  the  course  for  a 
year  or  two.  Finally,  however,  the  city  of  New  York 
took  possession  of  the  park  grounds,  and  constructed 
a  reservoir  on  the  site  as  part  of  the  city's  water- 
works. 

Although  the  American  Jockey  Club  and  the  famous 
park  that  it  controlled  have  passed  out  of  existence,  it  is 
impossible  to  overlook  the  important  part  that  they 
played  during  the  years  of  their  existence  and  the 
weighty  influence  that  they  had  in  shaping  the  future  of 
the  American  turf.  Through  the  stimulus  of  the  success 
that  Jerome  Park  early  achieved   and  through   the  high 


of  turf  reform  the  club  took  the  lead,  and  its  official 
action  obtained  the  recognition  of  turfmen  in  every  part 
of  the  world. 

The  Maryland  Jockey  Club  had  its  inception  at  a  din- 
ner party  at  Saratoga  in  1868.  Racing  at  that  famous 
watering-place  had  already  attained  to  such  pre-eminence 
as  to  attract  the  attention  of  lovers  of  the  sport  from 
other  parts  of  the  country  and  to  stimulate  in  them  a 
desire  to  emulate  in  their  own  localities  the  achievements 
of  the  Saratoga  Course.  It  was  naturally  to  be  expected 
that  such  a  feeling  should  early  be  developed  among 
wealthy  Marylanders,  for  their  State  shared  with  Virginia 


467 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


and  South  Carolina  the  honor  of  being  the  birthplace  of 
American  thoroughbred  racing.  Those  who  felt  in  that 
year  of  1868  that  it  was  quite  time  that  Maryland  should 
return  again  to  the  support  of  that  sport  which  had  been 
its  former  pride  and  glory,  .both  as  a  colony  and  a  State, 
decided,  to  use  their  own  language,  "to  inaugurate  the 
contemplated  meeting  appointed  to  take  place  at  Balti- 
more in  1870  by  a  sweepstakes  of  such  magnitude  as 
would  command,  from  its  value  and  the  celebrity  of  the 
colts  and  fillies  that  would  probably  be  engaged  in  it,  an 
attention  and  an  interest  from  the  racing  public  gratify- 
ing to  all  true  friends  of  the  turf  in  every  section  of  our 
common  country." 


and  more  valuable  character,  and  became  of  national 
importance.  Twenty-two  nominations  were  added  to  it 
in  the  ensuing  summer.  For  the  same  meeting,  which 
was  arranged  to  be  held  at  Pimlico.  three  additional 
stakes  were  opened,  the  Supper  Stakes  for  two-year 
olds,  the  Breakfast  Stakes  for  four-year  olds,  two  mile 
heats,  and  the  Bowie  Stakes  for  all  ages,  four-mile  heats. 
Discussion  ■  was  rife  during  the  ensuing  two  years 
regarding  the  result  of  these  events,  and  confidence  in 
the  favorites  shifted  from  time  to  time,  but  when  the 
horses  came  to  the  post  Preakness,  who  had  his  great 
future  all  before  him,  carried  the  dark  blue  of  Mr.  M.  H. 
Sanford  easily  to  the  front  for  the  Dinner  Party  Stakes, 


MORRIS    PARK 


AROUND    THE    BACK   STRETCH 


In  honor  of  the  occasion  and  in  remembrance  of  the 
particular  festivity  out  of  which  this  determination  had 
grown,  the  event  was  called  the  Dinner  Party  Stakes,  the 
conditions  being  a  sweepstakes  for  colts  and  fillies  then 
three  years  old,  distance  two  miles.  The  subscription 
was  limited  to  the  gentlemen  who  were  present,  and 
closed  with  seven  subscribers,  Messrs.  Bowie  &  Hall,  M. 
H.  Sanford,  D.  D.  Withers,  J.  J.  O' Fallon,  Francis  Morris, 
Denison  &  Crawford  and  R.  W.  Cameron.  Subse- 
quently, at  the  request  of  owners  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  the  stake  was  reopened  and  made  of  a  broader 


while  Harry  Bassett  won  the  Supper  Stakes  and  Glenelg 
secured  the  Breakfast  Stakes  and  also  added  the  Bowie 
Stakes  to  his  prizes.  Since  1870,  the  Pimlico  Course  has 
been  the  theatre  of  many  great  races.  All  the  noted 
champions  of  the  American  turf  have  been  seen  in  fierce 
struggles  upon  it,  and  for  many  years  it  was  regarded 
as  a  sort  of  neutral  ground  for  sectional  battles  between 
the  East  and  the  West.  After  two  or  three  years  the 
name  of  the  Dinner  Party  Stakes  was  changed  to  the 
Dixie  Stakes,  and,  as  such,  it  became  one  of  the  most 
important  and  most  valuable  turf  events  of  its  period. 


THE    AMEKICAN     TURF 


Monmouth  I'aik,  largely  lifted  into  prominence  by 
defections  from  Saratoga,  rapidly  attained  to  such  suc- 
cess and  wielded  such  an  extensive  and  wholesome 
influence  that  it  was  soon  denominated  the  Newmarket 
of  America.  The  gentlemen  who  managed  its  affairs 
were  the  owners  of  the  greatest  Eastern  stables,  and  had 
united  themselves  in  the  interests  of  enterprise  and  hon- 
esty in  racing  affairs  and  in  the  endeavor  to  eliminate 
from  the  race  course  some  of  the  abuses  that  had  crept 
into  it  from  various  sources.  The  old  course  at  Mon- 
mouth was  originally  the  private  enterprise  of  Mr.  John  F. 
Chamberlin,  but  its  most  successful  and  notable  career 
began  when  the  Monmouth  Park  Association  was  organ- 
ized and  undertook  its  management.     Mr.  D.  D.  Withers 


Boudinot  (^olt.  The  oftlcei^s  of  the  association  were: 
Mr.  George  L.  Lorillard,  President,  and  Messrs.  August 
Belmont,  Pierre  Lorillard  and  \).  1).  Withers,  directors. 

Some  of  the  most  important  stakes  known  to  the 
American  turf  were  established  at  Monmouth  Park, 
among  them  being  the  Hopeful,  July,  Tyro,  Sapling. 
Junior  Champion,  August  and  Criterion  for  two-year 
olds;  the  Lorillard,  Monmouth  Oaks,  Stockton,  Stevens, 
Omnibus  and  West  End  Hotel  for  three-year  olds,  and 
the  Comparative  and  the  Home  Bred  Produce.  Mon- 
mouth Park  was  in  every  way  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful courses  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  for  many  years. 
It  was  managed  on  a  generous  scale  and  in  a  thoroughly 
sportsmanlike  manner.     Its  career  after  Mr.  Withers  and 


MORRIS    PARK 


DOWN    THE   TOBOGGAN 


was  the  prime  mover  in  this  new  attempt  to  establish 
racing  by  the  seaside,  and  his  associates  were  represen- 
tatives of  the  best  elements  in  and  about  New  York,  of 
wealth,  influence  and  conservatism. 

The  combination  was  sufi^icientiy  strong  to  command 
the  respect  and  enlist  the  co-operation  of  the  leading 
turfmen  in  the  country,  and  thus  it  was  enabled  to  offer 
sport  of  a  character  that  was  particularly  engaging  to  the 
public,  who  attend  races-  simply  for  the  satisfaction  of 
being  spectators  of  gamey  equine  struggles.  The  first 
meeting  at  Long  Branch  was  held  in  July,  1870.  The 
stewards  on  that  interesting  occasion  were  General  Van 
Vleet  and   Messrs.   John  Hoey,  Lester  Wallack  and   E. 


his  friends  had  assumed  control  of  it  was  one  of  steady 
prosperity,  until  the  unexpected  Puritanism  of  New  Jer- 
sey legislation  in  regard  to  racing  and  betting  matters 
compelled  its  gates  to  be  closed.  The  new  track  that 
was  laid  out  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Withers  and  the 
splendid  new  grand  stand,  clubhouse  and  other  append- 
ages made  Monmouth  palatial,  whether  as  regards  the 
provision  for  the  comfort  of  its  spectators  or  of  its 
equine  performers. 

The  Monmouth  Association  never  recovered  from  the 

setback  that  it  received  from  the  severe  Jersey  law  in 

i8qo.     Its  races  were  run  for  the  season  of  1801  on  the 

Morris   Park  track,  and  afterward   for  a  few  years  the 

469 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


association  returned  to  its  own  liome.  But  the  famous 
pari<  never  regained  its  prestige.  Internal  dissensions 
sprang  up  in  tlie- association,  and  gradually  it  became 
apparent  that  the  grand  old  days  of  Long  Branch  racing 
had  gone,  perhaps  never  to  return.  For  a  year  or  two 
there  were  hopes  in  the  hearts  of  many,  but  rather  hopes 
than  expectation,  that  racing  might  ultimately  resume 
there  something  of  its  old-time  brilliancy;  but  in  1894, 
the  outcome  of  the  situation  was  the  decision  on  the 
part  of  the  members  of  the  association  to  abandon  the 
enterprise  altogether.  So  the  race  track  property  was 
finally  sold,  in  i8q8,  much  to  the  sorrow  of  those  who 
had  been  connected  with  it  in  various  capacities  in  the 
days  of  its  prosperity. 


existed  in  the  olden  times.  Thus  there  are  many  who 
are  able  to  indulge  their  taste  for  this  sport  to  an  extent 
such  as  has  never  obtained  heretofore.  It  is  from  this 
class  tnat  our  leading  sportsmen  have  been  recruited  and 
from  which  has  come  the  large  army  of  turf  admirers, 
whose  patronage  is  essential  to  the  prosperity  of  the  race 
course  and  those  who  depend  more  or  less  upon  it. 

Time  was  when  this  leisure  class  was  principally  con- 
fined to  the  South,  and  tnat  accounts  for  the  special 
prosperity  which  attended  that  section  in  the  earlier 
periods  of  the  Republic.  The  Civil  War  changed  all 
that,  however,  and  the  Southerners  have,  to  a  consider- 
able extent,  been  obliged  to  forego  their  love  for  sport 
under  the  pressure  of  more  material  exigencies.     This 


\ ^-tl 


MORRIS    PARK 


THE    FINISH 


New  York,  which  leads  its  sister  cities  in  so  many 
other  respects,  has  also  become  the  metropolis  of  racing 
in  the  United  States.  No  longer  is  the  centre  of  turf 
interest  in  the  South  and  West,  as  it  was  in  those  far-off 
days  before  the  Civil  War.  The  centre  has  changed 
from  South  to  North,  from  Louisville  and  New  Orleans 
to  New  York.  The  reasons  for  this  shifting  of  the 
scene  are  numerous,  and  the  strongest  of  them  are 
obvious.  The  rapid  increase  of  individual  wealth  and 
its  concentration  in  New  York  in  these  closing  years  of 
the  century  have  created  a  leisure  class,  such  as  scarcely 


condition  of  affairs  has  brought  about  the  comparative 
subordination  of  the  Southern  race  courses  to  those 
near  New  York.  Moreover,  the  generous  patronage 
that  can  be  counted  upon  for  racing  meetings  about  the 
metropolis  has  made  possible  a  local  management  of  turf 
affairs  upon  a  broad  and  liberal  scale  that  has  naturally 
proven  an  irresistible  attraction  to  all  the  best  horses  in 
the  country.  Large  purses  and  other  considerations 
have  had  the  inevitable  result  of  making  turfmen  every- 
where regard  New  York  as  the  Mecca  toward  which 
their  footsteps  are  annually  turned.     While  there  have 


470 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


been  important  events  nnd  heavy  stakes  set  up  on  race 
courses  elsewhere  in  the  country  from  time  to  time, 
these  have  been  exceptional  than  otherwise,  when  com- 
pared with  the  more  numerous  and  moi'e  valuable  prizes 
that  have  challenged  the  attention  of  all  horsemen  in 
connection  with  the  New  York  tracks. 

We  have  already  seen  the  important  and  influential 
part  that  was  played  by  the  American  Jockey  Club  and 
Jerome  Park  in  the  renaissance  of  contemporaneous  rac- 
ing, and  attention  has  also  been  called  to  the  establish- 
ment of  those  notable  race  courses  at  Saratoga  and  Long 
Branch  whose  brilliant  records  till  many  pages  of  modern 
turf  annals.  They  have  not  been  alone  in  the  field,  how- 
ever, although  they  were  the  pioneers,  and  upon  them 
or  a  long  time  devolved^the  agreeable  task  of  maintain- 


long  identified  with  the  American  Jockey  Club.  It  was 
becoming  apparent  to  many  that  the  time  would  soon 
arrive  when  there  might  be  an  urgent  necessity  for 
another  association  that  should  be  the  inheritor  of  all 
that  had  made  Jerome  Park  most  famous.  Moreover, 
between  the  Spring  Meeting  of  the  American  Jockey 
Club  and  the  Summer  Meeting  of  the  Monmouth  Park 
Association  there  was  a  vacant  time  covering  several 
weeks,  which,  it  was  thought,  might  be  advantageously 
utilized.  There  were  close  restrictions  on  betting  at 
that  time;  but,  nevertheless,  racing  interest  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York  and  Brooklyn  was  still  maintained  at  a  high 
point. 

Influenced  by  these  and  other  considerations,  and  also 
attracted  by  the  already  great  popularity  of  Coney  Island 


ON    THE    ROAD    TO    THE   SHEEPSHEAD    BAY    RACES 


ing  racing  on  a  splendid  scale  and  in  an  energetic  and 
honorable  manner,  and  in  laying  the  foundation  for  the 
present  prosperity  of  the  American  turf  as  a  national 
institution.  Following  closely  upon  their  footsteps  came 
other  associations  and  other  courses  whose  careers  have 
not  been  less  honorable,  nor,  in  their  way,  less  influen- 
tial, in  advancing  the  best  interests  of  the  "sport  of 
kings." 

It  was  in  the  later  seventies  that  the  gentlemen  inter- 
ested in  racing  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  felt  the 
demand  for  additional  opportunities  for  the  enjoyment  of 
the  sport.  The  glories  of  Jerome  Park  were  already 
beginning  to  fade,  and  Monmouth  Park  did  not  alto- 
gether appeal  to  the  particular  element  that  had  been 


as  a  local  watering-place,  Messrs.  Leonard  Jerome,  John 
G.  Heckscher  and  James  R.  Keene,  with  others,  effected 
a  ternporary  organization  and  leased  the  Prospect  Driv- 
ing Park,  the  same  grounds  as  those  afterward  owned 
by  the  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club.  A  three-days  meeting  was 
held  in  the  year  187Q,  during  which  sixteen  races 
were  run,  together  with  the  Queens  Countv  Hunt  Cup 
and  the  Westchester  Polo  Club  Cup.  The  judges 
were  Messrs.  Carroll  Livingston,  John  G.  Heckscher 
and  J.  H.  Bradford ;  the  timers,  Messrs.  W.  K.  Vander- 
bilt  and  H.  Skipwith  Gordon;  the  Secretary,  J.  G. 
Heckscher,  and  the  starter,  Captain  William  M.  Connor. 
Among  owners  represented  on  this  historic  occasion 
were    Messrs.    W.    P.    Burch,  George  L.  Lorillard,  John 


471 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


McCullough,  W.  E.  Sanford,   F.  Gray  Griswold  and  the 
Dwyer  Brothers. 

As  an  outcome  of  this  successful  initial  meeting  the 
Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  was  permanently  organized, 
and  an  autumn  meeting  was  held  in  September.  At 
that  time  the  purses  and  added  money  amounted  to 
$12,000.  Nineteen  races  were  run,  and  the  winning 
owners  included  Messrs.  Pierre  Lorillard,  George  L. 
Lorillard,  D.  D.  Withers,  W.  P.  Burch,  L.  Hart,  W. 
Jennings,  C.  Reed,  E.  V.  Snedeker,  E.  J.  Baldwin,  S.  L. 
Waitzfelder,  who  then  owned  Luke  Blackburn;  the 
Dwyer  Brothers,  Bennett  &  Co.,  the  Newport  Stable 
and  the  Daly  Brothers. 


into  for  the  construction  of  the  track  and  the  building  of 
stands  and  stables.  As  soon  as  spring  opened  the  work 
was  begun,  and  by  the  middle  of  June  a  perfectly 
appointed  race  track  of  one  mile  had  been  completed, 
with  an  excellent  steeplechase  course  in  the  inner  field, 
and  with  all  the  necessities  for  first-class  racing  head- 
quarters in  the  way  of  saddling  paddocks,  trainers' 
stands,  members'  stand  and  lunch  room,  an  open  field 
stand,  with  judges'  and  timing  stands  and  betting  con- 
veniences. 

Since  the  place  was  first  laid  out  the  grounds  have 
been  extensively  enlarged  and  improved.  In  the  spring 
of  1884,  the  track  was  lengthened  to  a  mile  and  a  fur- 


CONEY    ISLAND   JOCKEY    CLUB 


CARRIAGE    ENTRANCE   TO    GROUNDS 


The  successs  of  the  new  venture  was  now  assured 
beyond  peradventure.  The  attractions  of  the  seaside 
and  the  comforts  to  be  enjoyed  there  in  the  summer 
months,  for  the  purposes  of  racing,  had  become  fully 
demonstrated,  and  the  members  of  the  club  forthwith 
entered  upon  a  determination  to  establish  themselves 
permanently  at  Sheepshead  Bay.  Some  one  hundred 
and  twelve  acres  of  land,  situated  on  Ocean  Avenue  and 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  inland  from  the  Manhattan 
Beach  Hotel,  were  purchased.  Before  the  winter  was 
over  all  the  plans  had  been  made  and  contracts  entered 


long,  with  a  short  chute  for  races  at  a  mile,  which  was 
really  an  extension  of  the  back  stretch.  Considerable 
money  was  also  spent  on  making  a  mile  course  on  the 
grass  inside  of  the  regular  track.  This  last  feature  has 
always  been  a  special  attraction  of  Sheepshead  Bay. 
The  opportunity  that  it  affords  for  seeing  a  race  actually 
on  the  turf,  as  it  is  in  England,  rather  than  on  the  pre- 
pared track  of  the  American  course,  has  been  thoroughly 
appreciated,  even  by  those  who  are  the  strongest  advo- 
cates of  the  American  system.  In  1887,  the  club  owned 
168  acres  of  ground,  and  has  made  additions  since  then 


472 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


including  IS  acres  in  188S,  lor  a  straight  track,  known 
as  the  Futurity  Course,  which  is  170  feet  short  of  thrce- 
Liuarters  of  a  mile. 

The  inaugural  meeting  of  the  Coney  Island  Jockey 
Club  began  June  iq,  1880,  and  continued  six  days. 
Thirty  races  were  run  for  a  total  of  $22,000  in  added 
money  and  purses.  In  the  judges'  stand  upon  this  occa- 
sion were  Messrs.  J.  H.  Bradford,  W.  K.  Vanderbilt  and 
J.  G.  K.  Lawrence.  The  timers  were  Messrs.  J.  R. 
Coffin  and  Robert  Center,  with  Captain  J,  H.  Coster  at 
the  scales  and  Colonel  R.  W.  Simmons  as  starter.  The 
prominent  events  of  this  tlrst  meeting  were  the  Tidal, 
Foam,  Surf  and  Mermaid  Stakes,  the  Coney  Island  Handi- 


can  turf  annals  has  taken  place  under  its  supervision.  Year 
after  year  the  meetings  have  shown  an  advance  in  the 
style  of  racing,  in  the  amount  of  added  money  and  in 
the  evident  aim  of'the  management  to  make  the  Sheeps- 
head  Bay  Course  the  great  centre  of  racing  and  of  social 
standing  in  sporting  matters  of  the  metropolis.  The 
club  has  always  encouraged  all  that  is  good  in  racing, 
and  has  been  a  sturdy  opponent  of  all  that  is  discredit- 
able. Stakes  productive  of  the  highest  class  of  racing 
have  from  time  to  time  been  opened,  and  two  of  them 
in  particular  have  given  to  this  course  a  renown  that  is 
not  limited  by  the  confines  of  New  York,  nor  even  of 
the  United  States.     Were  no  other  races  ever  run  there 


CONEY  ISU\ND  JOCKEY  CLUB 


LOOKING    TOWARD    THE    FUTURITY    COURSE    FROM    THE   CLUB    HOUSE 


cap,  the  Coney  Island  and  the  Stirrup  Cups,  and  the 
Coney  Island  Derby.  The  winning  owners  included 
Messrs.  Pierre  Lorillard,  George  L.  Lorillard,  W.  A. 
Engeman,  W.  Jennings,  W.  M.  Conner,  A.  Burnham 
and  the  Dwyer  Brothers.  Among  the  winning  horses 
were  Brambaletta,  Luke  Blackburn,  Spinaway,  Monitor, 
Glidelia,  Grenada,  Warfield,  Ventilator,  Glenmore  and 
Duke  of  Montrose. 

In  the  nearly  two  decades  that  have  elapsed  since  the 
Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  opened  its  gates  at  Sheepshead 
Bay  some  of  the  most  famous  racing  known  to  Ameri- 


save  the  Suburban  and  the  Futurity  the  position  of 
Sheepshead  Bay  in  the  annals  of  turf  history  would  be 
firmly  established  beyond  all  cavil.  On  the  days  upon 
which  these  events  are  decided  the  attendance  is  greater 
than  that  seen  at  any  time  on  any  other  metropolitan 
racecourse  during  the  season.  The  public  interest  in 
these  famous  fixtures  is,  in  its  way,  scarcely  second  to 
the  absorbing  attention  that,  in  England,  is  bestowed 
upon  the  great  classic  events,  like  the  Derby,  the  Two 
Thousand  Guineas  and  the  St.  Leger. 

Other  Sheepshead  Bay  handicap  fixtures  for  all  ages 


473 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


have  included  the  Bay  Ridge,  Sheepshead  Bay,  Knicker- 
bocker and  Universal,  at  the  June  Meeting,  and  the  Twin 
City,  New  York,  Omnium  and  Mayflower,  at  the  Sep- 
tember Meeting.  Of  the  fixtures  for  three-year  olds,  the 
Swift,  Mermaid,  Emporium  and  Spindrift,  and  the  Coney 
Island  Derby  at  the  June  Meeting,  have  always  been  of 
distinguished  character,  while  the  September  Stakes  and 
the  Bridge  Handicap  at  the  September  Meeting  have 
rivaled  them  in  interest.  The  most  important  stakes  for 
two-year  olds  have  been  the  Foam,  the  Surf  and  Great 
Trial,  at  the  June  Meeting,  and  the  Autumn  and  Flat- 
bush,  and  the  Great  Eastern  Handicap  in  September. 
The  names  of  many  others  might  be  added,  such  as  the 


Sheepshead  Bay  has  always  enjoyed  a  popularity  pe- 
culiarly its  own.  It  has  attracted  the  attendance  of  the 
foremost  turfmen  in  the  country  and  of  the  finest  class 
of  patrons  in  the  metropolitan  district.  The  delight- 
ful nature  of  its  surroundings,  which  include  glimpses 
of  the  ocean,  pretty  timber,  well  kept  turf  and  flower 
beds,  and  last,  but  not  least,  during  the  warm  days  of 
summer,  the  almost  invariably  pleasant  sea  breezes  have 
been  among  the  many  reasons  for  its  popularity.  While 
these  considerations  have  undoubtedly  had  more  or  less 
effect,  one  must  look  further  for  a  full  explanation  of  the 
high  standing,  socially  and  professionally,  of  this  great 
race  course.     The  meetings  are  well  managed,  the  con- 


CONEV   ISLAND   JOCKEY    CLUB 


CLUB   HOUSE   DINING    ROOM 


Siren,  Spring,  Volunteer,  Thistle,  Vernal,  Speed  and 
other  stakes,  and  the  Turf,  Long  Island  and  other  handi- 
caps. The  Coney  Island  Cup  has  also  had  a  prominent 
place  with  the  greatest  cup  fixtures  of  the  United  States. 
Then,  in  recent  times,  the  Double  Event  and  the  Realiza- 
tion have  only  held  second  place  to  the  Suburban  and 
the  Futurity.  In  memoriam  of  its  former  president,  J.  G. 
K.  Lawrence,  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  recently 
changed  the  name  of  the  Realization  Stakes  to  the  Law- 
rence Realization,  the  first  running  under  the  new  name 
to   be  in    1900. 


veniences  for  horsemen  are  of  the  most  improved  char- 
acter and  the  public  is  always  assured  of  first-class 
racing  and  an  honest  conduct  of  affifirs.  The  material 
improvements  that  have  been  made  in  recent  years,  es- 
pecially the  new  club  house  that  was  opened  in  1898, 
have  added  to  the  attractions  of  the  place.  This  club 
house,  with  all  its  complete  appointments,  is  one  of  the 
finest  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States. 

Socially,  the  Coney  Island  Jockey  Club  has  always 
held  a  pre-eminent  and  unchallenged  position.  In  this 
respect  it  has  succeeded  to  the  inheritance  of  the  dis- 


474 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


tinction  th;it  the  American  Jockey  Club  enjoyed  for  so 
many  years.  No  other  racing  association  in  the  United 
States  compares  with  it  in  this  respect,  and  it  is  one  of 
the  soundest  and  most  brilliant  social  organizations  that 
has  ever  existed  in  New  York.  The  list  of  its  officers  shows 
at  a  glance  its  eminence  in  this  respect.  For  1898,  the 
Governors  of  the  club  are:  Messrs.  J.  Harry  Alexandre, 
James  Gordon  Bennett,  J.  H.  Bradford,  Daniel  Butter- 
field,  John  M.  Bowers,  Cornelius  Fellowes,  Robert  Goelet, 
F.  Gray  Griswold,  John  G.  Heckscher,  Thomas  Hitch- 
cock, Jr.,  H.  B.  HoUins,  Lawrence  Kip,  C.  H.  Kerner, 
H.  K.  Knapp,  Pierre  Lorillard,  A.  Newbold  Morris,  H.  I. 
Nicholas,  Herbert  C.   Pell,    Schuyler  L    Parsons,  F.  Au- 


ever  remain  without  its  great  race  course.  The  traditions 
of  the  locality  made  it  almost  imperative  that  it  should 
always  be  pre-eminently  identified  with  racing  interests. 
For  a  generation,  as  we  have  seen,  Jerome  Park  met  the 
demand  in  this  connection,  and  when  that  famous  insti- 
tution was  hastening  towards  its  day  of  disappearance, 
another  sprang  up  to  take  its  place  and  has  not  been  less 
worthily  representative  of  the  best  interests  of  racing  in 
and  about  New  York  than  the  best  of  its  predecessors 
and  contemporaneous  rivals. 

That  the  new  institution,  which  was  to  occupy  the 
field  so  long  and  so  strongly  held  by  Jerome  Park,  should 
be  the  creation  of  a  member  of  the  Morris  family  was 


CONEY    ISLA^D   JOCKEY    CLU8 


SADDLING    PADDOCK 


gustus  Schermerhorn,  William  H.  Taller,  James  P.  Scott, 
William  K.  Vanderbilt,  J.  W.  Wadsworth  and  George 
Peabody  Wetmore.  The  president  is  Colonel  Lawrence 
Kip,  the  vice-presidents  Messrs.  William  K.  Vander- 
bilt and  John  G.  Heckscher,  the  treasurer  Mr.  J.  H. 
Bradford,  and  the  secretary  Mr.  Cornelius  Fellowes. 
The  executive  committee  consists  of  the  president, 
vice-presidents,  treasurer  and  secretary,  and  Messrs. 
Daniel  Butterfield,  George  Peabody  Wetmore,  Herbert 
C.  Pell,  F.  Gray  Griswold,  and  J.  Harry  Alexandre. 
It   was   impossible  that  Westchester  County  should 


fully  in  accord  with  the  fitness  of  things,  For  several 
generations  the  Morris  family  has  been  identified  with 
all  that  is  best  in  thoroughbred  racing  in  West- 
chester County,  and  when  Mr.  John  A.  Morris  deter- 
mined to  construct  the  course  that  now  bears  his  name, 
racing  men  felt  the  utmost  confidence  that  the  establish- 
ment would  be  an  honor  to  the  American  turf  and  a  credit 
to  one  of  the  greatest  racing  families  that  the  United 
States  has  ever  known.  It  was  in  1887  that  Mr.  Morris 
first  conceived  this  plan  to  revive  the  old  racing  glories 
of  Westchester.      it  was  not,  however,  until  the  begin- 


475 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


ning  of  June,  1888,  that  the  work  was  actually  begun. 
A  year  was  required  before  the  now  famous  Morris  Park 
was  in  such  shape  that  the  gates  could  be  thrown 
open  to  the  public.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the 
work  of  construction  and  improvement  was  continued 
constantly  for  several  years  thereafter,  under  Mr.  Morris' 
direction,  before  he  was  satisfied  with  his  creation. 

An  enormous  amount  of  money  was  invested  by  Mr. 
Morris  in  this  enterprise.  A  few  years  ago  the  estate, 
which  consisted  of  350  acres,  was  assessed  at  $3,000,000. 
It  has  been  estimated  that,  first  and  last,  the  sum  ex- 
pended in  purchasing  and  improving  the  property  has 


cumference.  The  famous  Withers  Course  is  one  mile 
around.  The  Eclipse  Course,  known  also  as  the  "To- 
boggan," is  a  nearly  straight  six  furlongs  with  a  con- 
siderable decline.  Morris  Park  has  always  had  a  reputa- 
tion of  being  a  very  fast  track,  especially  for  distances  of 
six  furlongs  or  under.  Some  of  the  best  records  known 
to  the  American  turf  have  been  created  there.  Among 
those  which  standjn  this  day  are  Geraldine's  half  mile  in 
46  seconds,  in  1889  ;  Handpress'  4/4  furlongs  in  52  sec- 
onds, in  1897  ;  Maid  Marian's  ^8  of  a  mile  in  56^  sec- 
onds, in  1894  ;  Tormentor's  5J-3  furlongs  in  i  minute,  3 
seconds,  in  1893  ;  Domino's  ^4  mile  in  i  minute,  9  sec- 


VIEW    OF    GRAND   STAND    FROM    THE    FIELD 


not  been  much,  if  any,  less  than  that  amount.  The  lo- 
cation, although  by  reason  of  accessibility  to  the  city 
and  in  other  respects  it  is  eminently  desirable,  presented 
many  obstacles.  There  was  a  large  bog  to  be  filled  in, 
which  also  called  for  extensive  drainage,  while  the  rocky 
nature  of  the  soil  proved  a  constant  difficulty.  The 
original  intention  of  constructing  a  course  one  mile  and 
a  half  in  circumference  was  frustrated  by  the  rocky 
ledges  that  were  encountered,  and  the  inequalities  of  the 
ground  are  responsible  for  the  so-called  "  Matterhorn  " 
ascent  and  a  similar  descent  in  the  main  course. 

The  outer  course  is  one  and  one-eighth  miles  in  cir- 


onds,  in  1893  ;  Sir  John's  15/16  miles  in  2  minutes,  14)^ 
seconds,  in  1892  ;  Hindoocraft's  iSs  miles  in  2  minutes, 
48  seconds,  in  1889;  Ben  Holladay's  i}i  miles  in  2 
minutes,  59^  seconds,  in  1897,  and  Tom  Hayes'  % 
mile  heats  in  i  minute,  io>4  seconds,  and  i  minute, 
12)4  seconds,  in  1892.  Other  good  records  have  also 
from  time  to  time  been  made  on  this  track,  among  them 
being  Fides'  Toboggan  Slide  Handicap  at  6  furlongs  in  i 
minute,  \o}(  seconds  ;  La  Tosca's  sj^  furlongs  in  i 
minute,  4^  seconds,  and  the  same  thoroughbred's  i 
mile  in  i  minute,  39^4  seconds,  and  Tristan's  Metropoli- 
tan Handicap,    i/'s   miles,  in   i    minute,    51^1^    seconds. 


476 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


Repciitedly  live  furlontis  h;ivc  been  run  there  in  S9  sec- 
onds, by  Britt;inic,  Fordh;ini,  Saliie  McClelland,  Annie 
Qiieen  ;md  Johnny  Heckscher. 

The  accommodations  provided  for  patrons  by  Mr. 
Morris  at  Westchester  were  of  the  most  elaborate  char- 
acter. The  clubhouse  is  a  magnificent  building,  com- 
pletely litted  throughout,  not  only  comfortably,  but  even 
luxuriously.  From  the  ball  room  down  to  the  least  im- 
portant apartments  everything  is  in  the  most  perlect 
taste.  The  grand  stand,  measuring  650  by  100  feet,  has 
accommodations  for  more  than  10,000  people  on  its 
single  tier,  with  a  spacious  promenade  and  wide  aisles. 
Beneath  are  the  betting  ring,  dining  rooms,  lunch  count- 


Altogether  the  establishment  was  laid  out  and  com- 
pleted by  Mr.  Morris  on  an  elaborate  scale,  regardless 
of  expense.  When  it  was  opened  to  the  public  in 
August,  1889,  it  excited  general  admiration  and 
unbounded  praise  for  its  proprietor.  It  was  generally 
agreed  that  in  the  perfection  of  its  appointments  it  sur- 
passed, as  one  writer  at  that  time  said,  "  Flemington, 
Ascot,  Longchamps  or  Buenos  Ayres,  which  have  until 
now  been  the  best  in  the  world."  The  inaugural  meet- 
ing began  on  August  20,  1889,  and  on  that  day  Mr. 
Porter  Ashe's  beautiful  fast  filly,  Geraldine,  ridden  by 
Isaac  Murphy,  won  the  Opening  Scramble  at  five  fur- 
longs in  I  minute.    On  a  later  day,  at  the  same  meeting, 


CONEY   ISLAND   JOCKEY    CLUB 


A    GROUP    OF    FAVORITES 


ers  and  other  necesary  appointments.  Three  towers 
crown  this  structure  and  add  to  the  beauty  of  its  archi- 
tectural effect.  In  front  of  the  clubhouse  and  the  grand 
stand  a  lawn  slopes  down  to  the  rail.  Alike  from  the 
buildings  or  the  lawn  the  view  of  all  the  racing  is  well- 
nigh  perfect.  Beyond  the  clubhouse  is  the  saddling 
paddock,  with  spacious  shed  and  a  pleasant,  shady 
grove.  There  are  nearly  two  miles  of  stables  and  about 
1,000  horses  can  be  accommodated.  The  stables  are  built 
in  groups  which  hold  from  eight  to  forty  horses  each, 
and  have  perfect  ventilation  and  drainage. 


Britannic  reduced  the  five  furlongs  record  to  59  seconds, 
and  EI  Rio  Rey  the  six  furlongs  record  to  i  minute  1 1 
seconds.  The-  racing  was  long  conducted  under  the 
auspices  of  the  New  York  Jockey  Club,  Mr.  H.  De- 
Courcy  Forbes,  President,  although  the  entire  enterprise 
belonged  to  its  proprietor,  Mr.  John  A.  Morris.  Some 
of  the  great  stakes  and  handicaps  that  had  been  con- 
rtected  with  Jerome  Park  were  transferred  to  the  new 
course,  and  have  ever  since  been  run  there. 

Early  in  the  nineties  Mr.  Morris  felt  disposed  to  relin- 
quish his  active  interest  in  the  management  of  the  Park, 


477 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


and,  in  1895,  the  property  was  leased  to  the  Westchester 
Racing  Association,  under  whose  management  the 
meetings  have  since  been  continued.  This  Association 
is  controlled  by  some  of  the  most  prominent  members 
of  The  Jockey  Club.  The  most  notable  events  of  the 
Morris  Park  seasons  are  the  Metropolitan.  Toboggan, 
Jerome,  Ramapo,  Hunter  and  Municipal  Handicaps, 
the  National  Stallion,  the  New  York  Steeplechase 
Handicap,  the  Autumn  Serials,  and  the  Belmont, 
Gaiety,  Nursery,  Belle  Meade,  Eclipse,  Pocantico,  Van 
Nest,  Bouquet,  Champagne,  Withers  and  other  stakes. 
A  feature  of  the  meetings  is  the  steeplechase  racing, 
which  has  lately  assumed  more  than  ordinary  inter- 
est, some  especially  important  races  being  regularly 
put  on  the  card  for  this  class. 

The  Brooklyn  Jockey  Club  has  a  glory  of  its  own  in 
the  Brooklyn  Handicap,  that  is  scarcely  second  in  pop- 
ularity and  distinction  to  any  of  the  great  fixtures 
of  the  American  turf  At  Gravesend  during  the  season 
many  of  the  most  sensational  and  most  reliable  thor- 
oughbreds are  seen.  The  club  that  controls  the  racing 
was  the  creation  of  the  Dwyer  Brothers,  and  is  now  in 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Philip  J.  Dwyer.  The  course  is  not 
extensive,  nor  are  the  grounds  elaborately  laid  out,  but 
a  great  deal  of  excellent  racing  is  seen  there.  In  addition 
to  the  famous  Brooklyn  Handicap  other  events  that  are 
contested  for  on  this  track  have  called  out  many  notable 
runners,  and  have  commanded  the  full  patronage  of  the 
public.  Most  prominent  among  them  may  be  men- 
tioned the  Fort  Hamilton,  Woodlawn,  Oriental,  Brook- 
dale,  Parkway  and  Lawn  View  Handicaps;  the 
Bedford,  Falcon,  Tremont,  Expectation,  Prospect,  Spec- 
ulation and  other  stakes;  the  Brooklyn  Derby  and  the 
Brooklyn  Cup. 

The  Brighton  Beach  race  course  was  another  response 
to  the  popular  demand  for  opportunities  to  enjoy  racing 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  New  York  City.  It  was 
felt  that  the  time  had  arrived  when  a  popular  race  course 
for  the  masses  might  be  established  upon  the  seashore  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood  of  New  York  and  not  con- 
flict with  the  older  and  longer  established  courses,  while 
at  the  same  time  offering  first-class  racing.  Such  was 
the  feeling  that  led  to  the  founding  of  this  course  by  the 
late  William  A.  Engeman,  The  enterprise  was  pre-emi- 
nently successful  from  the  start.  Some  very  good  sport 
has  been  seen   there. 

When  Mr.  William  A.  Engeman  died,  his  brother, 
Mr.  George  H.  Engeman,  succeeded  to  the  presidency 
of  the  Brighton  Beach  Racing  Association,  but  several 
years  ago  the  present  Mr.  William  A.  Engeman,  son  of 
the  founder  of  the  track,  took  command,  and,  under 
his  direction,  the  course  has  become  popular  alike  with 
owners  and  trainers,  as  well  as  the  race-going  public. 
Many  improvements  and  additions  have  been   made  to 


the  property,  until  now  it  is  well  appointed  throughout. 
A  peculiar  fact  in  the  history  of  the  Brighton  Beach  As- 
sociation has  been  the  interest  that  the  founders  have 
taken  in  charitable  enterprises.  During  the  nineteen 
years  of  its  existence,  it  has  had,  on  many  different  oc- 
casions, benefit  days  for  public  and  individual  charities. 
Brighton  was  also  a  leader  in  the  movement  to  re-estab- 
lish long-distance  racing  several  years  ago.  The  effort 
culminated  in  1897,  in  the  Brighton  Cup,  2%  miles,  in 
which  occurred  that  memorable  finish  between  those 
two  good  three-year  olds.  The  Friar  and  Sunny  Slope. 

A  comparatively  recent  aspirant  for  turf  honors  in  the 
vicinty  of  New  York  is  the  Queens  County  Jockey  Club, 
of  which  Mr.  Thomas  D.  Reilly  is  the  president  and 
active  manager.  The  spring  racing  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
metropolis  begins  on  the  Aqueduct  Course,  controlled 
by  this  club,  and  attracts  representatives  from  the  best 
stables  of  the  country.  Thoroughbreds  come  thither 
directly  from  Bennings,  Washington  and  from  New  Or- 
leans and  the  Southwest  circuit.  The  early  season  at 
Aqueduct  is  regarded  with  interest,  not  alone  for  the 
good  racing  that  it  presents,  but  also  for  its  value  as 
giving  a  line  upon  horses  that  are  likely  to  be  seen  in 
the  great  events  upon  the  larger  tracks  later  in  the  sum- 
mer. Among  the  principal  races  of  the  Aqueduct  spring 
meeting  are  the  Carter  Handicap,  the  Rose,  Arverne, 
Canarsie,  Ozone,  Rockaway,  Jamaica  and  Flushing 
Stakes. 

Although  it  is  generally  conceded  that  the  best  racing 
of  the  present  generation  is  seen  upon  the  large  metro- 
politan tracks,  there  are  many  meetings  in  other  sections 
of  the  country  that  are  only  secondary  in  interest  to 
those  just  referred  so.  The  racing  associations  in  the 
South  and  West  and  far  away  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  upon  the  PacificCoast  have  played 
no  small  part  in  contemporaneous  affairs.  The  courses 
that  have  been  established  and  operated  under  their  dis- 
interested and  enthusiastic  direction,  besides  many  that 
have  been  simply  individual  enterprises,  must  be  classed 
among  the  important  and  influential  elements  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  modern  turf  of  the  United  States.  So 
numerous  have  these  been  in  the  last  quarter  of  a  century 
that  it  is  possible,  within  restricted  space,  to  refer  in  the 
briefest  manner  only  to  a  comparatively  few  of  them. 

The  associations  and  courses  of  New  York,  Kentucky, 
New  Orleans,  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis  and  a  few 
other  places  have  really  been  the  most  prominent  in  this 
connection  during  the  present  decade,  although  the 
number  of  smaller  institutions,  very  useful  and  success- 
ful in  their  way,  have  been  numbered  by  the  hundreds. 
Chicago  was  somewhat  slow  in  coming  to  the  front  in  rac- 
ing affairs,  and  it  was  not  until  well  into  the  seventies  that 
much  interest  was  there  manifested  in  the  running  horse. 
Some  of  the  first  attempts  in  the  direction  of  populariz- 

478 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


ing  this  sport  in  the  G;irden  City  were  directed  toward 
the  whoilv  incongruous  arrangement  of  combining 
racing  and  trotting  meetings.  Although  this  experi- 
ment was,  as  might  have  been  expected,  utterly  futile, 
nevertheless,  in  those  early  days  of  Chicago  racing, 
some  notable  events  occurred  that  have  become 
historic.  Pat  Malloy  achieved  some  of  his  greatest 
triumphs  in  that  city,  and  on  the  old  Dexter  Park  Course 
The  Banshee,  Gilroy,  Merrill  and  Malcolm  delighted 
many  thousands  with  their  performances.  On  that 
course,  too,  Plantagenet  showed  his  stamina  as  a  four- 
miler  and  as  a  worthy  descendant  of  the  great  Planet. 

It  was  not  until  1879  that  turf  affairs  really  assumed 
much  prominence  in  the  Garden  City.  The  Jockey 
Club  that  was  then  organized  met  with  unexpected 
popular  approval,  and  the  inaugural  meeting  at  the 
Driving  Park  was  a  notable  occasion  with  Molly  Mc- 
Carthy, Wallenstein,  Mistake  and  others  as  the  stars.  In 
1884  the  Washington  Park  Course  was  opened  under 
the  management  of  the  Driving  Park  Association,  and 
several  events  that  were  destined  to  become  famous 
were  inaugurated.  First  among  these  was  the  American 
Derby,  which,  it  was  hoped  by  its  founders,  would  ulti- 
mately be  the  dominant  fixture  of  the  American  turf 
That  result,  however,  was  never  attained,  although  the 
American  Derby  has  always  held  a  good  position  with 
the  great  races  of  other  courses  in  the  United  States. 
During  the  eighties  and  nineties  the  Washington  Park, 
Hawthorne  Park  and  Harlem  tracks  afforded  the  prin- 
cipal opportunities  for  racing  in  Chicago.  In  the  storm  of 
adverse  legislation  upon  racing  matters  that  swept  over 
the  country  in  the  early  nineties,  the  Washington  Park 
Course  succumbed  and  finally  closed  its  gates.  More 
recently,  however,  racing  has  been  resumed  there  under 
fairly  promising  conditions. 

In  California,  the  California  Jockey  Club  is  the  oldest 
racing  association  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  being  practically 
a  survival  of  San  Francisco's  old  Pacific  Coast  Blood 
Horse  Association.  Its  President,  Mr.  Thomas  H.  Will- 
iams, Jr.,  was  really  the  founder  of  the  club,  and  asso- 
ciated with  him  are  Colonel  D.  M.  Burns,  Vice-President, 
and  R.  B.  Milroy,  Secretary,  those  officers  and  Major 
Frank  McLaughlin  and  Messrs.  M.  S,  Gunst  and  Henry 
Ach,  comprising  the  Board  of  Directors.  For  a  time  the 
club  held  its  meetings  upon  the  Bay  District  track  in 
San  Francisco,  but,  in  1896,  opened  at  Oakland  the 
grounds  that  have  since  become  famous.  The  property 
was  formerly  the  Oakland  Park  Trotting  Track,  but  was 
transformed  into  one  of  the  finest  running  courses  in  the 
country.  It  is  a  very  fast  track,  as  has  been  shown  by 
many  performances,  notably  Lucretia  Borgia's  four  miles 
in  7  minutes,  1 1  seconds.  The  appointments  of  Oak- 
land Park,  its  grand  stand,  betting  ring,  paddock  and 
other  structures  are  of  the  most  commodious  character. 


It  was  in  1895  that  the  Ingleside  track  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  Jockey  Club  was  opened.  This  association  was 
started  by  Messrs.  A.  B.  Spreckles,  Henry  J.  Crocker, 
Edward  Corrigan  and  other  prominent  California  racing 
men.  Mr.Spreckles  was  the  first  President,  with  Henry  J. 
Crocker  Vice-President,  and  W.  S.  Leake,  Secretary. 
Subsequently  Mr.  S.  N.  Androus  became  President.  The 
Ingleside  track  is  situated  on  the  Ocean  House  road,  not 
far  from  the  old  track  that  was  made  famous  in  the  sev- 
enties by  the  great  four-mile  races  between  such  cracks 
as  Norfolk,  Katie  Pease,  Thad  Stevens,  Rutherford  and 
others. 

Time  and  space  would  both  fail  should  an  attempt  be 
made  to  go  extensively  and  carefully,  as  the  subject  de- 
mands, into  the  history  of  other  associations  and  descrip- 
tions of  other  courses  that  have  been  more  or  less 
prominent,  active  and  useful  in  this  last  quarter  of  a 
century  of  American  thoroughbred  racing.  Reference 
has,  to  some  extent,  already  been  made  to  them  in  the 
chapter  on  Racing  Officials.  From  a  consideration  of 
the  names  of  the  gentlemen  identified  with  the  official 
boards  of  these  associations  a  very  clear  idea  can  be 
gained  of  the  status  of  the  turf  in  these  latter  days,  both 
as  regards  its  racing  connections  and  its  social  condi- 
tion. Fuller  accounts  of  the  associations  and  of  their 
work  in  upholding  racing  interests,  and  a  description  of 
the  results  of  their  enterprise  in  establishing  and  main- 
taining great  race  courses,  together  with  an  account  of 
the  special  events  respectively  identified  with  them, 
would  make  a  recital  as  interesting  as  it  would  be  ex- 
tensive. It  must  be  sufficient  to  say,  however,  that  in 
all  these  particulars  the  turf  of  to-day  is  a  worthy 
inheritor  of  the  best  traditions  of  the  past,  while  its  pres- 
ent supporters,  even  more  than  their  predecessors,  are 
doing  a  notable  work  by  the  expenditure  of  time  and 
money  in  sustaining  these  numerous  and  superbly  ap- 
pointed courses  that,  more  fully  than  anything  else, 
demonstrate  the  hold  that  the  sport  has  upon  the  com- 
munity at  large  in  these  later  days. 

With  this  brief  account  of  a  few  of  the  most  famous 
racing  associations  and  courses  of  the  American  turf, 
past  and  present,  this  volume  must  be  brought  to  an 
end.  The  task  undertaken  in  its  preparation  has  been 
arduous,  but  at  the  same  time  wholly  delightful.  It  is 
a  pleasant  chapter  of  American  history  that  deals  with 
the  thoroughbred  family  and  all  the  manifold  enterprises 
grouped  in  connection  therewith.  In  studying  this 
record  one  cannot  fail  to  be  impressed  with  wonder  at 
the  magnitude  of  the  interests  involved  in  breeding  and 
racing,  with  admiration  for  the  work  that  has  been 
done  by  the  great  turfmen  in  the  several  generations 
included  in  the  retrospect  and  with  a  deep  enthusiasm 
for  a  sport  that  has  commanded  the  attention  and  the 
energies  of  the  foremost  men  in  the  community  and  has 


479 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


been  made  glorious  by  the  performances  of  the 
noblest  horses  that  ever  struggled  with  each  other  for 
victory. 

Combining,  as  has  been  done,  this  review  of  the  past 
with  an  abundant  and  deserved  consideration  of  the  men 
of  to-day,  who  in  various  capacities  are  now  upholding 
the  honor  and  advancing  the  welfare  of  the  turf,  there 
comes  a  final  thought  that  is  more  than  ever  interesting 
and  encouraging.  What  has  been  done  in  the  past, 
however  glorious  it  may  have  been,  appears  at  every 
point  to  have  been,  in  a  certain  sense,  only  a  stepping 
stone  to  something  better  and  grander.  Particularly 
does  this  seem  true  when,  standing  at  the  close  of  what 


is  really  the  first  complete  century  of  American  racing, 
we  see  the  sport  established  on  firmer  ground  than  ever 
before  and  with  more  abundant  promise.  To  those 
who  study  the  situation  closely  there  is,  alike  in  the 
modern  perfection  of  the  great  thoroughbreds  and  in  the 
character  of  the  active  turfmen  of  the  period,  the  fullest 
assurance  of  a  future  that  shall  outshine  in  brilliancy 
anything  that  has  preceded  it.  If  the  present  volume 
shall,  even  in  a  small  way,  attract  more  attention  to  the 
subject  than  has  heretofore  been  given  to  it  and  thus  be 
a  contributing  factor  in  bringing  about  this  result,  the 
labor  that  has  been  expended  upon  it  will  not  have  been 
in  vain. 


I 


480 


INDEX 


i 


i 


N  D  E  X . 


AALEEN  PACHA 165 

ABBAS  PACHA  165 

ABBEY  Ill 

ABBEY  NURSERY  HANDICAP 102 

ABBOTSFORD    125 

ACH,  HENRY   479 

ACQUITAL    170 

ACROBAT   52,  465 

ACTINISM    130 

ADAGE    172 

ADA  GLENN   92 

ADA  LAMBERT  249 

ADAMS,  JOHN  QUINCY 270 

ADA  TEVIS  67,    6S 

ADD  72 

ADLER,  ALBERT  444 

ADLER,  JOHN  J 444 

ADVENTURER   113 

AEROLITE  41 

^ROLITE    109 

AEROLITHE    174 

AFFIANT    20S 

AFFINITY    ISl,  208 

AGENORIA   177 

AGITATOR    335 

AGNES    116 

AHOM    297 

AIKENS,  CHARLES  423 

AIRPLANT  170 

AIRSHAFT   170 

AIRTIGHT   170 

AJAK 300 

ALABAMA    STAKES 73,  97,  353,  463 

ALARIC   390 

ALARM 30,  9S,  102,  106,  114,  135,  173 

ALARUM    322 

ALBANIAN   231 

ALBANY    131 

ALBIA   114 

ALBINE    95,    96 

ALDEBARAN   460 

ALEMEDA   255 

ALEXANDER,  A.  J.. 30,  95,  96,  98,  104,  128,  168 

ALEXANDER,  DANIEL  358 

ALEXANDER,  ROBERT  A 36,  38,  41,  82 

85,  90,  94,  167,  168 

ALEXANDER  STAKES   107 

ALEXANDER,  T.  B 422 

ALEXANDER,  WILLIAM  T 269 

ALEXANDRE,  J.  HARRY  475 

ALGERIA  HANDICAP    HI,  223,  231 

ALGERIA  STUD. 51,  100,  112,  167,  173,  174,  400 

ALGERINE    174 

ALICE   CARNEAL 30,  65,    85 

ALICE  HAWTHORNE 95,197 

ALICIA  237 

ALL  AGED  STAKES 93,  127 


ALLEMDORF    

ALLEN,  DAVID  .... 
ALLEN,  DUDLEY  .. 
ALLEN  HANDICAP 
ALLEN,  JOHN 


36 

361 

366 

140 

59 

ALLEN,  MATTHEW   337,  349,  418 

ALLERTON,  ISAAC 15 

ALL-HANDS-AROUND    1(4 

ALLIE  HUNT  107 

ALMONT   342 

ALMY    231 

AL  ORTH  249 

ALSTON,    WM 20,  27,  28,  80,  269,  270,  451 

ALTONWOOD  PARK   306 

AMAZON    ISl,  210,  224 

AMBROSE   99,  115 


AMBULANCE   245,  246 

AMEER   307,  322 

AMERICAN     AND     ENGLISH     TURF, 
DIFFERENCES   BETWEEN  THE...  119 

AMERICAN  DERBY   91,169,479 

AMERICAN  ECLIPSE... 21,  30,  31,  34,  59,  60 
61,  68,  79,  80,  91,  98,  166,  274,  275,  276,  277,  370 
459 

AMERICAN        HORSE        EXCHANGE, 
LIMITED    262,  263,  264,  265,  266 

AMERICAN  HORSES  IN  ENGLAND...  121 
122,  125 

AMERICAN  JOCKEY  CLUB,.. 44,  45,  47,  49 
50,  134,  135,  136,  137,  138,  141,  142,  274,  275 
276,  277,  279,  435,  444,  446,  459,  462,  463,  464 
4C5,  466,  467,  471,  475 

AMERICAN  JOCKEYS   370 

AMERICAN  JOCKEYS  ON  THE  ENG- 
LISH  TURF 370,  373,  375 

AMERICAN  THOROUGHBREDS    79 

AM.  THOROUGHBREDS,  EARLY  NA- 
TIVE    26,27,28,    29 

AMERICAN     THOROUGHBREDS     ON 
THE  ENGLISH  TURF 84,  88,    94 

AMERICAN  TURF  CONGRESS,  THE...  144 
156,  158,  243 

AMERICAN  TURF,  EARLY  DAYS  OF.  IS 
32 

AMERICAN  TURF,   ENGLISH   DISRE- 
GARD OF   121 

AMERICAN    TURF,    ENGLISH    JOCK- 
EYS ON 371,  407,  408,  410,  418 

AMERICAN    TURF,    ENGLISH    OPIN- 
IONS  OF 119 

AMERICAN  TURF   IN   NINETEENTH 
CENTURY    26 

AMERICAN    TURF,    IRISH    JOCKEYS 
ON    388,  403,  411,  413,  415 

AMERICAN  TURFMEN,  FAMOUS... 32,  33 
36,  38,  39,  46,  50,  59,  60,  61,  62,  63,  133,  144 
161,  217,  229,  235,  243,  249,  253,  259,   263,  269 

274,  280,  451,  453,  460,  461,  464,  469,  471,  479 
AMERICAN      TURFMEN      IN       ENG- 
LAND    119,  148 

AMERICAN  TURFMEN  IN  EUROPE..  119 

275,  277,  278,  280 

AMERICAN    TURF    REGISTER    AND 

SPORTING  MAGAZINE,  THE 42 

AMERICUS    130 

AMUS    338 

ANACONDA  RACING  ASSOCIATION..  158 

ANDERSON,  GEORGE  B 414 

ANDREW    86 

ANDREWETTA   27,    68 

ANDROUS,    S.    N 157,479 

ANDY  WOODWARD  355 

ANN   CLARK- 41 

ANNETTE    52 

ANN  FIEF   168 

ANNIE  BUSH   101 

ANNIE  F 109 

ANNIE  G 303 

ANNIE  QUEEN    477 

ANNIESWOOD  STABLE 135 

ANNISETTE  322 

ANNUAL   SWEEPSTAKES... 93,  104,  274,  465 

ANTICIPATION  STAKES   Ill 

ANTI-POOL  LEGISLATION   56 

ANTONIDUS,  WILLIAM  H 237 

APOLLO    19,    77 

APPLEBY,   LUCIEN   0..228,  229,  230,  231,  232 

233,  234,  331,  381,  434 
APPLEGATE  116 


APPLEGATE  BROS 33G 

APPLEGATE,  WILLIAM    E 353.426,432 

APPLEGATE,   W.   E.,  JR 422 

APPLEGATE  &  McMEEKEN 169 

AQUEDUCT  COURSE 156,  157,  437,  478 

ARAB    77 

ARABIAN     HORSE,     BREEDING     EX- 
PERIMENT      165 

ARABIAN      HORSE      INFERIOR      TO 

THOROUGHBRED    165 

ARABIAN   HORSES    11,12,13,14,164 

ARAMIS   83 

ARANZA    125,  139,  177 

ARANCARIA    99,  115 

ARBITRATOR    113 

ARCHDUKE   22 

ARCHER,  FRED 125,  369 

AHCOLA  135 

ARGALL,  CAPTAIN  15 

ARGYLL    21,    28 

ARIA   237,  240 

ARIEL    26,  35,  60.  61,  79.  80,  166,  379 

ARIETTA    79 

ARISTIDES    ..30,  46,  47,  49,  77,  78,  89,  104,  106 
465 

ARISTOCRAT   125,  126 

ARISTOTLE    19 

ARIZONA   353 

ARLINGTON,  LORD  102 

ARLINGTON  STAKES  110 

ARLINGTON  TRACK   446 

ARMISTEAD,  JOHN   269 

ARMY  AND  NAVY  STAKES 231 

ARNETT,  WILLIAM   401 

ARNICA   226 

ARROW   ,35,  65,  84,  85,  86,    87 

ARROWGRASS    255,  256 

ARROW  STAKES   223 

ARTILLERY   84 

ARVERNE  STAKES   478 

ASCOT  DERBY    87 

ASCOT  GOLD  CUP 89,  105,  125,  127,  128 

ASCOT   STAKES    99 

ASHE,  PORTER  402,  405,  408,  477 

ASHLAND  FARM  30 

ASH  LEAF  204- 

ASHWOOD   STUD   96 

ASSIGNEE   383 

ASSOCIATION  COURSE  44 

ASSOCIATION  PURSE  84,    87 

ASSOCIATION  STAKES  121 

ASTEROID    43,  85,  90,  91,  142,  168,  465 

ASTOR,  HENRY   23 

ASTOR,  WILLIAM   ....50,  51,  53,  174,  177,  301 
334,  347,  444 

ASTOR,  JOHN  JACOB 227 

ASTORIA    261 

ASTRAKHAN  246 

ATALANTA    35,    62 

ATHELESTANE  253 

ATHENS  STAKES   411 

ATHLEEN 170 

ATLANTA  COURSE  3S 

ATLANTA  JOCKEY  CLUB 38 

ATLANTIC   354 

ATLANTIC  STAKES   97,  111,  223 

ATOSSAL    130 

ATTILA    52.  170,  173 

AUBURNDALE  STABLE  362 

AUGUST  STAKES  104,  278,  469 

AULL,   ROBERT   158 

AUNT  BETSEY  78 

AUNT  JANE  417 


483 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


AURELIA   174 

AURELIAN   356 

AURICOMA  172 

AUSTRALIA   30 

AUSTRALIAN... 43,  49,  53,  89,  98,  105,  164,  166 

168 
AUSTRALIAN   STALLIONS,    IMPORT- 
ED     176 

AUSTRALIND   53 

AUTOCRAT  28 

AUTUMN    303 

AUTUMN  CUP  101 

AUTUMN  SERIALS,  THE 478 

AUTUMN  STAKES  109,  223,  474 

AVALANCHE    41 

AVALON   313 

AVERAGE  STAKES   231 

AVERY   -: 255 

AYRSHIRE  114 

AYRSHIRE  ROSE  204 

AZRA  77,  114.  169 

AZRAEL  255 

AZRAEL  &  LOGAN  338 


BABCOCK,  W.   R 337,  343,  371,  461 

BABCOCK  STABLE  312 

BABRAHAM    19,    20 

BABTA    92,  171,  175 

BABY  BILL  411 

BABYLON   121,  122,  123 

BACON,  B.  G 364,  461 

BACON,   THOMAS   G 38,    45 

BADEN  BADEN  31,    77 

BADEN  BADEN  HANDICAP   97 

BADEN  STABLE  406 

BADGE  50,  76,  109,  313,  414 

BADGER,  BELA  61 

BAGDAD    31 

BAILEY,  E.  C 343 

BAILIE  PEYTON  STAKES 94,  107 

BALDWIN,  DAVID  345 

BALDWIN,  E.  J.. 46,  48,  49,  50,  94,  138,  175,  177 
347,  348,  356,  373,  390,  394,  398,  409,  423,  472 

BALGOWAN   245 

BALLANKEEL    52 

BALLARD,   CHARLES  A 379 

BALLOON    31,  37,  116,  169 

BALLSTON   406 

BALROWNIE    41,  173,  175 

BALSAM  FIR  195 

BALTIC    84 

BALTIMORE  CUP  73,  94,  100,  108,  353 

BALTIMORE,  LORD 20 

BANCROFT   243 

BANDANA   195 

BAN  FOX  31,  49,  53,  176 

BANKRUPT    90,  255 

BANNER   101 

BANNERET  53 

BANQUET    75,  78,  100,  112,  129,  131,  174 

BARBOUR,  JOHN  S 453 

BARCALDINE   195 

BARCAMEER   195 

BARCLAY,  GEORGE  31 

■  BAREFOOT  28,  30,  39,  119,  276,  459 

BARNARD,  H.  0 313,  376 

BARNEGAT  STAKES   90,  108,  116 

BARONESS    109 

BARR  &  CO 347 

BARRETT  101 

BARRETT,  BILLY  371 

BARRETT,  JOHN    361 

BARRETT,  JOHN    F 417 

BARRETT,  THOMAS   F 334,  379,  417 

BARRETT,  WILLIAM  H 345 

BARRICADE   53 

EARRICK,  WM.  M...281,  282,  358,  363,  366,  405 

BARRIE  POT  353 

BARTOW  STAKES  Ill 

BARRY,  REDMOND  D 31 


BARTON,  H.  E 38,    67 

BASCOMBE  370 

BASCOMBE  COURSE  38 

BASHAW   18 

BASHFORD  MANOR  STABLE 394,  411 

BASHFORD  MANOR  STUD 169 

BASS,  HENRY  350 

BASSETLAW    261 

BASSETT,  HARRY 435 

BASSETT,  O.  M 461 

BASSINETTE   172 

BATCHELOR  330 

BATES,  TYREE  30 

BATHAMPTON  187,  183 

BATH  COURSE   79 

BATHGATE  84 

BATHGATE,   ALEXANDER 276 

BATHGATE,  CHARLES  W 276,  461,  464 

BATHGATE,  JAMES    .' 276 

BATHGATE,  J.  &  A 87 

BATTERY  398 

BATTHYANY,  COUNT 123 

BAUER,  JULIUS 283 

BAXTER,  WILLIAM   275 

BAYARD,  THOMAS   464 

BAY  BUSH  53 

BAY  EAGLE  124 

BAY  FINAL   124 

BAY  FLOWER 41,  100 

BAY  MARIA  166 

BAYONET  465 

BAY  RIDGE  HANDICAP 346,  474 

BAYSIDE  STAKES   363 

BAYSWATER  175 

BEACH  STAKES  108 

BEACON  COURSE  457 

BEACONSFIELD,  LORD  369 

BEATITUDE    243,  246 

BEARD,  FRANCIS  D....110,  282,  339,  350,  393 
406,  411 

BEARD,  JOHN  R 110,  282 

BEARDSLEY,  EDWARD  363 

BEATTY,  JAMES  422 

BEAUCATCHER    214 

BEAUMINER   99 

BEAUREGARD,  P.  G.  T 134 

BEALTTY    210 

BEAVER  POND  COURSE  456 

BECK,  JAMES  B 102 

BEDFORD    21 

BEDFORD,  DUKE  OF  140 

BEDFORD  STAKES 128,  478 

BEECHER,  W 335 

BEEKMAN    351 

BELANGER,    F 422 

BELCHER,  JOHN 66 

BELGIUM,   KING  OF 87 

BELINDA    92,  181,  190,  208,  223 

BELISAMA   129,  130 

BELL  &  KIMBERLY 315 

BELLA   173,  221 

BELLA  B 77,  408 

BELLADONNA  227 

BELL  AIR  FARM 101 

BELLEGARDE    226 

BELLE  MEADE   129 

BELLE  MEADE  STAKES  106,  478 

BELLE  MEADE  STUD.. 30,  53,  84,  91,  93,  100 
101,  162,  169;  170,  181 

BELLE  OF  BUTTE  213 

BELLE  OF  SCOTLAND    193 

BELLE  OF  MAYWOOD   115,  174 

BELLE  OF  THE  MEADE    46 

BELLES  STAKES   224 

BELLEW,  ALBERT  404 

BELLEW,  H.  D 404 

BELLOVESUS   206 

BELMAR    75,  297 

BELMONT,  AUGUST,  JR.. 50,  56,  57,  130,  131 
143,  144,  145,  146,  147,  156,  157,  161,  224,  225 
226,  227,  263,  375,  390,  395,  396,  435,  443 


BELMONT,  AUGUST.... 31,  46,  50,  51,  53,  74 
90,  92,  100,  109,  110,  134,  135,  136,  137,  161,  170 
181,  195,  207,  208,  216,  231,  243,  261,  274,  279 
280,  282,  301,  303,  313,  323,  331,  334,  348,  354 
355,  362,  376,  378,  395,  408,  414,  435,  461,  464 
469 
BELMONT,  OLIVER  H.  P.. 50,  144,  224,  227 
303 

BELMONT,    PERRY 50,  143,  144,  224,  227 

BELMONT  STAKES.... 73,  89,  96,  101,  103,  108 
110,  115,  176,  181,  231,  246,  276,  278,  304,  356 
370,  478 

BELSHAZZAR   88 

BELVEDERE  169 

BEN  ALI 49,  74,  77,  176 

BEN    BRUSH. .75,  77,  100,  114,  255,  256,  316,  357 

BEND    OR 78,  113,  128,  163,  197,  201,  204 

BEN  EDER   338 

BENEFACTRESS   206 

BEN   HOLLADAY 78,  476 

BENJAMIN    53 

BENNETT,  J.  A 363,  382,  3S7 

BENNETT,  JAMES  GORDON    464 

BENNETT,  JAMES  GORDON,   JR... 135,  475 

BENNETT  &  CO 472 

BENNINGS  COURSE   157,453 

BEN  RONALD   400 

BENTINCK         MEMORIAL         PLATE 

HANDICAP  123,  130 

BERESFORD,  LORD  WILLIAM 130,  131 

BERGEN,   MARTIN 74,  237 

BERNA   415 

BERRY,  SIDNEY  382 

BERRY,  T.   M 335,359 

BERSAN   256 

BERTRAND    30,38,    91 

BERYL    130 

BERZAK 130 

BESIKA    114 

BESSEMER   324 

BEST  TIME  RECORDS 77,  476,  479 

BETSEY  RANSOM 35,  60,  61,    80 

BETSEY  RICHARDS 35 

BETTIE  WARD   69 

BETTING    295 

BETTING,  A  TURF  NECESSITY.... 421,  430 
432 

BETTING,  LEGAL  STATUS  OF 424 

BETTING  METHODS,  REFORM  IN....  421 
BETTING,  WINNINGS  FROM.. 297,  423,  424 
426 

BETTS,  THOMAS  ' 87 

BETTY  LEEDS  14 

BETTY  WARD   41 

BEVERLY,  W.  W 422 

BEVERWYCK  STABLE 374 

BEVERWYCK  STAKES 327 

BEVERWYCK  STEEPLECHASE 463 

BEVINS,   JAMES 301 

BIBELOT    172 

BICYCLING  AND  JOCKEYSHIP 391 

BIENNIAL    STAKES 130 

BIGLER,  JOHN 137 

BIG  SANDY   235 

BILLALI   325 

BILL  DILLON  302 

BILLET    30,  44,  104,  109,  110,  164,  168 

BILL  HOWARD 78 

BILLY    SHERMAN 329 

BIRD    339 

BIRD,  WILLIAM   358 

BIRDCATCHER    67,    90 

BISHOP,  JOHN  M' 442 

BISSICKS,   P.,  JR 157 

BITTER  ROOT  STAKES 322 

BITTER  ROOT  STOCK  FARM... 49,  167,  179 

BLACK  BESS  175 

BLACKBURN,   E.   M 82,277 

BLACKBURN  FARM 30 

BLACK    DUDE 364 

BLACKEY  237 


484 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


BLACK-EYED  SUSAN    79 

BLACK   HARRY 60 

BLACK   MARIA. ...21,  23.  27,  36,  52,  CI,  SO,    81 
106.  275,  370,  457 

BLAINE,  EMMONS  440 

BLAINE,  JAMES   G 440 

BLAINE,  WALKER  440 

BLAIR    ATHOL 127,  163.  193,  220 

BLAKE,  C.  W 439 

BLAKELY,  ANDREW 413 

BLAND,   JOHN 20 

BLANDONA    237 

BLAZES    338 

BLEMTON  STABLE 146,  225,  396 

BLESSING    246 

BLIZZARD    334 

BLONDE   87 

BLONDIN   II 130 

BLONDONE   41 

BLOOM  &  CO 414 

BLOOZEN    130 

BLOSSOM    20 

BLUE  BELL  115 

BLUE  DICK  370 

BLUE  GARTER  380 

BLUE  GRASS  REGION,  THE 166 

BLUE  GRASS  STAKES 73,  395 

BLUE  LODGE  101,  261 

BLUE  RIBBON  STAKES 107 

BLUE  STOCKING 278 

BLUE  WING  76,  363 

BLUMENTHAL,    MAX 422 

BLUNT,  H.  W 453 

BLUSTER    32,  169 

BOARD  OF  CONTROL,  THE... .142,  148,  152 

BOARD  OF  STEWARDS,  THE 145,  152 

BOASTER   31 

BOBADILLA    102,  256 

BOB   MILES 50,  90,  168,  169 

BOB   WADE 77 

BOB  WOOLLY 89 

BOGUS    78 

BOISE    195 

BOLERO    174,  261 

BOLTON  IS,    19 

BOLTON,  DUKE  OF  18,  273 

BOMBAZETTE    409 

BONADEA 285 

BON   AMI 354 

BONAVENTURE  46 

BOND'S   ECLIPSE 79 

BON  INO   308,  309 

BONITA    «,  122 

BONNER,   ROBERT   138 

BONNETS  O'BLUE 27,29,80,    82 

BONNEY,  BENJAMIN  W 137 

BONNIEFIELD    308 

BONNIE   KATE 112 

BONNIE  LASS  18 

BONNIE  LASSIE 39 

BONNIE  LEE 113 

BONNIE  SCOTLAND.... 46,  49,  84,  85,  92,  100 
101,  108,  169,  175 

BONNIE  WOOD 170 

BOOKER,  SAMUEL  T 363 

BOOKMAKER   125,  126 

BOOKMAKERS,  WINNINGS  OF. ...423,  424 
430 

BOOKMAKING    336,  421,  447,  448 

BOOKMAKING,  ATTRACTIONS  OF...  432 
BOOKMAKING,  BUSINESS  MEN  IN...  425 

428,  446 
BOOKMAKING,   ELEMENTS   OF  SUC- 
CESSFUL     423,  427,  428,  432 

BOOTBLACK    246 

BOOTH,  EDWIN 445 

BOOTH,  MORDECAI 20 

BOOTJACK    243 

BOOTMAKER    246 

BOOTS,    CHARLES 73 

BOREAS   124,  125 


BOSCAWEN   STAKES ^"^ 

BOSOUE  BONITA  STUD 89,  91,  169 

BOSTON.... 21,  26,  30,  35,  37,  52,  62,  63,  69,  81 
82,  84,  86,  166,  370 

BOSTONA  35 

BOTTOM  VS.  SPEED 120 

BOTTS,  JOHN  MINOR 68,  101,  277 

BOURBON   BELL 108 

BOULEVARD    STAKES WO 

BOUNDLESS    91,  114,  256 

BOUQUET    STAKES HO,  -378,  478 

BOURKE   COCHRAN 337 

BOWERS    51,  131 

BOWERS,  JOHN  M 144,  475 

BOWIE,    ODEN 46,  50,  352,  448,  461 

BOWIE   STAKES.. .73,  83,  96,  101,  104.  108,  468 

BOWIE  &  HALL 274,  468 

BOYLE,    CHARLES 308,  309,  343,  353 

BOYLE,   ROBERT  V 310,  311,  361 

BOYLE,    WILLIAM 362 

BRADAMANTE  78 

BRADBURY,    E 442 

BRADFORD,  JOHN  H...143,  145,  150,  151,  156 
157,  471,  473,  475 

BRADFORD,   WILLIAM 15 

BRADLEY,  J.  R 387 

BRADLEY,  O.  L 158 

BRADLEY,    R 357,  361,  377,  397,  412,  416 

BRADY,  JAMES  T 464 

BRADY,  P.  A 348 

BRADY,  W 335 

BRAKESPEARE  125 

BRAMBALETTA    473 

BRAMBLE    84,  94,  100,  108,  114,  255,  256 

BRANCH  &  DICKINSON 39 

BRATTON,   PETER 362 

BRAVE  HIMYAR 130 

BRAWNER'S   ECLIPSE 91 

BRAXTON,  CARTER 20 

BRAY,  FRANK  M 446 

BREAKFAST   STAKES 468 

BRECKINRIDGE,  JOHN  C 150 

BRECKINRIDGE   STAKES.. 106.  108,  246,  378 
BREEDERS  AND  BREEDING  ESTAB- 
LISHMENTS   161 

BREEDING,  ATTRACTIONS  OF 161 

BREEDING       EXPERIMENT       WITH 

ARABIANS   165 

BREEDING  ESTABLISHMENTS 301 

BREEDING  IN  KENTUCKY 29 

BREEDING  IN  TENNESSEE 31 

BREEDING  IN  THE  NORTH 166 

BREEDING,  THEORIES  OF..  .164,  166,  247 
249 

BREEDERS'   FUTURITY 255 

BREEDERS'    STAKES 115 

BRETLEY  NURSERY  HANDICAP 128 

BREWERS'         HANDICAP         SWEEP- 
STAKES      285 

BREWSTER,  JOHN  E 138,  356 

BRIBERY    169 

BRIDEGROOM  II 130 

BRIDGE  HANDICAP 109,  474 

BRIGANTINE    163 

BRIGHTON     BEACH    RACING    ASSO- 
CIATION  57,  156,  157,  313,  446,  462,  478 

BRIGHTON   CUP 94.  100,  478 

BRIGHT  PHCBBUS 75,  116 

BRILLIANT  ' SO 

BRIMMER    34 

BRITOMARTIS    210 

BRITTANIC    477 

BRITTON.   JOSEPH 424 

BROMLEY,  J.  E 283,  285 

BROMLEY  &  CO.... 282,  283,  284,  285,  286,  287 
288,  289,  290,  291,  292,  293,  294,  366,  374,  <.yi 
407 

BROMO  403 

BRONSON,   FREDERICK 227,  263 

BRONX    STAKES 223 

BROOKDALE  HANDICAP 108,  364,  478 


485 


BROOKDALE    STUD 30,  114,  134,  167,  170 

171,  172,  281,  463 

BROOKLYN    84 

BROOKLYN  CUP 478 

BROOKLYN   DERBY 108,  478 

BROOKLYN  JOCKEY  CLUB 57,  156,  157 

305,  434,  471,  478 
BROOKLYN   JOCKEY    CLUB    HANDI- 
CAP  69,   75,  76,  109,  110,  111,  113,  114,  115 

139,  281,  282,  297,  302,  313,  314,  324,  363,  373 
374,  394,  395,  478 

BROOKLYN    STABLES 463 

BROOKS,  J.  W 157 

BROTHER  TO   BASSETT 46,    96 

BROTHER  TO  MADGE 53 

BROWER,  FRED 422 

BROWN,  A.   D 313 

BROWN,  CHARLES  412 

BROWN  DICK 28,  35,  69,  87,    91 

BROWN,  EDWARD 256,  348,  409,  418 

BROWN  FOX 183 

BROWN,   FRANK 315 

BROWN,  H.  G 422 

BROWN,  J.  E 391 

BROWN,  JAMES  J 347 

BROWN,  JAMES  M 372,  392 

BROWN,  MEREDITH  339 

BROWN    PRINCE 124,  359 

BROWN,   SAMUEL  S 74,  144,  376,  386,  438 

BROWN,  T.  A 422 

BROWN,  WILLIAM 371 

BROWNING,  W 335 

BRUCE,  S.  D 319 

BRUSHY  MOUNTAIN   31 

BRUTUS   72 

BRYANT,  ANDREW  J 48 

BRYANT,  SAM'L 407 

BRYSON,  G.  B 347 

BUCCANEER  1.52,  163 

BUCEPHALUS    31,  451 

BUCHANAN    ; 77,    97 

BUCKDEN  30.  95,  106,  107,  135,'  164 

BUCKEYE  JOCKEY  CLUB 44 

BUCKTIE    312 

BUCKRA    336 

BUCKWA    78,  366 

BUFORD,  ABE 30,  89.  91,  96,  169,  275 

BULLFlELD  STUD 101 

BULLY  ROCK 18 

BUNBURY,  SIR  CHARLES 127 

BUNDLE  AND  GO 88 

BURGER,  R 396 

BURGESS,  ERASTUS 353 

BURCH,  W.   P 303,  357,  380,  448,  471,  472 

BURIAL  PLACES  OF  NOTED  HORSES.  30 
31 

BURKE,   EDWARD 422 

BURKE,   JOHN  JOSEPH. ..  .156,  157,  158,  463 

BURKE,  S.  J 422 

BURLESQUE   324 

BURLEW,    FRED 340 

BURN,   JAMES    451 

BURNHAM,   A 473 

BURNS,  D.  M 157,  479 

BURNS   HANDICAP 326 

BURNS  &  WATERHOUSE..313,  384,  385,  396 

399,  402,  41S 
BURRIDGE    BROTHERS.... 331,  352,  359,  365 
401,  408 

BURWELL  STAKES 127 

BUSH,  C.  S 157 

BUSHMAN  53 

BUSH   MESSENGER 23 

BUSH,   PHILO   C 23,39,    41 

BUSHWHACKER    50,  84,  101 

BUSINESS    107 

BUSINESS  MEN  OF  THE  TURF... 229,  318 

BUSINESS  SIDE  OF  THE  TURF 51 

BUSINESS      TRAINING      OF      BOOK- 
MAKERS     425,  433,  446 

EUSIRIS  80 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


BUSSORAH    28 

BUSTEED    245 

BUTLER,  JOSEPH 24 

BUTLER,  LAWRENCE 269 

BUTTERFIELD,  DANIEL 475 

BUTTERFLY    211 

BUTTERMERE  ....; 199 

BUTTERNUT  VALLEY  STOCK  FARM.  330 

BUZZARD    32,    SO 

BYERLY,  CAPTAIN  13 

BYERLY   TURK 13,    14 

BY   JOVE 428 

BYRD,    WILLIAM 19,  20,  269,  273,  274 

BYRNES,    MATTHEW... 179,  301,  395,  415,  463 


CACHUCA  168 

CADILLAC  HOTEL  STAKES 377 

CADENCE  172 

CADET  STAKES 114 

CAIRNGORME    lOS 

CAIRO  STAKES HI 

CALCUTTA    104 

CALDWELL,  JAMES   F 335,  338,  422,  437 

CALEDONIA   255,  256 

CALIFORNIA    138 

CALIFORNIA  ANNUAL   STAKES 342 

CALIFORNIA  JOCKEY   CLUB... 58,  157,  479 
CALIFORNIA   JOCKEYS. ..  .381,  3S9,  402,  405 

CALIFORNIA  RACING 4S,  479 

CALIFORNIA  STOCK  FARMS 48,  175 

CALIFORNIA    TURF 94,  175 

CALIFORNIA  TURFMEN  49,  326,  342 

CALISTA   20 

CALLAHAN,   E.  J 422 

CALTHORPE,  LORD 140 

CAMBRIDGESHIRE   STAKES.  ..125,  128,  173 

CAMDEN  STAKES 110.  117 

CAMERON,  R.  W..89,  92,  135,  171,  174,  175,  468 

CAMILLA   116 

CAMOTOP    341 

CAMPAU,  D.  J 158 

CAMPBELL,   E.   J 418 

CAMPBELL,  HARDY  ALONZO 316 

CAMPBELL,  JOHN 300,  347 

CAMPBELL,   COL.   JOHN... 38,  39,  41,  86,  372 

418 
451 
15S 
67 
321 
374 


.39, 


CAMPBELL,  J.   S 

CAMPBELL,    L 

CAMPBELL.  P.  M 

CAMPBELL  &  BARTON 

CAMPBELL  &  HANKINS 

CAMPBELL  &   NOLAN 

CANADIAN   JOCKEYS.. 380,  381,  396,  410,  418 

CANADIAN  TURF.  THE 308,  328 

CANARSIE  STAKES 478 

CANARY    BIRD 96 

CANDELABR.V   322 

CANDLEMAS    102.  176.  261 

CANFIELD,   R.   A 422 

CANNIE    BAIRN 135 

CANTERBURY  DERBY 176 

CANTWELL,  J.  J 351 

CAPE   MAY    HANDICAP 109.223,237 

CAPITOi^A    84,  96,  131 

CAPITOL  STAKES  110,  363 

CAPTAIN   BEARD 278 

CAPTAIN    KIDD 352 

CAPTAIN   SPENCER 354 

CARDINAL   McCLOSKEY 105 

CARINA   177 

CARINO    225 

CARLETON    STAKES 364 

CARLIN,  GEORGE  H 422 

CARMEN    221 

CARMICHAEL,  H.   A 179 

CARMODY,  JOHN  T 329 

CARNATION    231 

'ARNIVAL  STAKES 183 

CARNOT    223 

CAROLINE   106,  269 

CAROLINE  KINNEY   386 


CARR,  J.  C 444 

CARR,  LUTHER 366 

CARROLL,  J.  J 363,  416 

CARROLL,    WILLIAM 321 

CARRUTHERS,  ROY 282 

CARTER,  ARTHUR 360 

CARTER,  C.  L 445 

CARTER,   DOUGLAS 361 

CARTER,   EDWARD 269 

CARTER,   FRED 414 

CARTER  HANDICAP 399,  478 

CARTER,  T.  D 417 

CARTERET  HANDICAP 181 

CASCADE   172 

CASSATT,  ALEXANDER  J.. ..74,  144,  282,  323 
331,  357,  407,  408 

CASSETTE  237,  405 

CASSIUS   74,  374 

CASTALIA   172 

CASTANIA  172 

CASTAWAY  II 76,  109,  281,  282,  313 

CASTLE  STABLE 335 

CATESBY    166 

CATO    64 

CAVALIER  174 

CAVALRY    HORSES    OF    THE    CIVIL 

WAR   162 

CAVANAGH,  JOHN   G 434 

CENSOR    135,  173,  459 

CENTENNIAL   STAKES 100 

CENTER,   ROBERT 473 

CENTRAL   COURSE 38,    SO 

CESAREWITCH  STAKES 89,  122,  145,  128 

CHALLENGE    CUP 69 

CHAMANT    99,  100,  106,  164 

CHAMANT  STUD 99 

CHAMBERLAIN.  JOHN   F 469 

CHAMPAGNE    STAKES.. 73,  109,  111,  245,  478 

CHAMPION   127 

CHAMPiON  STAKES 89,  96,  100,  101,  108 

CHAMPIONS,  EARLY  AMERICAN 79 

CHAMPIONS,   FAMOUS  MODERN 99 

CHANCE   48,  246 

CHANDLER,  GEORGE 350 

CHANLER,  W.  A 303,  356 

CHANT    77,  256 

CHAOS    76,  100,  174 

CHAPIN,   C.   W 337 

CHARADE    364,  379,  406 

CHARAXUS 379 

CHARLES  ROSE 429 

CH.ARLESTON   3S,  67,  68,  86,  122,  169 

CHARLESTON   COURSE 39,  140 

CHARLESTON  JOCKEY  CLUB 45 

CHARLIE  BALL 39 

CHARLIE  HOWARD 96 

CHATEAU    397 

CH.ATEAU    MARGAUX 119 

CHATHAM 378 

CHATTAHOOCHE  COURSE 38,    67 

CH  ^TTANOOGA   349 

CHEATHAM,   B.  F 38 

CHEATHAjd,  W.  T 38 

CHECKMATE    16S,  323 

CHELMSFORD  NURSERY  HANDIC'P.  102 

CHEROKEE   124,  125 

CHERRY   196 

CHERRY   DIAMOND  HANDICAP 402 

chesapeakf:  S3, 303 

CHESAPEAKE   STAKES 73 

CHESHIRE  HANDICAP 125 

CHESTERBROOK   STABLE 463 

CHESTER  CUP 89 

CHESTERFIELD  105 

CHESTERFIELD   CUP 102 

CHESTERFIELD   HANDICAP 122 

CHESTERFIELD  STAKES 89,  126 

CHESTNUT  HILL  FARM 301 

CHESTNUT  HILL  STAKES 110 

CHEVIOT    170,  176 

CHEYENNE  CLUB  CUP 865 


CHIC 

CHICAGO    DERBY 114,  312, 

CHICAGO  FAIR  GROUNDS  ASSOCIA- 
TION     

CHICAGO  RACING  ASSOCIATION.. 56, 

CHICAGO   STABLE 395, 

CHICAGO  STAKES 

CHICKASAW  JOCKEY  CLUB 44, 

CHICKORY   

CHILDE  HAROLD 86, 

CHILDERS    19,  20, 

CHILLICOTHE    

CHILTON,   B.  A 157, 

CHIMES    

CHINN,  C 

CHINN,  J.   P 

CHINN,  P.  T 

CHINN  &  MORGAN 105, 

CHINOOK  

CHOCTAW  

CHOICE    STAKES 

CHORISTER  

CHRISTIE,  J.  D 

CHRISTMAS    HANDICAP 

CHRISTMAS  TREE 

CHRISTY,   LEE 366, 

CHURCH  AND  THE  TURF 

CICELY  HACKETT  

CICERO    

CICILY,  JOPSON 

CINCINNATI    

CINCINNATI    HOTEL   STAKES 100, 

CINCINNATI  JOCKEY  CLUB 158, 

CINCINNATI  LIVE  STOCK  AND 
DRIVING  PARK  COMPANY 

CINCINNATUS   

CITADEL    

CITIZEN  

CITIZENS'  PLATE 

CITIZENS'  STAKES 

CITY  AND  SUBURBAN 125.  126,  128, 

CITY  STAKES 

CIVIL  SERVICE  

CIVIL  WAR,  AND  THE  TURF 

CIVIL  WAR,  CAVALRY  HORSES  OF 
THE   

CIVIL  WAR,  RACING  IN  KENTUCKY. 

CLABAUGH,  E.  A 46, 

CLABAUGH  MEMORIAL  STAKES 

CLANCY,   MICHAEL 

CLARA   116,  181, 

CLARA   FISHER 

CLARE,   JAMES 

CLARE,   ROBERT 

CLAREMONT  HIGH  WEIGHT  HANDI- 
CAP     

CLARENDON    116,  169,  224, 

CLARENDON  HOTEL  STAKES 

CLARET    STAKES 

CLARION   

CLARK,  JOHN  A 

CLARK,    M.   LEWIS 155,  156, 

CLARK,    SHERIDAN 

CLARK  STAKES .'95,  107, 

CLARKE,  FRANK  T 

CLARKE,    JOHN 

CLASON,  AUGUSTUS... 144,  235,  236,  237, 
239,  240,  241,  405 

CLAY,   E.   F 

CLAY,  HENRY 29.  30,  63,  169, 

CLAY,  JAMES   B.,  JR 

CLAY,  JAMES  M 

CLAY,  JOHN  M..36,  69,  82,  86,  90,  168,  169, 

CLAY,  MRS.  JOHN  M 30,  31, 

CLAY   PATE 

CLAY  &  WOODFORD 161, 

CLAYTON,  ALONZO 

CLEARWELL    STAKES 

CLEODORA  

CLEVELAND,  DUKE  OF 

CLEVELAND  STAKES 


409 
356 


56 
158 


454 
249 
169 
31 
52 
463 
245 
422 
422 
412 
383 
130 
129 
115 
148 
411 
408 
227 
387 
33 
193 
411 
105 
123 
255 
243 

15S 

33 

92 

86 

100 

463 

142 

92 

37S 

40 

162 
455 

50 
105 
332 
207 

27 
446 
398 

381 

334 

97 

87 

62 

359 

157 

157 

114 

435 

16 

238 

158 
277 
102 

29 
460 
169 
255 
168 
394 
100 
206 

82 
123 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


CLIFI'ORI)   75,  76,  77,  ill,  100,  254,  256,  406 

CLIFTON   STUD S9,  92,  174 

CLIMAX   265 

CLOSE-TIIE-DOOR   200 

CLOVER    227 

CLOVER   STAKES 223 

CLOYD,  WILLIAM  N 365 

CLUB  MEMBERS'  HANDICAP 285 

CLUB  PURSE   272 

CLYDE,  B.  F.  &  WILLIAM  P 352 

COACHING  CLUB,  THE 467 

COCHRANE,   JAMES 335 

COCKADE  322 

COCKBURN,  A 130 

COCKS,  JOHN  G 3S,    66 

CCEUR   DE  LION 31,    32 

COFFIN,  J.  R 473 

COFFIN  &  LAWRENCE 142 

COHEN,  SIGMUND 447 

COHEN  &  CO 332 

COLDEN,   CADWALADER   R 42 

COLEMAN,  JOHN  B 422 

COLEMAN,  MICHAEL  A 337 

COLES,   NATHANIEL 79 

COLLIER  SO 

COLLINS,  J.    B 332,  366 

COLLINS,    RICHARD 363 

COLONEL  ELLINGER 336 

COLONIAL   HORSES 15,    16 

COLONIAL  RACE  COURSES 451 

COLONIAL  RACE,  DESCRIPTION  OF.    17 
IS,  20 

COLONIAL   RACING  CENTRES 451 

COLOSSUS   36 

COLSTON,    HENRY 414 

COLT,  E.  BOUDINOT 274,  469 

COLT,  J.  W 33S 

COLT  AND  FILLY  STAKES 106,  107 

COLT  STAKES 106 

COLTON  69,  177 

COLUMBIA    STABLES 354 

COLUMBIA  STAKES 100 

COLUMBUS,    CHRISTOPHER 14 

COLUMBUS  HANDICAP 395 

COLUMBUS  JOCKEY  CLUB 47 

COMET    31,  271 

COME  TO  TAW US 

COMMERCE    271 

COMPARATIVE  STAKES 183,  469 

COMSTOCK,    ANTHONY 56 

CONCORD    300 

CONEY  ISLAND  CUP... 101,  104,  107,  108,  473 

474 
CONEY  ISLAND  DERBY..  ..108,  223,  473,  474 
CONEY  ISLAND  HANDICAP..  ..93,  224,  318 
351,  473 

CONEY  ISLAND  JOCKEY  CLUB 49,  57 

..,  75,  135,  141,  142,  143,  150,  153,  154,  156,  157 
435,  472,  473,  474,  475 

CONGAREE  95 

CONGAREE  COURSE 38 

CONGRESS  HALL  STAKES 364,  463 

CONKLIN   255 

CON   LUCY 354 

CONNOISSEUR  309 

CONNELLY,   JOHN 415 

CONNOLLY,    TOM 113 

CONNOR,  WILLIAM  M 45,  471,  473 

CONNOR,  W.  J 422 

CONOVER,   S.   C 337,358 

CONSTABLE,   WILLIAM' 79 

CONSTITUTION  32 

CONTEMPORANEOUS   JOCKEYS 371 

CONTEMPORANEOUS      THOROUGH- 
BREDS      109 

CONTINENTAL  HOTEL  STAKES... 91,  102 

CONTROL   STAKES HI 

COOK,  J 350 

COOPER,  ALBERT, 334,  349,  356,  365 

COPYRIGHT    171 

CORA    173 


CORAL    lOS 

CORBIN,  AUSTIN 134 

CORBYN,  FRANCIS  P 29 

CORDELIA  REED 86 

CORINNE  SS 

CORNEIILSEN,    C 406 

CORNWALLIS,   LORD 24 

CORRECTION    91,  106,  112 

CORRIGAN,   EDWARD. ..74,  100,  282,  338,  348 

353,  390,  413,  415,  417,  41S,  43S,  479 

CORSICAN    465 

COSTER,  CHARLES  R 458 

COSTER,  HENRY'  A 458 

COSTER,  J.  H 141,  142,  473 

COTRILL,   WILLIAM.... 363 

COTTON    STAKES 394 

COULTER,  T.  W 340 

COUNT 357 

COUNTER   TENOR 300,  395 

COUNTESS    166 

COUNTESS  THERRY   195 

COUNTY  CLUB  HANDICAP 112,  115 

COVINGTON  &  KENT 398 

COWAN,  FRED   433 

COWAN,  WILLIAM  H 422 

COX,  TOWNSEND  23,  269 

COYLE,  JOHN   L 405 

COYLIE,  JOHN  T 399 

COZIER,   WILLIAM   C 157 

CRACKSMAN    245 

CRAIG,  JOHN   C 61 

CRANE,   GIL 370,  371 

CRAVEN,  E.  &  A 388 

CRAWFORD    PLATE 129 

CREMORNE    163 

CRESCENT  CITY  JOCKEY  CLUB.. .103,  157 

CRESSID    -. 249 

CRICKMORE    97,  101,  166 

CRICKMORE,  H.  G 157 

CRIDGE   &   CO 336 

CRINOLINE  39 

CRIPPLE   103 

CRISIS    195 

CRITERION  STAKES 107,  181,  245,  469 

CRITTENDEN,  JOHN  JAY 63 

CROCKER,  HENRY  J 157,479 

CROCUS    337 

CROFT.  THOMAS 445 

CROFTS    59 

CROKER    208 

CROKER,  EDWARD 422 

CROKER,    RICHARD,... HI,  112,  129,  130,  131 

170,  316,  375,  378 

CROKER  &  DWYER 112,  129,  375 

CROSBY,  J.  M 410 

CROSS,   W.  F 404 

CROTON  HANDICAP 223 

CROUCHEN,  WILLIAM  H 422 

CROUSE,  D.  J 72,  461 

CROWELL,   JOHN 61,    62 

CRUCIFIX   163 

CRUTCH  214 

CRYER,  HARDY  M 33 

CUB   19 

CUMBERLAND    31 

CUMBERLAND   STAKES 353 

CUPBEARER   34 

CUPID  306 

CURT  GUNN    245,  246 

CYCLONE   41,  320 

CYCLOPS    109,  376,  440 

CYGNET    451 

CYNOSURE   171 

CZAR  .39 

DACOTAH  II 129 

DAGONET    297 

DAHLMAN    448 

DAHLMAN,    ISAAC 348,  349 

DAILY  AMERICA 75,  245 

487 


DAISY  STAKES  364 

DAISY   WOODRUFF 256 

DALLAS    67,    68 

DALNACARDOCH   30 

DALY,   JOHN 281,  323,  381,  418,  422 

DALY,   MARCUS.. 49,  50,  113,  179,  281,  301,  312. 
334,  374,  376,  378,  393,  438 

DALY,   MICHAEL 385 

DALY,  WILLIAM  C 280,  317,  340,  357,  360 

361,  376,  377,  378,  381,  385,  402,  403,  408,  409 
414,  418,  438 

DALY    BROTHERS 472 

DAMIEN    389 

DAMSEL  129 

DAMSEL  II '. 131 

DANAHER,   M 415 

DANAHER,  T 412 

DANDELION  309 

DANFORTH    283 

DANGEROUS   72,  460 

DANGU    STUD 53,  99,  105,  173 

DANICHEFF    92 

DANIEL   BOONE 36,  95,  107,  165 

DANIEL,  JOSEPH  PI 48,  435 

D'ARCY,  E.  A 61 

DARDEN,  GEORGE  W.. 139 

DAREBIN  176 

DAREDEVIL    451 

DARGON,  HAYDEN 422 

DARLEY    85 

DARLEY    ARABIAN 13,  14,  21,  165 

DAVE  DOUGLAS 78 

DAVEY,  JAMES  W 422 

DAVID    II 115,  130 

DAVIS  BROTHERS  280 

DAVIS,  GEORGE  350 

DAVIS,  JAMES 311,  352,  358 

DAVIS,   ROBERT  H 422 

DAVIS,  T.   B 303 

DAVIS,  WILLIAM 347 

DAVIS  &  HALL 303,  414 

DAWES,  J.  P 337,  355!  415 

DAWSON,    MATTHEW 323   331 

DAY,  JOHN 369 

DAY  BOAT  LINE  STAKES 97,  107 

DAY  STAR  77   130 

DEAL   .'336 

DE.ATHS   OF  THOROUGHBREDS 31 

DE  BRACY 90 

DECADENT  TURF  PERIOD 36 

DE  CAMP,  DANIEL 253 

DECAPOD  33S 

DECKER,   ORSON  J 35] 

DEFAULTER  90 

DEFENDER    70,  40] 

DE  LANCEY,  JAMES 20,'  269 

DE     LE     GRANGE,      COUNT      FRED- 
ERICK     99,  105,  127 

DE  LONG,  J 332,  343,  366,  412 

DELPI-IINE   271 

DENISON  &  CRAWFORD 435,  468 

DERBY,  ENGLISH.... S2,  S9,  100,  102,  107,  108 
114,  119,  123,  124,  125,  126,  127,  133,  177,  369 
435,  473 
DERBY,    ENGLISPL     WON    BY    FOR- 
EIGNERS    127 

DERBY,     ENGLISH,     WON    BY    IRO- 
QUOIS            127 

DERBY  SWEEPSTAKES 90 

DERBY  WINNERS,  ENGLISH 102,  114 

DERBY  WINNERS   IN  THE   UNITED 

STATES    22 

DES   CHILES [[  123 

DE    SOTO 129 

DE   SOTO,   FERDINAND 14 

DE  SOTO  STABLES 429 

DE  TRAGI,  MARQUIS '  15 

DETROIT  DERBY 395 

DETROIT  JOCKEY  CLUB 158,  422 

DE  VACA,  CABEf.V 14 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


DEVONSHIRE  NURSERY  HANDICAP.  193 

202 

DEVOTEE  256 

DEWDROP    168,  301 

DEWHURST    PLATE 99,  102 

DEXTER  PARK  COURSE 479 

DIABLO    76,  109,  2S2,  374 

DIADEM    231 

DIAKKA    129 

DIAMOND   STABLE 343 

DIAMOND  STAKES 114 

DICK  ANDREWS 80 

DICKINSON,  R.  H 39 

DILEMMA 246 

DILLINGHAM  HANDICAP 124 

DINNER  PARTY  STAKES... 94,  103,  275,  331 

468 
DIOMED....21,   26,  3D,  31,  32,  59,  81,  82,  91,  127 

163 

DISCOUNT    351 

DISNEY,  WILLIAM 282 

DISTILLERS'   STAKES   100 

DITMAS,  H.   C 448 

DIXIANA  STAKES  100 

DIXIANA    STUD 31,  98,  112.  162,  177 

DIXIE  STAKES.. 73,  101,  104,  108,  246,  353,  468 

DIXON,  A.  T 451 

DIXON,  TURNER 269 

DOBBINS    51,  75,  HI,  112,  113,  129,170,  375 

DODGE,  WILLIAM 15 

DOGGETT   138,  322,  363,  393 

DOGGETT,  RICHARD  C 302,322 

DOGGETT,  SAMUEL  J 393 

DOLABRA   129,  130 

DOLAN,  THOMAS  344 

DOLLAR   116 

DOLLIE   VARDEN 113 

DOLLIKINS   245 

DOMINO. ..30,  75,  77,  106,  HI,  112,  113,  147,  148 

312,  374,  375,  476 

DOMITOR  293 

DON  ALONZO..... 51,  91,  HI,  129,  131 

DONAVAN,    WILLIAM 381 

DONCASTER   127,  163,  197,  201 

DONCASTER  ST.   LEGER 84,  87,  89,  100 

124,  125,  127,  173,  276,  369,  459,  473 

DONCASTER    STAKES 84,  100,  107 

DON  DE  ORO 100,  225 

DON  FULANO 125,  126,  168 

DON  JOSa 249,  252 

DON  JUAN 39,  67 

DONNA    124 

DONNELLY,   DANIEL 422 

DONNELLY,  JOHN 416 

DONNER,  J.  0 109,  144,  338 

DONOHUE,  JOSEPH 356 

DONOVAN,    C 341 

DORALICE    109 

DOREEN   172 

DORIMANT  21 

DORSEY,  PATRICK 355 

DOSORIS   275 

DOSWELL,  THOMAS  W....36,  38,  39,  45,    50 

95,  101,  168,  272,  338,  361 

DOSWELL,   BERNARD.... 114 

DOTTREL   20 

DOUBLE  EVENT,  THE 324,  364,  474 

DOUBLEHEAD    31 

DOUBLE  TRIAL  PLATE 193 

DOUBLOON  36 

DOUBT    246 

DOUGLAS  &  DALY 169 

DOURANCE    204 

DOWNEY,   JAMES 361 

DOWNEY,  P.  H 422 

DOYLE,  N.  J 422 

DOYNE,  J 396 

DRACO    130 

DRAGON  32 

DRAKE  CARTER  50,    78 

DRAKELOW  STAKES 130 


DRAPER  &  HALL 349 

DRAWING  ROOM  STAKES 102 

DR.    EICHBERG 373 

DR.  HASBROUCK 281,  358 

DRISCOLL,  JOHN  W 330,  344 

DRIVING  PARK  ASSOCIATION 479 

DRIZZLE  354 

DR.   RICE 76,  113,  374 

DRUMSTICK    447 

DRY  MONOPOLE  76,  HI 

DUCALION    87,    88 

DUCAT  77,  256 

DUCHESS   90 

DUCHESS  ANNETTE 336 

DLTCHESS  OF  MARLBOROUGH 79 

DUCHESS  OF  SUTHERLAND 195 

DUCHESS  OF  YORK  STAKES 130 

DUDLEY,  W.  A 93 

DUFFY,  F.  A -.22 

DUFFY,  JOHN 422 

DUFFY,  PHILIP  H 350,  377 

DUGDALE,  J.  L 130 

DUKE  OF  ABERCORN 410 

DUKE  OF  THE  HIGHLANDS 255 

DUKE  OF  MAGENTA 52,  100,  173 

DUKE  OF  MONTROSE 114,  117,  245,  246 

247,  473 

DUKE  OF  YORK  STAKES 130 

DUKE,  WILLIAM,  JR 280 

DUKE  ce  WISHARD 129,  280 

DUMAS,  JAMES  H 335 

DUNBURY,  SIR  CHARLES 21 

DUNCAN,  WILLIAM  B 274,  458 

DUNGANNON  21 

DUNLAP,  LESLIE  H 415 

DUNMOW  STAKES 109,  HI 

DUNN,  JERE 335,  341,  397 

DUNNE,    PATRICK 282,  383 

DURHAM,   HARDY 363,  365 

DUROC    79,  163 

DUTCHESS  COURSE  80,  457 

DUVALL,    GABRIEL 270 

DWYER    BROTHERS..  46,  50,  93,  HO,  117,  138 

280,  301,  304,  305,   311,  313,  316,  317,  337,  339 

347,  377,  379,  390,  398,  406,  408,  415,   443,  467 

472,  473,   478 

DWYER,  CHARLES  F 342,  422 

DWYER,   MxCHAEL  F..110,  111,  112,  117,  129 

170,  256,  305,  316,  324,  327,  348,   375,   377,  378 

382,   395,  400,  411.  417,  424,   425 
DWYER,  PHILIP  J.. 143,  144,  ]53,  157,  304,  305 

375,  405,  406,  478 

DYE   358 

DYKE  PLATE 193 

DYMENT,  NATHANIEL 415 


EAGAN,  JOHN  T 463 

EAGLE   32.  112,  169 

EAGLE    COURSE 457 

EARLEY,  MATTHEW 364 

EARLIEST      THOROUGHBREDS      IN 

AMERICA   IS 

EARL  Ll 349 

EARLY  BLOSSOM  247,  313 

EARNEST   175 

EARNINGS  OF  JOCKEYS 369,  376,  383 

EASTERTIDE    300 

EASTON  CO.,  THE 257,  258,  259,  260,  261 

EASTON,   WM... 247,  257,  258,  259,  260,  261 

EASTON  &  THEOBALD 345 

EAST  ST.  LOUIS  TRACK 448 

EATONTOWN  STAKES 115 

EAU   GALLIE 129,  131 

ECCOLA   172 

ECHO   460 

ECKERS,  SAMUEL 316 

ECKERT,   F 422 

ECLIPSE.... 13,  14,  21,  22,  23,  31,  35,  36,  37,    52 

90,  93,  106,  164.  170,  173,  459 
ECLIPSE   COURSE ,,, 476 


ECLIPSE,  JR 78 

ECLIPSE  STAKES 323,  373,  478 

E-COME    212 

EDGAR,  JEROME 39 

EDINBURGH  92 

EDITOR   255 

EDMONIA  TAYLOR 36 

EDWARD  F 321 

EGHAM   STAKES 104 

EGLINTON,  LORD 140 

EGMONT    255 

EGOTIST  124 

EGYPT,  VICEROY  OF 165 

EHRET,  FRANK  A.... 50,  51,  111,  129,  393,  440 

ELASTIC  114 

ELBERUN  HANDICAP 108 

ELDORADO    359 

ELEANOR 80,  255 

ELECTRIC  STAKES  115 

ELFIN  130 

ELIAS  LAWRENCE  31 

ELIZA  DAVIS 90 

ELIZA  REILLY SO 

ELKHORNA 95 

ELKHORN   LASS 168 

ELKWOOD  74 

ELLA  D 108 

ELLA   GREGG 215 

ELLA  T 112,  174 

ELLERSLIE   BELLE 336 

ELLERSLIE  STUD 100 

ELLINGTON    89 

ELLIOTT,  CHARLES  B 319,  377 

ELLIOTT,  FRANK    343 

ELLIOTT,  GEORGE   33 

ELLIOTT,  JOHN  V 319,  400,  401 

ELLIOTT,  STEPHEN    D 66 

ELLIS,  RUDOLPH  N 144,  348 

ELLIS,  W.  E 39 

ELMENDORF   STUD 30,  117,  162,  168,  231 

ELMORE,   LEW 374 

EL   RENO 409 

EL  RIO  REY 30    477 

ELSIE   89,  171 

EL  TELEGRAFO 148 

EMBROIDERY  168 

EMERALD  STAKES 114 

EMERSON    341 

EMERSON,  C.  W 422 

EMERY,  SAMUEL 422 

EMIGRANT    341 

EMILIA    98,  166,  172 

EMILIUS    29,  87,  163 

EMILY  JOHNSON 64 

EMMA  41,  401 

EMMA   COOPER '    95 

EMMA   D 389 

EMMET,   WILLIAM .'.  253 

EMOTIONAL    335 

EMPEROR    129,  173 

EMPIRE    STABLE 347,  348,  349,  413 

EMPORIUM  STAKES 90,  108,  474 

ENCHANTRESS   465 

ENDLESS   91 

ENDURANCE      AND      SPEED      COM- 
PARED   51,  120 

ENDYMION   173 

ENGEMAN,   FRANK 397 

ENGEMAN,  GEORGE  H 333,  478 

ENGEMAN,  WM.  A 157,  313,  399,  473,  478 

ENGEMAN,  WILLIAM  A.,  JR 478 

ENGINEER    35,  38,  39,  67,  68,  88 

ENGLAND,      AMERICAN      TURFMEN 

IN  119,  14S 

ENGLAND,  EARLY  RACING  IN 12 

ENGLISH     AND     AMERICAN     TURF, 
DIFFERENCES  BETWEEN  THE....  119 

ENGLISH  DERBY  WINNERS 102-114 

ENGLISH  JOCKEY  CLUB 165 

ENGLISH  JOCKEYS ;,  369 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


ENOl.lSll  JDCKEVS  ON  THE  AMERI- 
CAN TURF 371,  407,  408,  410,  41S 

ENGLISH  OPINIONS  OF  AMERICAN 
TURF   119 

ENGLISH,  RICHARD  (TED) 410 

ENGLISH  STALLIONS  IN  AMERICA..  163 

ENGLISH  thorouc;hbreds...si,  82,   84 

87,  89,  99,  113,  114 
ENCILISH     thoroughbreds,     ORI- 
GIN AND  HISTORY  OF 11,  12,    13 

ENGLISH   TURF 105,  119 

ENGLISH    TURF,    AM.    HORSES    ON 

THE 84,    88,  94,  112,  275,  277,  278,  280 

ENGLISH  TURF,  AMERICAN  JOCK- 
EYS ON  THE 370-375 

ENGLISH  TURF,  ATTRACTIONS  OF..  129 
ENGLISH  TURF,  FOUNDATION  OF..  13 
ENGLISH  TURF,  ROYAL  PATRONS...  13 
ENGLISH  TURF,  TRADITIONS  OF....  119 
ENGLISH  TURFMEN  IN  AMERICA....  259 
S20,  323,  331,  336,  339,  354 

ENIGMA    78,    91 

ENQUIRER   30,  44,  46,  49,  89,  91,  112,  169 

ENRIGHT,  C.  J 168 

EOLA   90 

EOLE   50,  90,  101,  107,  108,  130 

EOLIAN  376 

EOLIS    90 

EOLO    90 

EOLUS...44,  74,  76,  89,  90,  100,  101,  114,  115,  231 

EOTHEN  114,  169,  170 

EPSOM   GOLD  CUP 128 

EPSOM  GRAND  PRIZE 102 

EQUERRY    338 

EQUUS  STAKES  121 

ERDENHEIM  STUD. 30,  110,  126,  128,  167,  174 
400,  463 

ERECT   383 

ERIC   76 

ERIE  STABLE 110,  282,  350,  411 

ERIN-GO-BRAGH    198,  205 

ESSAYEZ   II 172 

ESSEX  STAKES 318 

ETTA  McKEEVER 215 

EUCLID    108,  152 

EUPHEMIA  L 351 

EUROPE,  AMERICAN  TURFMEN  IN..  119 

EURUS    74 

EVANATUS    78 

EVANS,   GEORGE 408 

EVANS,  GEORGE,  JR 408 

EVA  SHIRLEY 169 

EVERLY,  GEORGE 35 

EXCELSIOR  STABLE 347 

EXCELSIOR  STAKES 97,  100,  102,  108 

EXCHANGE    91 

EXCHECQUER  96 

EXETER,  MARQUIS  OF 99 

EXILE   76,  78,  91,  170,  395 

EXNING  PLATE 130 

EXPECTATION    246 

EXPECTATION  STAKES. ..  .112,  373,  378,  478 

EXPERIENCE    OAKS 107 

EXTRA   247 


FADLADEEN   107 

FAIRFAX   STABLE 282,  339 

FAIRFIELD    COURSE ,.38,    88 

FAIRFIELD   STAKES 274 

FAIR  LADY 168 

FAIR   NELL 165 

FAIRVIEW    330 

FAIRVIEW   STUD 30,  162,  170 

FAIRY  51 


FAIRY   QUEEN 

FAITHLESS    

FALCON    

FALCON  STAKES.... 
FAI,L  CITY  STAKES. 
FALL. STAKES 


388 
89 
108 
478 
100 
109 


FA1.MOUTH,   LORD 51,  107,  127,  247 

FALSETTO   90,  91,  95,  116,  168 

FALSETTO  STAKES 255 

FAMOUS  RACE  COURSES 451 

FAMOUS  RACES 34,    35 

FAMOUS  RACING  EVENTS 59 

FANCHON   4G5 

FANNY   HALL 48 

FANNY   HOLTON 91 

FANNY  LUDLOW 128 

FANNY  WASHINGTON 96,  100,  115 

FANNY   WYATT 62 

FAREWELL  HANDICAP 181 

FARFALETTA   95,  116 

FARLEY,  OLIVER  C 440 

FASHION... 26,  29,  35,  36,  37,  62,  63,  65,  G6,    68 

77,  81,  82,  84,  166,  370 
FASHION   COURSE... 38,   39,  67,  68,  69,  89,95 

121,  139,  457,  458 

FASHION  HANDICAP 39 

FASHION  JOCKEY  CLUB 458 

FASHION   STAKES 224,  373 

FAST  MAIL  PURSE 285 

FAUGH-A-BALLAGH    89,  90,  195 

FAVERDALE  172 

FAVONIA  172 

FAVOR   245 

FAVORY    381 

FEAKES,    EDWARD 323,  371 

FEAKES,   MATTHEW 352 

FEARNOUGHT    22,  31,  79,  163 

FEATHER  PURSE 322 

FEATHERSTONE,  ARTHUR 283,  285 

FELICIA    226 

FELLOWCRAFT    31,66,72,73,    98 

FELLOWES,   CORNELIUS.. 154,  155,  157,  475 

FENALON    360 

FENELLA    113 

FENWICK.    E 451 

FERGUSON,  J.  B 422 

FERGUSON,   J.    F ' 3.38 

FERGUSON,  JAMES 95 

FERGUSON,  JOHN 408 

FERIDA   52,  78,  100,  101 

FERNANDINE  308,  377 

FERNCLIFFE    166 

FERNCLIFFE  STUD 51,  53,  174,  177 

FERN  HILL  STAKES 130 

FERRIER    256 

FEU   FOLLET 226 

FIDDLER   126 

FIDDLESTICKS    46.  221,  225 

FIDELIO    357 

FIDES  223,  224,  226,  227,  476 

FIELD,  L.  B 30 

FILLIES 96,  117 

FILLMORE,  MILLARD 65 

FIN.A.NCIER   36 

FINDON   STAKES 120 

FINESSE  135 

FINEWORK    168 

FINNIGAN,  EUGENE 411 

FIREFLY    313 

FIRENZI    49,  74,  117,  118,  168,  176.  177,  301 

FIRST  CHANCE  46 

FIRST   CONSUL 28,    34 

FIRST    DEAL 403 

FIRST  MATE 283,  285,  289,  366 

FIRST  SPECIAL  STAKES 117 

FISHER,  F.  C 381 

FISHER,    SAMUEL 422 

FITZGERALD,  C.  J 144,  422,  437 

FITZTAMES    176 

FITZPATRICK,  WILLIAM  J.... 371,  422,  438 

FIXED    STAR 256 

FLAGEOLET   99,  204 

FLAG  OF  TRUCE 79 

FLAME    II 356 

FLASH    98 

FLASH   STAKES.. 73,  96,  104,  245,  285,  3.53,  463 
FLATBUSH   STAKES.. .  .110,  J14,  116,  224,  474 


FL AVIA    227 

FLAVINA    177 

FLAX    TAIL 338 

FLEETWING    71 

FLEETWOOD  COURSE 152 

FLEETWOOD  STUD  FARM 31 

FLEISCHMANN,  CHARLES 50,  382 

FLEISCHMANN'S,   C.   SONS 441 

FLEISCHMANN  STABLE 373,  386 

FLEMING,    JAMES 354 

FLENNIKEN,  E.  A 329 

FLEUR-DE-LIS  29 

FLEUR  DES  CHANTS 116 

FLIGHT   .- 106 

FLIGHT  STAKES 115 

FLIMNAP    20,    24 

FLIRTATION    STAKES 463 

FLIRTILLA    60,  79,  80 

FLOOD,  F.  W 422 

FLOOD   STAKES 411 

FLORAL  PARK 325 

FLORA   McDonald 168 

FLORA   McIVOR 135 

FLORA   TEMPLE 174 

FLORENCE    107,  249 

FLORENCE  PAYNE 253 

FLORETTA    34 

FLORETTA  IV 225 

FLORID   211 

FLORIDA  ATHLETIC  CLUB 425 

FLORIDE    37,    89 

FLORIMEL   325 

FLORINE   98 

FLORIZEL  21,  28,  163 

FLOWER  OF  MEATH 247 

FLOYD-JONES,    CHAUNCEY 138 

FLUSHING  STAKES 47s 

FLYING    GUILDERS 13,    14 

FLYING   DUCHESS 114 

FLYING  DUTCHMAN 127   140 

FLYING    FISH '227 

FLYING  WITCH 246 

FLYNN  J 350 

FOAM   STAKES 110,  111,  223,  278,  473,  474 

FOLEY,  H.  B ■ 60 

FOLLANSBEE,  J.   G 355 

FON  DU  LAC 152 

FONSO    77,  93,  168,  245 

FORBES,  H.  DE  COURCY 477 

FORBES,  PAUL  S 39,  274,  338 

FORBES,  R.   B 344,  349 

FORBES,   WILLIAM   H '144 

FORD,  THOMAS  S 445 

FORDHAM    118,  168,  275,  477 

FORDHAM,    GEORGE ]25,  369 

FORDHAM  HANDICAP.. 73,  107,  141,  170,  237 
303 

FORESTER    166,  170,  231,  256 

FORESTER,  FRANK 26,  84,  271 

FORETHOUGHT  256 

FORMERO    3S1 

FORMOSA    163 

FORT  ERIE  COURSE .302,  307 

FORT  HAMILTON  HANDICAP 115.  478 

FORTISSIMO    245 

FORTLTNA   94,  104 

FOSTER    43.  48,  52,  10.3,  312 

FOSTER,  CHARLES  J 156 

FOSTER,  FRED 372 

FORSYTH  78 

FOUNDATION  OF  AMERICAN  THOR- 
OUGHBRED  FAMILY 18 

FOUR   MILE  HEATS.... 34,  35,  59,  SO,  81,    83 

84,  88,  103,  370,  371 
FOUR  MILE  HEATS  IN  CALIFORNIA.    48 
FOUR  MILE  RECORD  RACES.... 66,  72,  479 

FOURTH  OF  JULY  HANDICAP 116 

FOX,  PAUL 349 

FOXHALL 52,    53,  96,  125,  126,  128,  147,  148 

163,  168.  282 
FOXHALL  STAKES 115 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


FRANK,  J.  M 15S 

FRANK,  MAX  L 422 

FRANK,  SAMUEL 422 

FRANKFORT   37,    67 

FRANKLIN   S8 

FRANKLIN,  A.  C 353 

FRANKLIN,   JAMES 92,162 

FRANKLIN  PARK  COURSE 41 

FRAYLING,   JAMES 339 

FRAZZOLETTO,   JR 166 

FREE  ADVICE 283,  288 

FREE  HANDICAP  STAKES 237 

FREE  LANCE 27S,  346 

FREELAND    50,  100 

FRENCH,   WILLIAM 359 

FRENCH  DERBY 99 

FRENCH  OAKS 99 

FRENCH     TURF,     FOXHALL'S     VIC- 
TORY ON  THE 12S 

FRESMA 302 

FRESNO   168.176 

FRIAR    ••■■124.  125 

FRIAR  RUSH 102 

FRIAR'S  BALSAM 116,  195 

FRIMSALL    227 

FRINEY    165 

FROHMAN   303 

FRYE,  J.  M 422 

FULTON   STAKES HI.  US 

FURY  337 

FUSEE   101.196 

FUSILLEER    13S 

FUTURITY    COURSE 473 

FUTURITY  STAKES.. 69,  76,  111,  112,  113,  114 
US,  116,  142,  156,  172.  174,  ISl,  220,  224,  2S1 
394,  438,  473,  474 
FYSAUL  166 

GABRIEL    21.  22.  78,  323 

GABRIELLE  A 91 

GAFFNEY,   HUGH 362 

GAGE,  A.  S «.  138 

GAIETY  STAKES 357.  373.  478 

GAINES,  EDWARD  M 422 

GALLATIN  28,  131 

GALLATINA  84 

GALLIARD    102 

GALLOPING   KING 406 

GALOPIN    53,  114,  174 

GALORE  53,  174,  261 

GALT  HOUSE  STAKES 83,    96 

GAL  WAY,   JAMES... 143,  144,  145,  152,  174,  323 
345,  396 

GAMBLER    255 

GAMBLING  AND  THE  TURF 54 

GARCIA,   VINCENT 405 

GARDEN  CITY  CUP 94 

GARDNER,  E.  S 394 

GARFIELD   STAKES 117 

GARRIGAN,   CHARLES  F 401 

GARRISON,  CORNELIUS  K 464 

GARRISON,  EDW.H..74.  75.  370,  376.  397,  401 

GARSON,   A 338 

GATES,  ADOLPH  E 412,  415,  418 

GAZELLE  STAKES 224 

GERHARD,    FREDERICK 130,  304,  415 

GEE,  WILLIAM 406 

GEHEIMNESS    203 

GEMSBOCK  53 

GENERAL  HARDING 107 

GENERAL  HARNEY 312 

GENERAL  MILES 177 

GENERAL  MONROE 74,  108,  282 

GENERAL   PHILIPS 92 

GENET.  HARRY 461 

GEORGE  F.  SMITH 77 

GEORGE   KEENE 113,  386 

GEORGE   KESSLER 301 

GEORGE  KINNEY 50,  108,  245 

GEORGE  MARTIN 65 


GEORGE  WICKLIFFE 39 

GEORGIE  WOOD 31 

GERALDINE 77,    125,  326,  476,  477 

GERMANTOWN    91 

GETAWAY    101 

GHIO,  J.  C 158 

GHUZNEE    92 

GIBBONS,    WM.   H 38,  39,  66,  68,  82,  458 

GIBSON,  CAREW 198 

GIDEON,    DAVID.., .52,  172,  281,  303,  389,  390 

422,  443 

GIDEON  &  DALY 109,  172,  281,  408 

GILBERT,    LOUIS 422 

GILEAD   90 

GILLIES,    PERCY 423 

OILMAN,  PHIL 422 

GILPATRICK 63,  64,  66.  68,  271,  370 

GILPIN,   BERNARD 320 

GILPIN,  WILLIAM  B 320 

GILPIN  &  TAYLOR 322 

GILROY    168,  479 

GILROY,    PATRICK 366 

GILTSTAR   253 

GIMCRACK   80 

GIRASOL    278 

GIRL  OF  THE  PERIOD 103 

GIROFLE    89 

GIVEAWAY    392 

GLADIATEUR  .127,  133,  164,  204 

GLADIATOR   163,  164 

GLARING  131 

GLASGOW  COURSE 38 

GLASGOW  STAKES 100 

GLEANER    78- 

GLEN  AGNES  STUD  FARM 169 

GLEN    ATHOL 30,  104,  164,  168 

GLENBROOK  414 

GLENCOE....30,   37,  39,  82,  88,  90,  103,  119,  163 

169,  175 
GLENELG..30,   44,  49,  92,  102,  108,  164,  166,  168 

189,  171,  175.  195,  370,  465,  468 

GLENGARRY    .30,    95 

GLEN  ISLAND  STABLES 379 

GLENLLTINE    168 

GLENMORE..52,   78,  101,  104,  163,  168,  323,  473 

GLENMOYNE   112 

GLENEVIS   175 

GLENULLEN  313 

GLIDELIA    177,  365,  473 

GLOAMING  HI 

GLORIANA   98 

GLORY    227,  408 

GLOUCESTER  TRACK 448 

GLYCERA  36 

GOBANG    102 

GODOLPHIN  ARABIAN 13,14,    21 

GODOLPHIN.  LORD 13 

GOELET,    ROBERT 227,  475 

GOLDEN  AGE  OF  RACING,  A 26 

GOLDEN    DAWN 261 

GOLDEN  GATE 48,  125,  403 

GOLDEN  PHCEBUS 237 

GOLDEN  REEL 90 

GOLDEN   ROD 172 

GOLDEN  ROD   STAKES 285,383 

GOLDEN  SLIPPER 112 

GOLDIE   249 

GOLD  LEAF  39 

GOLDSBOROUGH,  A.  J 332 

GOLDSBOROUGH,  CHARLES  H 332 

GOLDSBY,  T.  B 28,    3S 

GOLDSMITH  MAID 440 

GOLOW    352 

GONDOLA    168 

GONFALON  173 

GOODE.  THOMAS 269 

GOODWIN,  M 422 

GOODWIN  BROTHERS 448 

GOODWOOD   CUP 95,  123 

GOODWOOD  STAKES 89,  123 

GORDON,  H.  SKIPWITH 471 

490 


GORDON  STAKES 87 

GORGO    74 

GORMAN,  CHARLES 352,  406,  412 

GORMAN,   MICHAEL 360 

GORMAN,   WILLIAM   A 436 

GOTHAM   300 

GOUGHACRES  STABLE  352,401 

GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  TURF 144,  148 

GOVERNOR   GRIGGS 231 

GOVERNOR  NEPTUNE 94,  253 

GOVERNOR  SHEEHAN 352 

GOVERNOR  WICKLIFFE 39 

GRACIE,  J.  M 158 

GRAFTON,  DUKE  OF 369 

GRANBY 20 

GRANBY,  MARQUIS  OF 19 

GRAND  INAUGURAL  POST  STAKES,71,  93 
GRAND   NATIONAL.  HANDICAP.... 93,    94 

108,  141 
GRAND  NATIONAL  STEEPLECHASE.  415 

430 
GRAND  PRIX  OF  PARIS... 102,  124,  125,  127 
128 

GRAND  SACHEM  183 

GRAND  SWEEPSTAKES 83,  128 

GRAND  UNION  HOTEL  HANDICAP.,  364 

GRAND  UNION  PRIZE 93 

GRANNAN,   CHARLES  R 422,426 

GRASSHOPPER    321 

GRATZ,  WALTER 74,  400 

GRAVES     OF     NOTED     THOROUGH- 
BREDS     30,    31 

GRAVES,  RICHARD 272 

GRAVES  &  CO 386 

GRAY  DIAMOND 21,    31 

GRAY,  JAMES 352 

GRAY  MEDLEY 31 

GRAY,  THOMAS  451 

GREAT  AMERICAN  STAKES... HI,  112,  223 
GREAT       AMERICAN       THOROUGH- 
BREDS      79 

GREAT  AM.  STALLION  STAKES..  ..73,    93 
100,  156,  255 

GREAT  CHALLENGE  STAKES 93 

GREAT  CHAMPION  STAKES 107 

GREAT  CHESHIRE  STAKES 128 

GREAT  EASTERN  HANDICAP..110,  114,  116 
474 

GREAT  ECLIPSE  STAKES Ill,  112,  181 

GREAT  FOAL  STAKES 100 

GREAT  IMPERIAL  ROYAL  STUD 127 

GREAT  LONG  ISLAND  STAKES 101 

GREAT  METROPOLITAN  STAKES..126,  128 

GREAT  TOM 107,  164,  169 

GREAT  TRIAL  STAKES Ill,  112,  113,  116 

356,  401,  474 

GREAT  YORKSHIRE  HANDICAP 122 

GRECIAN  BEND 52 

GREECE  AND  ROME,  RACING  IN 11 

GREEN  AGE 95 

GREEN,   CALVIN 66,  333,  356 

GREEN,  F.  H 157 

GREEN,  JAMES  0 144 

GREEN,  O.  P 453 

GREENE,   THOMAS 357 

GREENER.  J.   G 50 

GREENLAND  95 

GRENADA    168,  473 

GRENNER,   LOUIS 339 

GREY  EAGLE 30,  63,  64,  65,  86,  87,  175,  277 

315 

GREYER,    JOHN 348 

GREYHOUND    31 

GREY  NORTHUMBERLAND 20 

GREY  PLANET 106 

GRIFFIN,  HENRY  F 390,  396 

GRIFFIN,  H.  T 335 

GRIFFITHS,  G.  R 158 

GRINSTEAD 30,  4S.  138,  312 

GRINSTEAD,  JAMES  A 30.  46,  50,  103 

GRISWOLD,  F.  GRAY 143,  472,  475 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


GROSVENOR,    LORD 79 

GRYMES,    BENJAMIN 269 

GUIDO  78 

GUILUEAN    170 

GUILD,  JOHN  C 98 

GUNST,   M.   S 479 

GUNST  SELLING  STAKES 392 

GUTHORN,  JOSEPH 422 

GUTTENBERG   TRACK 418 

GWENDOLYN   205 

GWENNIN   205 

c;\VYNNE,    EDWARD 447 

GYPSY    72,    SS 

HACKMEISTER,  JOHN 15S 

HADDINGTON   78 

HADLICK,   F 348,  365 

HAGEL,  PETER  329 

HAGC;iN,  JAMES  B....49,  50,  53,  117,  144,  161 
175,  176,  183,  209,  211,  212,  225,  301,  302,  317 
356,  359,  361,  365,  376,  395,  402 

HAGGINS,   BUD 414 

HAGYARD,  E.  W 179 

HAKELBERG,   1 422 

HAL   31 

HALEY,  J.  R 31 

HALFLING    309 

HALFORD,  W SB 

HALL,  ANTHONY  357 

HALL,  CHARLES  H 27,    SO 

HALL,  F.  M 144 

HALL,  JOHN  175 

HALL,   N.   S 412,413 

HALMA    77,  394 

HAM,  WILLIAM   393 

HAMBLETONIAN    23 

HAMBURG   113,  183,  281,  373,  401 

HAMILTON,    ANTHONY 75,  395 

HAMILTON,  DUKE  OF 95 

HAMILTON,  GUSTAVUS 418 

HAMILTON,  HENRY 388 

HAMILTON   RANCH 179 

HAMILTON  II 75 

HAMILTON   STABLE 332 

HAMLIN,  WILLIAM  B 269 

HAMPTON    114,  193,  195,  196 

HAMPTON  COURT 175 

HAMPTON  COURT  STUD 87,  176 

HAMPTON,  COL.  WADE... 27,  29,  32.  68,  134 

269,  271 
HAMPTON,  GEN.  WADE.. 23,  32,  80,  269,  270 
271,  451 

HANAWALT,   GEORGE 418 

HANCOCK,   R.  J 90,101,114 

HANDICAPPERS,    AMERICAN 141,  152 

HANDICAPPERS,  ENGLISH 139 

HANDICAPPING  120,  139 

HANDICAPPING,       FIRST       EXPERI- 
MENTS IN  AMERICA 139,  140 

HANDICAPPING,  SYSTEM   OF 141 

HANDICAP  SWEEPSTAKES 118 

HANDPRESS    77,  476 

HANDSOME  108 

HANDSPRING   116,  305 

HANDSPUN   lOS,  110,  256 

HANKINS,  GEORGE  V 255,  317,  423 

HANKINS   &  JOHNSTONE 395 

HANLAN,    R 123 

HANLEY,  J.   G 158 

HANLEY,  THOMAS 313 

HANLON,  F.  0 144,145,150 

HANON,   AUGUSTUS 348 

HANOVER  ....36,  50,  76,  108,  110,  116,  117,  168 
242,  245,  246,  256,  406 

HANWELL  351 

HARBAUM,   WILLIAM 422 

HARDING,  H 461 

HARDING,  W.  G....31,  36,  84,  91,  100,  162,  170 

HARDWICK  STAKES  100 

HARDY,  JOHN 423 

HARDY,  W.  C 114 


HARE,  O.  P 39 

IIARKAWAY  253 

HARLEM    COURSE 156,  479 

HARLEM  JOCKEY  CLUB 158 

HAROLD  90,  108,  166 

HAROLD  STAKES 114 

HARPER,  FRANK  B 30,  46,  100,  162,  279 

HARPER,   JOHN 36,  70,  S3,  279,  364,  461 

HARRAMAN,    W 329 

HARRIGAN,  H.  D 422 

HARRIS,   ARNOLD 66 

PIARRIS,  tIENRY 358,  422 

HARRIS,  tIENRY  J 416 

HARRIS,  JIM 302 

HARRISON,  JAMES  J 59 

HARRISON,  J.  J 377 

PIARRISON,    ROBERT 398 

HARRY   BASSETT....43,  46,  52,  69,  70,  71,    92 
93,  96,  138,  275,  465,  468 

HARRY  FOWLER  PIANDICAP 123 

HARRY  GILMORE 139 

HARRY  O'FALLON 30 

HARRY    REED 129 

HART,  LARRY 346,  347,  472 

HARVARD   131 

HARVEST   HANDICAP US 

HARVEY,  R.  J 422 

HASKINS,  W.  B 417 

HASTINGS    116,  225,  261 

HASTY   GIRL 113 

HATTIE  TROWBRIDGE 249 

HAVOC  75,  114,  309 

HAWK  EYE   63 

HAWKINS,  T.   K 358 

HAWLEY,  SIR  JOSEPH 27S 

HAWTHORNE    379 

HAWTPIORNE  PARK 114,  256,  479 

HAYDEN,   GEORGE 343 

HAYE,  J.  M 36 

HAYES,  W.  C 415 

HAYWARD,  WM.75,  275,  331,  344,  370,  371,  438 


HAYWARD,  WILLIAM,  JR.... 
HAYWARD,  HON.  WILLIAM. 

HEADLEY,  H.  P 

HEALY,  JOHN 

HEALEY,  THOMAS  J 


....  331 
....  274 
....  324 
....  351 
....  395 

HEARST,   GEORGE.... 49,  50,  161,  175,  177,  331 
349,  356,  395 

HEART  OF  OAK 79 

HEBER  JONES 324 

HEBERT,  PAUL  0 454 

HECKLER,    AUGUSTUS 445 

HECKLER,  F.  A 445 

HECKSCHER,  JOHN  G 143,  144,  471.  475 

HECTOR,  ALEXANDER  366 

HEDGEFORD    28 

HEFFNER,  ED 302 

HEGIRA  106 

HEINEMAN,  CHARLES  F 422,  431 

HEINEMAN,  WALTER 422 

HELEN  H.  II 404 

HELEN  NICHOLS 127,  129 

HELEVA    246 

HELMBOLD  70 

HENDRIE.  WILLIAM 410,  413,  415 

HENRY,  CHARLES  E 422 

HENLOPEN  104,  105 

HENNESSY,  MICHAEL  F 402 

HENNIE  FARROW 93 

HENRY,  ARCHY 80 

HENRY,  JOHN 446 

HENRY  OF  NAVARRE... 75,  76,  111,  115,  221 
225,  231,  318,  3S6,  394 

HENRY  PERRIT 36 

HENRY  YOUNG 78,  335 

HERBERT  92 

HERBERT,  WILLIAM  HENRY 26 

HERCULES   175 

HER  HIGHNESS 224 

HERITIERE   237 

HERKINS,  JOHN 359 


HERMANN  THE  GREAT 303 

HERMIT 102,    110,  127,  170,  174,  193,  369 

HERNDON   36 

HERNDON,   WILLIAM 269 

HERO  95 

HERRIMAN,  JOEL 17 

HERRING  RUN  COURSE 3S 

HERZOG    31 

HESSIE  108 

HEWITT,  JOSEPH  S 396 

HI AWASSE    166 

HIDALGO    76,  152,  176 

HIGGINS,    D 343,  3S0 

PIIGH  DEGREE 373 

HIGHFLYER   93 

HIGHLAND   CHIEF 205 

ITIGPILANDER  31,  65,  85,    87 

HIGHLAND  PARK  CLUB 158,422 

HILARIOT   87 

HILDRETH,  SAM'L  C...335,  347,  392,  411,  418 

HILL,  JOHN  T 400 

HIMALAYA 50,   90,  152 

HIMY'AR  106,  112,  2S5 

HINDOO    50,  77,  97,  101,  107.  108.  116 

HINDOOCRAFT   78,  US,  470 

HIPPOGRIFFE  370 

HIRA    106 

HIRSCH,  MAX 400 

HIS   HIGHNESS 52,  76,  110,  220,  224,  281 

ITITCHCOCK,  FRANCIS  R..145,  151,  157,  443 

HITCHCOCK,  F.  R.  &  T 3S0,  410,  441 

HITCHCOCK,   LYME  A 301,360 

HITCHCOCK,   THOMAS 151 

HITCHCOCK,  THOMAS,  JR 475 

HOBART,  W.  S 415 

HOBSON  BROTHERS 325 

HOCK  HOCKING 48,  175 

HOEY,  FRED 138 

HOEY,  JOHN , 144,  469 

HOFFMAN,  JOPIN 382 

HOFFMAN,  JOHN  T 461 

HOLLINS,  H.  B 475 

HOLLY   HANDICAP 114 

HOLTON,  A.  J 91 

HOME  BRED  PRODUCE  STAKES 469 

HOMELESS   213 

HOMEMADE    213 

HOMINY   BILL 372 

HONIG,   DAN'L  A 340,  362,  374,  394 

HOODLESS,  T 112 

HOOKER,  GEORGE  W 453 

HOOKER,  THOMAS 16 

HOOMES,    JOHN 32,  269,  451 

HOOPER,  ROBERT 410 

HOPEFUL  STAKES.. 97,  104,  106,  107,  lOS,  110 
246,  278,  469 

HOPKINS,  A.  M 412 

HOPPER,  E.  C 158 

HORNPIPE    76,  78,  110,  148,  395 

HOROSCOPE   357 

HORRES,  HENRY  357 

HORSE,    INTRODUCTION    OF    INTO 

AMERICA    11 

HORSES,  EARLY  IMPORTATIONS.. 14,    15 
HORSES,  IMPROVEMENT  BY  BREED- 
ING    162 

HORSES  IN  THE  COLONIES 15,    16 

HOSACK,  ALEXANDER SO 

HOTEL   STAKES 107 

HOTHERSALL,  JOHN  W 418 

HOUGPI  BROTHERS 356 

HOWARD   MANN 76,  114,  2S2,  297,  3S7 

HOWARD  S 283,  294 

HOWE,   R.   S 339 

HOWELL,   PHILIP 422 

HO WLAND    281 

HOWLAND,  SAMUEL  S 144,  157,  339,  410 

HUBBARD  48,  7S,  107 

HUCKLEBERRY  438 

HLTDSON  RIVER  PIANDICAP Ill,  37S 

HUFFMAN,    JOHN 403 


491 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


HUGGINS,    JOHN 131,  2S2,  362 

HUGHES,  CHARLES  H 282,  366 

HUGHES,  EDWARD  F 341 

HUGHES,  JOHN  0 422 

HUGH  FRENCH 87 

HUGH   PENNY 129,  399 

HULFT,  PIETER  EVERTSEN 15 

HULBERT    411 

HUNT,  L 366 

HUNT,  RUFUS 435 

HUNTER  HANDICAP 465,  478 

HUNTER,  JOHN 38.  39,  41,  68,  98,  135,  137 

140,  143,  144,  145,  173,  274,  278,  279,  448,  458 

459,  461 

HUNTER,  J.  S 69 

HUNTER  STEEPLECHASE 463 

HUNTER'S  LEXINGTON 115 

HUNTER  &  TRAVERS 106 

HUNTRESS  255 

HURON   JZl,  129 

HURSTBOURNE  STAKES 102 

HURSTBOURNE  STUD  FARM 30 

HUSTON.  WILLIAM 300,  338 

HUTCHINSON  STAKES 68 

HUTCHISON,  J.  DANIEL 423 

HYACINTH  351 

HYBLA    193 

HYDE  PARK  STAKES 112 

HYDERABAD   148,  356,  438 

HYLAND,  JOHN  J 313,  358 

HYMENIA    103,  401 

HYNES,   JOHN 398,  411 

HYPONA  80 

I'ANSON,  WILLIAM 84 

IDALIA  169,  177 

IDALIUM    177 

IDA  WELLS 89 

IDLEWILD   41,  69,  71,  72,  168,  465 

ILITHYIA    197 

ILLINOIS    RACING 479 

ILLUSION   337 

IMPORTATION     OF     HORSES     INTO 

AMERICA,  EARLY 14,    15 

IMPORTATIONS       OF       THOROUGH- 
BREDS   18,  99,  101.  104,  105,  106.  107 

IMPORTED        AUSTRALIAN        STAL- 
LIONS     176 

IMPORTED  THOROUGHBREDS 82,    83 

87,  S9,  92,  97,  163,  164,  271,  459 
IMPORTED  THOROUGHBREDS,  MOD- 
ERN     49,  173,  176,  193,  196,  220 

INAUGURAL  STAKES 383^ 

INAUGURATION  STAKES 90 

INDEPENDENCE  STAKES 221,  223 

INDEPENDENT  STAKES 415 

INDUSTRY 162 

INFERNO    ! 255 

INGALL'S  PARK  JOCKEY  CLUB 158 

INGLESIDE  COURSE 58,  479 

INNES,  G.  W 382 

INSPECTION   330 

INSPECTOR  B 91,  169,  406 

INTER-STATE  RACING 63-65 

INTRIGUE  135 

INTRODUCTION     OF     THE     HORSE 

INTO  AMERICA 11 

INTRUDER  170 

INVERARY    89,  135 

INVERGOLD   130 

INVERNESS    186,  193 

INVERWICK    172 

IRELAND  372 

IRISH   GREY 20 

IRISH      JOCKEYS      ON      AMERICAN 

TURF 388,    403,  411,  413,  415 

IRISH    KING 92 

IRISH   REEL   77 

IRISH   TURF 355 

IRON  HILL  TRACK 446 

IRON  PIER  HANDICAP 346 


IRONY 200 

IROQUOIS.... 53,  89,  102,  108,  125,  126,  127,  128 
129,  166,  168,  169,  173,  174,  181,  256 

IRRITATION  113 

IRVING,  JAMES 395 

IRVING,  JOHN  B 137,  274 

IRVING,  ROBERT  G 422,424 

IRVING,  WASHINGTON 39 

IRVING'S  PLOWBOY 31 

ISIS    194,  197 

ISLINGTEM    302 

ISOLA   BELLA 195 

ISOLINE   195 

ISON   356 

ISONOMY    114,  125,  163 

IVY  BLOOM 211 

IVY   leaf: 100 


JACK   ALLEN 249 

JACK  MALONE •...  169 

JACK  OF  HEARTS 231 

JACK  OF   SPADES 111,116,225 

JACK  POINT 303 

JACK  ROSE 334 

JACK   ROULHAC 45 

JACKSON,  ANDREW 31,  269,  270,  273 

JACKSON,  J 50,  103 

JACKSON,  JAMES 82 

JACKSON,  JOHN  H 387 

JACKSON,  W.   H 30,  53,  93,  170 

JACOBIN  255 

JACOBS,   CHAUNCEY 348 

JACONET    110 

JAKEY  TOM 407 

JAMAICA  128,  168 

JAMAICA   STAKES 478 

JAMES  A 106 

JAMES  CROPPER 80 

JAMES  FITZ  JAMES 79 

JAMESVILLE  RACE  COURSE 271 

JANUARY  STAKES  106 

JANUS    19,  22,    31 

JAREED    87 

JAY,   WILLIAM 26.'? 

JEAN  BEREAUD  323,  373 

JEANNETON   86 

JEFFCOT,  J.  M 418 

JEFF  DAVIS 95 

JEFFERSON,  THOMAS   32,452 

JENNINGS,  GEORGE  W 360 

JENNINGS,  JAMES 377 

JENNINGS,  WALTER  B 281,375 

JENNINGS,  WILLIAM 104,  282,  472,  473 

JENNY    CAMERON 19,    20 

JEROME  EDGAR 72 

JEROME  HANDICAP 73,  104,  106,  108,  181 

223,  246,  465,  478 

JEROME,  LAWRENCE 435,  464 

JEROME,   LEONARD  W...50,  90,  92,  134,  135 

142,  150,  153,  274,  275,  276,  338,  435,  461,  463 

464,  471 
JEROME    PARK... 44,  46,  47,  49,  50,  70,  73,    90 

03,  135,   137,  141,  150,  153,  155,  274,  275,  276 

277,  435,  446,  459,  462,  463,  464,  465,  466,  467 

471,  475,  477 

JEROME  PARK  CUP lOS 

JEROME  PARK  HOME  STABLES 276 

JEROME    PARK "  VILLA    SITE    AND 

IMPROVEMENT  COMPANY 463 

JERRY   369 

JERSEY    DERBY 96,  104 

JERSEY  GIRL 246 

JERSEY  HANDICAP 117 

JERSEY  JOCKEY  CLUB  PURSE 92 

JERSEY  ST.  LEGER 221 

JIFFY  II 130 

JIM    GORE 414 

JIM  GUEST  74 

JIM  MULHOLLAND 315 

JIM  WATSON 39 

493 


JOCKEY  CLUB,  THE.... 138,  143,  144,  145,  146 
147,  148,  149,  151,  152,  154,  157,  158,  434,  437 
445,  448,  478 

JOCKEY  CLUB  HANDICAP 101,  141,  275 

JOCKEY  CLUB  PURSE 60,  61,  64,  65,    SO 

84,  85,  87,  SS,  92 

JOCKEY  CLUB  STAKES 73,  89,  107 

JOCKEYDOM,      NO      SECTIONALISM 

IN   390 

JOCKEYS  243,  263,  274,  369 

JOCKEYS,   AMERICAN 370 

JOCKEYS,      AMERICAN,       ON      THE 

ENGLISH  TURF 370,  373,  375 

JOCKEYS,  CALIFORNIA.... 381,  389,  402,  405 
JOCKEYS,  CANADIAN.. 380,  381,  396,  410,  418 

JOCKEYS,  EARNINGS  OF 369,  376,  383 

JOCKEYS,  ENGLISH 369 

JOCKEYS,  ENGLISH,  ON  THE  AMER- 
ICAN TURF 371,  407,  408,  410,  418 

JOCKEYS,  IRISH 355 

JOCKEYS,    IRISH,    ON    THE    AMERI- 
CAN TURF 388,  403,  411,  413,  415 

JOCKEYS  OF  RACING  FAMILIES.  .378,  398 
408,  417 

JOCKEYS,  PRE'COCITY  OF 359 

JOCKEYS,  PRIVATE  LIFE  OF 374,  376 

393,  406 

JOCKEYS,  WESTERN 382 

JOCKEYS,  WINNING  MOUNTS  OF....  346 
349,  353,  360,  374,  383,  385,  387,  389,  393,  397 
404,  405 

JOCKEYS,  WINNINGS  OF 369 

JOCKEYSHIP,    QUALITIES    OF    SUC- 
CESSFUL  376,  379,  380,  385,  387,  388 

JODAN    322 

JOE  BLACKBURN 84,  255 

JOE    COTTON 77 

JOE  DANIELS 48,  107,  138,  175,  304,  465 

JOE  HOWELL 84 

JOE  KELLY 338 

JOE  MILLER 308,  309 

JOE  MURPHY 78 

JOE   RIPLEY 438 

JOGUES,    FATHER 15 

JOHN  BASCOMBE    28,  38,  61,  62 

JOHN  BLOUNT   81 

JOHN  BULL   22 

JOHN  COHEN  403 

JOHN  MORGAN   115,  169 

JOHN  MORRELL   346 

JOHNNY  HECKSCHER  477 

JOHN  RICHARDS    35,    37 

JOHNSON,  B.  J 366 

JOHNSON,  EDWARD 348 

JOHNSON,  WILLIAM  R....27,  30,  31,  37,  59 
60,  61,  62,  63,  68,  80,  81,  82,  274 

JOHNSON,  W.  S...; 144 

JOHNSTONE,  DAVID 343 

JOHNSTON,    ISAAC 361 

JOHNSTON,  JAMES  T.  R 388 

JOLLY  ROGER  19,    22 

JOLLY  SIR  JOHN 125 

JONES,  EDMUND  J 384 

JONES,  E.  P 422 

JONES,  ORLANDO   A 380,422 

JONES,  O.  A.  &  CO 425 

JONES,  WILLIAM 80,  269 

JONES,  W.  R 364,  434 

JORDAN,  AMBROSE 137 

JOURNALISTS     AS     RACING     OFFI- 
CIALS   151,  152,  157,  437 

JOYNER,  ANDREW  J 303,  334 

JUDA    314 

JUDGE  MORROW 76,  118,  302 

JUDITH    G 418 

JUGGLER   446 

JULIA   MATTINGLY 115 

JULIET   M 249 

JULIETTE 399 

JULY  GIF 302 


THE    AMERICAN    TORE 


JULY    STAKES.. 101,  lOS,  UO,  VM,  24G,  27S,  34S 

•ItiO 
JUMPERS.... 327,  336.  337,  33!),  34li,  355.  3C6,  410 

■115 

JUNE  STAKES Ill,  181,  224 

JUNIOR  CHAMPION  STAKES 129,  469 

Jl'NO    341 

JUPITER   31 

JURY    95,  12G 

JUVENII-E  STAKES..97,  106,  107,  UO,  224,  278 

465 


KALOOLAH    255 

KANE,    P 388 

KANE,    WILLIAM 448 

KANESVILLE   321,  332 

KANSAS    FAIR   AND    RACING    ASSO- 
CIATION      158 

KANSAS  RACIiNG   392 

KANTAKA  174,  256 

KARRICK,  WILLIAM  H 314 

KATE   274 

KATE  ALLEN : 227 

KATE    HUNTER 67 

KATE   KEARNEY 79 

KATIE  417 

KATIE   B 352 

KATIE  PEASE 48,  52,  72,  138,  479 

KATISHA    303 

KATONAH  HANDICAP  109 

KAUFMAN,  A 422 

KEARNEY,   EDWARD 157,  463 

KEARNEY  STAKES 463 

KEENAN    130,  225 

KEENE,   FOXHALL   P...50,  110,  144,  148,  356 
357,  374,  378,  390,  409 

KEENE,  JAMES   R 30,  53,  90,  110,  112,  125 

128,  129,  130,  131,  139,  143,  144,  145,  147,  148 
161,  162,  261,  276,  312,  315,  338,  341,  356.  357 
374,  377.  378,  390,  395,  402,  408,  441,  443,  448 
471 

KEEPSAKE   246 

KEHILAN  RAS-EL  FEDAWI 13 

KELLY,  EDWARD 144 

KELLY,   FRANCIS 353 

KELLY,   FRANK 432 

KELLY,  GEORGE  F 355 

KELLY,  JAMES 434 

KELLY  &  SAMUELS 343 

KENDALL   195 

KENMORE  QUEEN 283 

KENNELL    319 

KENNER,  DUNCAN  F 66,  134,  454 

KENNER  STAKES.. .90,  91,  93,  95,  96,  220,  246 
463 

KENNESAW  STUD  FARM 30,    92 

KENNY,  JOHN 355 

KENO  341 

KENSICO  STABLE 314,  341,  382 

KENTUCKY 31,   43,  85,  90,  109,  115,  135,  16S 

173,  274,  370,  465 

KENTUCKY  ASSOCIATION 47,  137,  157, 

158,  243,  422 
KENTUCKY.  CIVIL  WAR  RACING  IN.  455 
KENTUCKY  DERBY  STAKES.. 73,  76,  77,  S3 
95,  96,  97,  105,  106,  107,  108,  113,  114,  128,  139 
156,   245,   255.    281,   285,   424 

KENTUCKY  HANDICAP 109 

KENTUCKY,    HOME   OF  THE   THOR- 
OUGHBRED      166 

KENTUCKY  JACK  POT  ST.'iKES 255 

KENTUCKY  OAKS 156 

KENTUCKY  RACE  COURSES 454 

KENTUCKY  ST.  LEGER....73,  S3,  93;  96.  156 

KENTUCKY   STAKES 108,  110,  246 

KENTUCKY  STUD  FARMS..167,  217,  243,  253 

KENTUCKY  TURF,  THE 29,  386 

KENTUCKY  TURFMEN 155 

KERNER,  C.  H 475 

KETTLEDRUM  193 


KEYS,  JOHN   422 

KIDNAPPER  II 131 

KILARMA  336 

KILBOURN,  HALLET 453 

KILDEER  77 

KILEY,  THOMAS 372 

KILWARLIN    113 

KING   ALFONSO 46,  S3,  96,  128,  168,  256 

KING  B 377 

KING  BAN 31,  162,164 

KING  BOLT  53,  135 

KING  CADMUS 297 

KINGCRAFT   107 

KING  CUP  246 

KINGDON    373,  378 

KING  ERNEST  30,  164,  170,  172 

KINGFISHER    52,  91,  98,  103,  465 

KING  FOX 31,  49,  53,  176 

KING  HENRY  71 

KING  HEROD   14,  23,  SI 

KING,   JOHN 142 

KING  KYRLE 255 

KINGLIKE  171,  172 

KINGMAN  77,  281 

KING  PHARAO 83 

KING  PIN  53,135 

KING  SAM 249 

KINGSBURY  HANDICAP 102 

KING'S  PRIDE 303 

KINGSTON 50,  77,  90,  109,  116,  117,  256,  355 

438 

KINGSTON  PLATE 126 

KING  THOMAS 53,  177,  261 

KING  TOM 107,  116,  163 

KING,  W.  S 253 

KINKEAD   93 

KINNEY,   D.   B 179 

KINZER,    N 169 

KIP,  LAWRENCE 152,  153,  154,  157,  475 

KIRKMAN,  V.  L 157 

KIRWIN,  A 39 

KIRKWOOD   334 

KISBER   127,  163 

KITTIE  PEASE   78 

KITTSON,  J.   E 114,  282,  334,  358,  438 

KITTSON,  N.  F 438 

KITTY  FISHER 20 

KLIEN,   MAX 422 

KNAPP,  E.  S 144 

KNAPP,   GIDEON  LEE 138,  142,  143,  144 

282,  322,  376,  390,  393 

KNAPP,  H.   K 157,  441,  475 

KNEALE,   J 418 

KNICKERBOCKER   HANDICAP 474 

KNICKNACK  172 

KNIGHT  OF  ELLERSLIE....75,  115.  231,  232 
KNIGHT  OF  ST.  GEORGE... 90,  112,  116,  166 

KORN,  J.   P 422 

KRIK'S  GUIDE  157 

KUHL,  HARRY 157 

KUNZEMAN,    G 422 

KYRLE  DALY 138 


LA  BELLE  N 253,  255.  256 

LA  BELLE  STUD 256,  353 

LABOLD,  A.  S 158 

LABOLD  BROS 374,  375 

LABOR  DAY  STAKES 109,  115,  183 

LA  CI  GALE 245 

LACKMAN,  A,  G 422 

LACLEDE  JOCKEY  CLUB 44 

LA  CREOLE  418 

LA  DAME  BLANCHE  88 

LADAS   114,  172 

LADIES'  STAKES  223,  274,  395 

LADSON,  JAMES   451 

LADY  BALLARD 256 

LADY  CLIFDEN  35,    62 

LADYDAINTY  338 

LADY  FLIRT  80 


LADY  FORTUNE  91 

LADY  HARD  WAY   116 

LADY  JACKSON  275 

LADY  JANE  125 

LADY  JUDETTE  205 

LADY  LANGDON  114,  196 

LADY  LIGHTFOOT   26,79,    80 

LADY  MARGARET  223,  225,  227 

LADY  MARY  249 

LADY  PRIMROSE  223 

LADY  REEL  113 

LADY  RELIEF  61,  371 

LADY  VIOLET  225 

LADY  WAYWARD  256 

LA  FAVORITA  113 

LAFAYETTE  COURSE  38 

LAFAYETTE  JOCKEY  CLUB 3S 

LAGGARD  lOS 

LA  GRANDE  91 

LAIRD,  JOSEPH   S3,  370 

LAIRD,  MADISON  60,  370 

LAIRD,  SAMUEL  60,    83 

LA  JUIVE  246 

LAKELAND,  ALFRED  336 

LAKELAND,   WILLIAM 183,  300,  312,  336 

346,  395,  416 

LAKE  SHORE  76,  306,  307 

L'ALLOUETTE  76 

LAMASNEY  BROTHERS 335 

LAMBENT   332 

LAMEROCK    130 

LAMLY,  JOHN  378 

LAMPLIGHTER 33,  74,  76,  78,  90,  109,  244 

245,  246,  256,  313 

LANCASTER  174,  275 

LANDSBERG,  W.  B 332,381,409 

LANGFORD    175,  270 

LANSDALE   398 

LAPDOG    119 

LA  POLKA  174,  465 

LAPWING  II 131 

LARCHMONT   336 

L'ARGENTINE  78 

LARVA    211 

LA  SCALA  Ill 

LASSIE  STAKES 110 

LAST  CHANCE  389 

LATH   20 

LATONIA  DERBY  113 

LATONIA  JOCKEY  CLUB 138,  158,  422 

LA  TOSCA 53,  173,  223,  224,  476 

LA  TRAPPE  197 

LAUNDRY  MAID  195 

LAURA  PARIS  41 

LAURA  MAY  354 

LAURA  SPILLMAN  39 

LAUREATE  355 

LAUREATE  STAKES   373 

LAUREL  STAKES    223 

LAURETE   344 

LAVA   53 

LAVENDER    36 

LAVINIA  269 

LAWN  VIEW  HANDICAP 478 

LAWRENCE,  ELIAS   138,  139 

LAWRENCE,  ISAAC  141 

LAWRENCE,  JAMES  G.   K..134,  141,  142,  143 

144,  153,  154,  418,  461,  473,  474 

LAWRENCE,  WILLIAM  B 141 

LAWRENCE  REALIZATION,  THE 474 

LAZZARONE  75,  76,  90,  110,  256,  395 

LEADER    112 

LEAKE,  W.  S 479 

LEAMINGTON.... 30,   43,  44,  49,  53,  69,  89.    91 

62,  100,  102,   125,   126,   163,   164,   173,  174,  175 

400,  459 

LEANDER    46 

LECLARE  406 

LECOMTE...26,  28,  36,  52,  65,  66,  72,  82,  84,    85 

86,  87,  88,  89,  121,  122 
LEDETTE  72 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


LEEDSVILLE   

LEE,  JAMES   

LEE,  "LIGHTHORSE"   HARRY. 
LEFEVRE,  C 


...  303 
..  338 
..  32 
..    99 

LEGAL  ENACTMENTS  AGAINST  RAC- 
ING, COLONIAL  16 

LEGISLATION  ON  BETTING 55 

LEGISLATION  ON   feACING 56,  146 

LEGRANGE,  COUNT   99 

LEHNDORFF,  COUNT  99 

LEICESTERSHIRE  OCTOBER  HANDI- 
CAP      130 

LEIGH,  H.  EUGENE 253,  254,  255,  256,  324 

353,  359,  379,  417 

LEIGH  &  ROSE 110,  282 

LEINSTER   175 

LELA  MAY  255 

LELAPS    89 

LE  MARECHAL  193 

LEO    50,  166 

LEON,  M 422 

LEONA   106 

LEONARD  92,  465 

LEONATUS 50,   77,  92,  105,  424 

LEONAWELL  76,  319 

LEONORE   237 

LEOPOLDINA  227 

LETCHER,  W.  R 158 

LETOLA  177 

LEVANT  STAKES     100,  125,  126 

LEVIA    105 

LEVIEN,  DOUGLAS  A 446 

LEVIEN,  JOHN  D 446 

LEVIEN,  RIDGE  C 446 

LEVITY  93,  117,  459 

LEVY,  A.  J 422 

LEWIS,  EDWARD  359 

LEWIS,  HARRY    377 

LEXINGTON... 26,  30,  35,  36,  38,  43,  55,  62,  65 
66,  67,  69,  72,  73,  81,  82,  84,  85,  87,  89,  90,  91, 95 
98,  101,  125,  131,  163,  167,  168,  172  174,  175,  370 
465 

LEXINGTON  COURSE  454,  455 

LEXINGTON  FUTURITY  324 

LEXINGTON  JOCKEY  CLUB 455 

LIBBIE  L ■. 256 

LIBERATOR  272 

LIBERTINE    77 

LIBRA  130 

LICHTENSTEIN,-  S 422 

LIDA  STANHOPE  342 

LIDGERWOOD   148 

LIGHTSOME  93,    95 

LIGHTWING    359 

LILLIAN   E 321 

LILLIAN  LEE  78 

LILLIE  DALE   394 

LILUE  R 174 

LINCOLN  123 

LINCOLN,  ABRAHAM 136 

LINDA  PAYNE   374 

LINDSAY'S  ARABIAN  19 

LINEAGE   399 

LINGFIELD  SUMMER  HANDICAP....  130 

LINK  HOTEL  STAKES 96 

LIONESS    346 

LION  HEART  327 

LISBON    168 

LITERATURE  OF  THE  TURF.... 42,  43,  152 

LITTELL,  M.  H 46,  135,  461 

LITTLE  BRAMBLE 100 

LITTLEFIELD,    CHARLES 408,  409 

LITTLEFIELD,  PHILIP  J 347 

LITTLE  FLEA   87 

LITTLE  FRED   414 

LITTLEJOHN    79 

LITTLEJOHN   STAKES 102 

LITTLE,  M.  A 48 

LITTLE  MINCH    255,  414 

LITTLE  PEGGY  103 

LITTLE  REB 312 


LITTLE  ROCK  JOCKEY  CLUB 158,  422 

LIVERPOOL  ST.  LEGER  84 

LIVINGSTON,  ANSON    458 

LIVINGSTON,  CARROLL 471 

LIVINGSTON,  ROB'T  CAMBRIDGE....  142 

LIZE   91 

LIZZIE  DWYER   74 

LIZZIE  G lis 

LIZZIE  HAZLEWOOD    115 

LIZZIE  McDonald  35,38,39,  68 

LIZZIE  S 78 

LIZZIE  W 460 

L.  J.  KNIGHT 245 

LLOYD,  CHARLES  S 39,    41 

LLOYD,   HENRY 458,  460 

LLOYD,   JOHN 429 

LLOYD,  ROBERT  S 429 

LLOYD,  THOMAS 422,  429 

LOADSTONE  90,  174,  275 

LOANTAKA   74,    75 

LOBELIA    84 

LOBENGULA  302 

LOCAL    465 

LOCHINVAR   401 

LODI    90,  175,  460 

LOFTUS,  PETER  J 339 

LOGAN,  EDWARD  404 

LOISETTE    50 

LOLLIE  EASTON  110 

LOMBARD  STAKES  103 

LONDON,  J 422 

LONDON     VETERINARY     MEDICAL 

ASSOCIATION   439 

LONG  ACRE  334 

LONG  BEACH  405 

LONG  BRANCH  STAKES 94,  108 

LONG  DISTANCE  RACING...  .34,  39,  46,    59 

50,  98,  120,  371 
LONG     DISTANCE     RACING,     AB.\N- 

DONMENT  OF 51 

LONGFELLOW.30,  46,  49,  69,  70,  89,  91,  92,    93 

96,  in,  126,  279 

LONG  ISLAND  COURSE 79 

LONG  ISLAND  HANDICAP 474 

LONG  ISLAND  ST.  LEGER 93 

LONG  ISLAND  STUD  FARMS 218 

LONGSTREET  74,  118,  169,  170,  245,  424 

LONG  TAW 92,  170 

LOOKOUT  77,  245 

LOORAM,  M.  M 422 

LOOSLEY,   CHARLES   25 

LORD    CLIFDEN 106,  114,  196 

LORD  GOUGH  113 

LORD  HARRY  446 

LORD  LYON  127,  174 

LORD  MURPHY 77,  95,  IDS,  128,  139,  168 

LORD  ZENI   321 

LORGNETTE   199 

LORILLARD,  GEORGE  L 46,  50,  52,  108 

142,  161,  278,  320,  358,  362,  408,  461,  469,  471 

472,  473 

LORILLARD,  PIERRE 46,  50,  52,  53,    74 

92,  95,  97,  106,  108,  109,  lU,  124,  125,  126,  128 
129,  130,  131,  139,  161,  173,  276,  278,  282,  301 
?17,  323,  337,  341,  352,  371,  375,  390,  395,  397 
408,  415,  438,  440,  445,  447,  448,  461,  469,  472 

473,  475 

LORILLARD,  PIERRE,  JR 173,  282 

LORILLARD  STAKES.... 89,  107,  110,  112,  117 
181,  183,  2^6,  469 

LOTTA  104 

LOTTERY   27,  163 

LOUD,  JOHN  W 342,  362 

LOUD,  RICHARD  H 342 

LOUISIANA  JOCKEY  CLUB 47,  454 

LOUISIANA  RACE  COURSES 453 

LOUISIANA   STAKES 71,    93 

LOUISVILLE    91 

LOUISVILLE  CUP  S3,  94,  156 

LOUISVILLE  HOTEL  HANDICAP 353 

LOUISVILLE  JOCKEY  CLUB. 46,  47,  71,  156 

494 


LOUISVILLE  ST.  LEGER 353 

LOUISVILLE   STAKES 100 

LOULANIER   177 

LOUPE   374 

LOVE,  SAMUEL  311 

LOVELACE  372 

LOVELACE,   GOVERNOR 17 

LOVELL,  WILLIAM 417 

LOWE,    FRED 351 

LOWLANDER   75,  351 

LOYALIST  169 

LUCAS,   SAM 179,  181 

LUCIFER  89 

LUCKEY,  JAMES  M 350 

LUCKEY,  MARTIN  R 344,  350 

LUCKY  DOG   389 

LUCRE 265 

LUCRETIA  BORGIA  72,  73,  78,  479 

LUCY  FOWLER  278 

LUCY  JOHNSTON  255 

LUEHRMANN  HOTEL  STAKES 285 

LUFRA   HI 

LUKE  BLACKBURN 52,  84,  92,  93,  95,    97 

169,  472,  473 

LYNCHBURG   49,  89,  102 

LYNCH,  D.  J 343 

LYNCH,  HENRY  60 

LYNCH,  P.  A 50 

LYNE,  S.  C 30 

LYTTLETON  31,  49,  70,  83,  89,  279 


McBREEN,   OWEN 330 

McBRIDE,    R 361,  401 

McCABE,  FRANK 304,  379,  391,  406 

McCAFFERTY,  A.  T 281 

McCAFFERTY,  JOHN    J 280,  281,  312,  359 

366,  379,  412 
McCALL,  J.  S 50 

McCarthy,  w.  h 340 

McClelland,  byron 52, 318, 364, 386 

394,  414 

McCULLOM,   JAMES 422 

McCORMICK,  JAMES  H 247,  313,  335,  346 

350,  362,  399 

McCOUN,  DAVID 39,  45,  74,  461 

McCOY,  C.  D 412 

McCULLOUGH,  JOHN 471 

McDANIEL,    DAVID 36,  38,  45,  46,  67,    70 

138,  140,  158,  277,  280,  304,  333,  356,  461 

McDERMOTT,  WILLIAM  H 397 

McDONALD,  J.   E...303,  334,  358,  364,  366,  381 

422 

McDowell,  clarence 144, 157 

McELMEEL,  E.  J 74,  282 

McGAFFNEY,    HUGH 313 

McGEE,  E.  H 445 

McGIVNEY,   THOMAS 330 

McGIVNEY,  WILLIAM  T 330 

McGLADE,  P 377 

McGOWAN,  JAMES 461 

McGRATH,  HENRY  PRICE.... 31,  45,  46,    50 

95,  97,  104,  162,  243,  278,  461 
McGRATHIANA  STUD.. 110,  113,  162,  242,  243 

244,  245,  246,  247,  278 

McGRATH  PRODUCE  STAKES 105 

McINERNEY,  P.  J 413 

McINTYRE    319 

McINTYRE,  H.  D 141,  157,  453 

McKIBBEN,  J.   C 453 

Mclaughlin,  frank 479 

McLaughlin,  james  F...317, 337, 370, 371 

3T7, 399 
McLaughlin,  william 315 

McLEAN,  CHARLES  F 158 

McLEAR,  JOHN 337 

McLEOD,  WILLIAM 451 

McMAHON,  WILLIAM  397 

McMAHON  &  GARRISON 347,  37a 

McSPARREN,  JAMES 17 

McWHIRTER    30,  91,  246 


A 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


MABEL  GLENN  428 

MA  BELLE  255,  256 

AL\CAUOON    170,  172 

MACBETH    152 

JL\Cr.ETH    II 77,  245,  265 

MACDONOUGH,  W.  O'B 177,  415 

MACDUFF    166,  245,  246 

MACE   BROTHERS 394 

MACFARLAN,  M.  N 157 

MACK  BRIGGS  129 

MACKEY,  JOHN 176 

MACKIN,   \V.  J 422 

MACLACHLAN,   G 131 

MACNAMARA,  W.  F 422 

MADAM  DUDLEY 174,  275 

MADAME  TONSON   31 

MADDEN,  JOHN  E 113,  281,  324,  375,  399 

401,  418 

MADDEN  &  STRAUSS 353 

MADELINE   102,  168 

MADGE   465 

MADISON,  JAMES   270 

MADONNA  IBS 

M ADSTONE    408 

MAFFITT,  C.  C 158 

MAGGIE  B.  B 44,  91,  102,  126,  174 

MAGNATE   223 

MAGNETIC    173 

MAGNETISM  90,  116 

MAGNETIZER  53,  116,  221,  222,  225 

MAGNIFICAT    .195 

MAGNITUDE  OF  TURF  INTERESTS..    42 

MAGNOLIA 30.  32,  90,  102,  110,  168,  169 

MAGNOLIA  COURSE 44 

MAGNOLIA  JOCKEY  CLUB 40 

MAGNOLIA  STUD  107 

MAHON,  W.  H 345 

MAHONEY,  EDWARD  359 

MAHONEY,  JAMES  A 422 

MAHONEY  &  CO 42S 

MAIDEN    POEM 206 

MAIDEN  STAKES 100,  105,  115,  285 

MAID  MARIAN    77,  476 

MAID  OF  ALTONVVOOD   306 

MAID  OF  AVENEL    195 

MAID  OF  RICHFIELD   354 

MAID  OF  THE  OAKS.... 27,  173,  269,  270,  276 

MAIL  BAG  303 

MAJOR  DOMO    171,  261,  378,  428 

MAJOR  LEE  414 

MAJOR  PICKETT   415 

MAKELESS   19 

MALCOMB  STAKES 102 

MALCOLM  479 

MALITA    107 

MAL-LAK-WA    209 

MALONE,  J.  B 60 

MAMBRINO    22,  85 

MAMBRINO   CHIEF 23 

MAMELUKE    102,  127,  163 

MAMIE  402 

MAMIE  SCOTT  77 

MAMONA   460 

MANAGEMENT  OF  RACE  COURSES..  133 

144,  435,  436,  446 
MANAGEMENT  OF  TURF  AFFAIRS...    54 

MANCHESTER  387 

MANCHESTER  CUP 125 

MANCHESTER    NOVEMBER    HANDL 

CAP    131 

MANDANE    107 

MANDEVILLE,  LORD  142 

MANDRICARDO   193 

MANGO   87,  276 

MANHATTAN  HANDICAP. .  ..73,  94,  115,  465 

MANIGAULT,   GABRIEL 451 

MANITOBA   129 

MANNIE  GRAY  91,  112 

MANOR  BASHFORD  FARM 30 

MANSION  HOUSE  STAKES 71,  93,  104 

MAPLETON  FARM  31 


MARA,  JAMES  J 415 

MARAUDER  308 

MARC  ANTONY    31 

MARCHAM  PARK  STAIvES 104 

MARCH.  RICHARD 410 

MARETTI    355 

MARGARET  WOOD   31 

MARGRAVE  36,  119,  225 

MARGUERITE    168 

MARIA   246,  271,  274 

MARIA   D 113 

MARIAM   30 

MARIGOLD   73 

MARINA  345 

MARINER    370 

MARION  C 117,  438 

MARIPOSA    170 

MARKHAM'S  ARABIAN 13 

MARK  L 94 

MARK  RICHARDS  SO 

MARKS,  E.  N 422 

MARKS,   M 422 

MARKSMAN    39,  67 

MARROON   115 

MARSHALL  DUROC  27 

MARTELLO    308 

MARTIN 387 

MARTIN,   HARRY 389 

MARTINHURST    30 

MARTIN,  LOUIS    359 

MARTIN  RUSSELL  255 

MARTIN,  WILLIAM    302 

MARVIN,  JAMES  M 462 

MARY  ANDERSON  78,  170 

MARY  BERTRAND  88 

MARY  EVELINE   39 

MARYLAND  JOCKEY  CLUB 47,  94,  137 

454,  467 

MARY  LONG  45 

MARYLAND  RACE  COURSES 467 

MARY  TAYLOR 84,    86 

MASCOT    195,  338 

MASHER    116,  22.4 

MASON,   WILLIAM    346 

MASSOUD    106 

MATCHEM    14,    89 

MATE    107,  124,  174 

MATRON  STAKES  ; 113 

MATT  BYRNES   196 

MATTIE  MOORE   94 

MATURITY    STAKES.. 70,  73,  94,  109,  116,  128 

MAUD    106 

MAUD  ELLIS   335 

MAUD  HAMPTON  53,  177 

MAUDIE  TROWBRIDGE 249 

MAURICE   363 

MAXIM   176 

MAXWELL,  CLARK  53,320 

MAXWELL  HOUSE  STAKES S3,  100 

MAXWELL,  W.  P 422 

MAYFLOWER   HI 

MAYFLOWER  HANDICAP.  474 

MAZARINE,  LORD 20 

MEADOW  BROOK  HUNT 151 

MEADOWBROOK   STUD 167 

MEADOWTHORPE   383 

MECO  106 

MEDIATOR  139 

MEDINA    84 

MEDLEY    21,  22,  31,  38,  163 

MEDOC   28,  30,  38,  166,  173,  276,  276 

MEDOC'S  CELER  20,    31 

MEDORA  348 

MEEHAN,  GEORGE  W 346 

MEGARA   110 

MEG  OF  MARLEY 193 

MEHALLAH  125,  181,  207 

MELBOURNE,  JR 30,    97 

MELODY   88 

MELROSE  90,  166 

MEMORABLE  YEAR  OF  RACING 46 


MEMORIAL        HANDICAP        SWEEP- 
STAKES      285 

MENLOW  PARK  STOCK  FARM 177 

MEN  OF  THE  TURF 421 

MENTMORE   LASS 177 

MENU    303 

MERCHANTS'  STAKES... 83,  97,  100,  106,  109 
115 

MERCILESS    173 

MERCKEL,  FREDERICK  326 

MERMAID    STAKES 97,  223,  224,  473,  474 

MEROPE   114 

MERRILL  479 

MERRY  DUKE  306 

MERRY  HAMPTON 114,  195 

MERRY  NELLIE   227 

MERRY  PEERESS  195 

MERRY  PRINCE  225 

MESSENGER  22,  23,  26,  31,  91,  163 

META    II 130 

METAIRIE   465 

METAIRIE  COURSE 44,  65,  66,  67,  84,    85 

86,  87,  88,  89,  103,  121,  453,  454 

METAIRIE   CUP 93 

METAIRIE  JOCKEY  CLUB 66,  453,  454 

METELLA  70 

METROPOLITAN  HANDICAP 101,  111 

115,  125,  231,  364,  374,  378,  395,  476,  478 
METROPOLITAN      TURF      ASSOCIA- 
TION     421,  434 

MEYER,  LEO 423 

MICHAEL,  JIMMY 391 

MICHAEL  III 342 

MICHAELS,  B 422 

MICMAC 138 

MICMAC  QUEEN  322 

MIDDLEBROOK  FARM 30 

MIDDLE  PARK  PLATE 99 

MIDDLETON,  GEORGE  C 422 

MIDGLEY  334 

MIDGLEY,  FRANK  358 

MIDGLEY,  WILLIAM  R 334,  340 

MIDLOTHIAN    76,  111 

MIDNIGHT    109 

MIDSUMMER  HANDICAP 109,  463 

MIGNON   195 

MIKADO    171 

MILDRED    93 

MILL  BOY  53 

MILLEROOK  308,  377 

MILLDALE  STAKES  285 

MILL,  SIR  J.  B 92 

MILLER,  ANDREW 145,  151,  152,  157 

MILLER,  A.  P 381 

MILLER,  CHARLES  338,  401 

MILLER,  FRED  T 336 

MILLER,  J.   A 131 

MILLER,  JOHN 340 

MILLER'S  DAMSEL  79 

MILLS,  M.  B , 158 

MILROY,  R.  B 157,  479 

MIMI  171 

MINDEN,  M 422 

MINEOLA    89 

MINGO    28,  62,  170 

MINNOW    88 

MINOCO    352 

MINOR,  A.  J 41 

MINOP,  JOHN  135 

MINOR,  WILLIAM  J 66 

MINTER,  EDWARD  417 

MINX  108 

MIRAGE  401 

MISERERE    201 

MISS  ALICE  135 

MISS  BADEN    246 

MISS  BELLE   334 

MISS  BELMONT  237 

MISS  COLVILLE   20 

MISS  DAREBIN  191'  209 

MISS  EDITH    '  195 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


MISS  GALLOP   411 

MISS  HAMPTON  170 

MISS  JESSIE   41 

MISS  LETTY   163 

MISS  MAUD    172 

MISS  NELLIE    171 

MISS  TENNY    314 

MISS  WOODFORD. ...50,  7S,  100,  US,  177,  337 
415 

MISSOULA    209 

MISSOURI  RACING 392 

MISTAKE    479 

MISTRAL    322 

MISTRESS  OF  THE  ROBES 195 

MITCHELL,    JOSEPH 329 

MIZNER,  E.  A 326 

MODERN  CHAMPIONS   99 

MODERN  RACING  EVENTS 73 

MODERN  RACING  MEETINGS 53 

MODERN  TURF  DEVELOPMENT 42 

MOERLIN  STAKES  383 

MOHICAN  39,  127,  306 

MOKHLADI    166 

MOLLER   201 

MOLL  IN  THE  WAD 451 

MOLLY  JACKSON 41,  69,  71,    93 

MOLLY  McCarthy 71, 72,  S3, 93, 94, 371 

479 

MONARCH    S7,  93,  271 

MONARCHIST 43,  46,  52,  69,  70,  71,  93,  103 

169,  211,  275,  465 

MONARQUE  370 

MONDAY    93,  111,  166,  173,  175,  177,  465 

MONEYSPINNER    336 

MONITA    90 

MONITOR 52,  90,  lOS,  278,  473 

MONKEY    19,    20 

MONKSHALL,   H 130 

MONMOUTH    SO,  359 

MONMOUTH    CUP.. 69,  70,  73,  92,  96,  100,  101 
104,  lOS,  US,  12S,  245,  353 

MONMOUTH  ECLIPSE  38 

MONMOUTH   HANDICAP 108,  112,  US 

MONMOUTH  OAKS,  THE 97,  224,  469 

MONMOUTH  PARK  ASSOCIATION...    44 
46,  47,  49,  55,  90,  91,  93,  100,  137,  142,  143,  152 
155,  235,  282,  435,  462,  469,  470,  471 
MONMOUTH  PARK  STOCK  FARM....  235 
236,  237,  23S,  239,  240,  241 

MONOGRAM   74,  255 

MONROE  DOCTRINE   231 

MONSIEUR  TONSON  31,    79 

MONSON,  ALONZO  C...134,  137,  13S,  274,  464 

MONTANA  74,  179,  181,  183,  188,  193,  376 

MONTANA   CTJP 359 

MONTANA  STUD  FARM,  A 179 

MONTANUS,  ARNOLDUS 15 

MONTAUK  129,  131 

MONTEREY   247 

MONTGOMERY,  S.  R 157 

MONTPELIER    393 

MONTREAL        VETERINARY        COL- 
LEGE      440 

MONTROSE    77,  245,  246,  247 

MOONEY,  DANIEL  W 345 

MOORE,  T.  G 41,  33S,  460,  461 

MOORE  &  COFFEE  103 

MORAN,    B 417 

MORAN,  J 179 

MORELLO    76,  7S,  114,  3S2,  43S 

MORETON'S   TRAVELLER 19 

MORGAN,  EDWIN  D 57 

MORNING  GLORY  359 

MORPHEUS    308,  309 

MORRIS,  ALFRED  H 52,  144,  277,  382,  400 

418,  441 

MORRIS,  A.  NEWBOLD 475 

MORRIS,  CORTLANDT  464 

MORRIS,  DAVE  H...52,  277,  382,  400,  418,  441 
MORRIS,  FORDHAM    435 


MORRIS,    FRANCIS... 38,  39,  121,  133,  170,  171 

274,  276,  277,  340,  354,  435,  458,  459,  460,  461 

464,  468 
MORRIS,   GREEN   B 110,  302,  322,  357,  359 

362,  408,  412 

MORRIS,  JOHN  276 

MORRIS,  JOHN  A.. 274,  277,  333,  436,  475,  476 

■177 
MORRIS  PARK 157,  276,  277,  436,  437,  459 

469,  475,  476,  477,  478 

MORRIS,  ROBERT  B 458 

MORRIS,  ROBERT  H 137 

MORRIS,  WILLIAM  P 276 

MORRISSEY,  JOHN 278,  435,  460,  461,  462 

MORRISSEY  STAKES  100,  101 

MORTEMER...30,  44,  53,  105,  106,  164,  170,  171 

173 

MORTON,  LEVI  P 56,  146 

MOSER,  EDWARD  C 408 

MOSES    338 

MOSLEM  114 

MOSS   ROSE 115,  231,  233 

MOSS  ROSE  II 131 

MOTORMAN  344 

MOULTRIE,   WILLIAM    451 

MOUNTS,  WINNING. ...374,  383,  385,  387,  389 

393,  397,  404,  405 

MOYA    209 

MR.   CLAY   303 

MR.  DUNLOP  411 

MR.    PICKWICK 30,  76,  110,  111,  170 

MR.  SPEAKER  356 

MRS.   CHUBBS   261 

MULATTO    321 

MULKEY,  WILLIAM   343 

MULLINS,  JOHN  313 

MUNDIG  82 

MUNICIPAL  HANDICAP 115,  47S 

MURILLO    .- 356 

MURPHY,  ISAAC  75,  477 

MURPHY,  JAMES  407,  433 

MURPHY,  J.  J 422 

MURPHY,  JOSEPH  A 157,  158 

MURPHY,  MICHAEL  337 

MURPHY,  THOMAS  H 383 

MURPHY,  TIMOTHY  H 413 

MURRAY,  ROBERT  M 35S 

MURRY,  W.  M 342 

MURT  249 

MUSCOVY   170 

MUSGRAVE    30 

MUSKET   176 

MY  FAVORITE  116 

MY  FELLOW  343 

MY  LADY  87 

MYRTLE    102 


NAGI.E,  JOHN  E 422 

NAGLE,  PERCIVAL  344,  422 

NAGLE,  THOMAS  E 422 

NAMELY  203 

NAMESAKE    203 

NAMONIA   181,  212,  213 

NANCY  34 

NANCY  AIR  : 27 

NANCY  BYWELL  19 

NANNIE  BLACK  113 

NANNIE  BUTLER  113 

NANNIE  H 116 

NANNY  RHODES  86 

NANTURA  83,  91 

NANTURA  FARM  30,  279 

NASHVILLE    130 

NASHVILLE    BLOOD    HORSE    ASSO- 
CIATION   44,  47,  139 

NASHVILLE  COURSE  38,    45 

NASHVILLE  CUP  353 

NASHVILLE  JOCKEY  CLUB 454 

NATHANSON,    M 158 

NATIONAL  COURSE  452 


NATIONAL  HANDICAP  465 

NATIONAL  FAIR  ASSOCIATION 453 

NATIONAL     HORSE      SHOW      ASSO- 
CIATION     149,  153,  154,  435 

NATIONAL  JOCKEY  CLUB 453 

NATIONAL  STALLION  STAKES..  .323,  373 

478 
NATIONAL      STEEPLECHASE      AND 

HUNT  ASSOCIATION   157 

NATIONAL  STOCK  FARM 169 

NATIONAL  VETERINARY  COLLEGE.  441 

NATTY    129 

NAVESINK  HANDICAP 108,  112 

NEBULA   90 

NECROMANCY  172 

NEGRETA  87 

NELL 171,172 

NELLIE  BOOKER  246 

NELLIE  GRAY  46 

NELLIE  HILL  193 

NELLIE  JAMES  US 

NELLIE  McDonald  465 

NELSON,  C.  M 422 

NELSON,  R.  W 158 

NEMESIS   114,  170 

NEREID    125.  126 

NETTY  NORTON   S9 

NETWOOD  384 

NEUMEYER,  JOHN  P 406 

NEVADA   92,  95,  107,  353 

NEVILL  PLATE  130 

NEW  BIENNIAL  STAKES 130 

NEW  ENGLAND,  EARLY  RACING  IN.    16 

NEW  JERSEY  131 

NEW  JERSEY  RACE  COURSES 457,  469 

NEW  JERSEY  STUD  FARMS.. ..170,  229,  235 
249 

NEW  LOUISIANA  JOCKEY  CLUB 158 

NEW  LOUISVILLE  JOCKEY  CLUB.157,  158 

NEWMAN,  A 417 

NEWMARKET   BIENNIAL 126 

NEWMARKET  COURSE  (L.  I.) . .  .79,  80,  455 

456  . 
1\EWMARKET  COURSE  (VA.).38,  88,  271,451 

NEWMARKET  DERBY   170 

NEWMARKET  PLATE  193 

NEWMARKET  ST.  LEGER 87,113 

NEWMARKET  STAKES   125,  127,  128 

NEWMARKET  TROY  STAKES 102 

NEW  MEMPHIS  JOCKEY  CLUB.... 157,  158 

NEWMTNSTER  102,  111 

NEWPORT  STABLE  472 

NEWRY    175 

NEWTON    78 

NEWTON,  GEORGE  397 

NEW  YORK  ATHLETIC  CLUB 135 

NEW  YORK  HANDICAP 115,  118,  474 

NEW  YORK  JOCKEY  CLUB 152,  276,  477 

NEW  YORK  RACE  COURSES,  OLD.456,  470 

NEW  YORK  RACING 35,  38,    39 

NEW    YORK    RACING   BEFORE   THE 

CIVIL  WAR  67 

NEW  YORK  RACING,   COLONIAL 17 

NEW  YORK  STABLE    343,  362 

NEW  YORK  STEEPLECHASE  HANDI- 
CAP      478 

NEW    YORK    STATE    RACING    COM- 
MISSION     56,  57,  5S,  146 

NEW  YORK  STUD  FARMS 174 

NEW  YORK  TRACKS  ABANDONED...    36 

NIAGARA    174,  275 

NICHOLAS  I... 35,  38,  39,  41,  67,  68,  69,  96,121 
140 

NICHOLAS,  H.  1 475 

NICHOLS',  J.  F 359 

NICOMACHUS   212 

NICK  283,  285,  287,  383 

NICOLLS,   RICHARD   17 

NIGHT  HAWK  STAKES  342 

NIGHTINGALE   249 

NINA  28,    35 


496 


a 


'^'NINETEKNTII  CENTURY   RACING....    42 

NINETY  CENTS   303 

NISQUANONA   237 

NIXON,  JOHN  327,  418 

NIXON,  VV.  E 422 

NOLAN,  M.  N 157,  337,  347,  463 

NONESUCH    220 

NO  REMARK  249 

NORFOLK 30,  43,  4S,  71,  78,  85,  90,  168,  175 

313,  479 

NORTH  ANNA  256 

NORTH  CAROLINA  RACING 45 

NORTH  ELKHORN  STUD 92,  162,  169 

NORTHERN     BREEDING,     SUCCESS- 
FUL    ics 

NORTHERN     RACING     AFTER     THE 

CIVIL  WAR  69 

NORTHERN  STABLES 275,  276 

NORTH  STAR  125 

NORTON    41 

NORTON,  W.   P 324 

NOTRE  DAME 45 

NOVA  ZEMBLA  95 

NOVICE  90 

NOW  OR  NEVER  331 

NULIE  166 

NURSERY  CUP  102 

NURSERY  PLATE  102 

NURSERY   STAKES. ...73,  92,  96,  108,  123,  275 

465,  478 
NURSERY   STUD... 30,  50,  52,  53,  100,  102,  109 
110,  170,  174,  177,  181,  196,  207,  208,  216,  231 
243 

NUTBROWN    172 

NUTO   283 


OAKLAND    140 

OAKLAND  PARK  COURSE 58,  479 

OAKLAND  STAKES  115 

OAKLEY  DERBY  ,- 281 

OAKLEY  HANDICAP  318 

OAKLEY  PARK  158 

OAKS,  THE  92 

OAKWOOD  STUD  169 

OARSMAN   246 

OBERLIN   393 

O'BRIEN,  THOMAS  422 

OCEAN  HANDICAP  297 

OCEAN  STAKES.93,  100,  104,  115,  221,  245,  314 

OCHONE   249 

O'CONNELL   77 

O'CONNOR,  CHARLES   464 

O'CONNOR,  D.  J ■122 

O'CONNOR,  WILLIAM  S 385 

OCTAGON    225 

O'DONNELL,  CHARLES   399 

O'DONNELL,  JOHN 356,  461 

O'DONOHUE  308 

O'FALLON,  J.  J 468 

OFFICIALS  OF  THE  TRACK...  .422,  444,  445 
446,  448 

OFFICIALS,  RACING  133,  156,  157 

OFFICIAL  TURF  GUIDE 448 

OGDEN    76,  113,  181,  193,  204 

OGDEN,  F.  G 29 

OGLE,   BENJAMIN 20,  28,  269 

O'GORMAN,  RICHARD 464 

OHIO  DERBY  STAKES 73,    92 

OKEMA 249,  251 

OLD  CAMBRIDGESHIRE  HANDICAP.  130 

OLD  ENGLAND  20 

OLD  HAUTBOY  20 

OLD  NURSERY  STAKES 130 

OLD  SPIRIT,  THE 42 

O'LEARY,  FRANK  380 

O'LEARY,  J 3B2 

OLIATA   135 

OLITIPA    135,  166,  465 

OLIVER  -. 106 

OLIVER,  WILLIAM  ., ,,.,,.,, 344 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


OLNEY,  WALDO   341 

OLYMPUS    123 

OMEGA    27,    81 

OMNIBUS    STAKES 107,  109,  409 

OMNIUM    HANDICAP 118,  474 

ONCE  AGAIN  245,  246 

ON  DECK  283,  284 

ONECK   STABLE Ill,  138,  282 

ONE-EYED  JOE 35 

O'NEIL,  JOHN    416 

O'NEILL,  JOHN  J 422 

ONE  I  LOVE  172 

ONEKO    231 

ONONDAGA.. 76,   89,  110,  113,  166,  243,  245,  246 
247 

ONTARIO    246,  339 

ON  THE  LEA  245 

OPENING  SCRAMBLE,  THE 477 

OPTIMIST 122,  123 

ORATOR    171 

ORDER    113,  261 

ORDERLY   255 

ORDRAIN   386 

OREGON   245 

O'REILLY,  F.  C 340 

ORIENTAL  HANDICAP 237,  357,  478 

ORIFLAMME  303 

ORIGIN    OF    THE    ENGLISH    THOR- 
OUGHBREDS     11,  12,    13 

ORINOCA  245 

ORIOLE   113,  204 

ORION   169,  283,  291 

ORME    172 

ORMONDE  53,  177,  201,  203 

ORNAMENT  113,  324,  373,  376 

ORNAMENTAL    373 

ORNUS   365 

ORTHOS    350 

ORTOLAN    107 

OSBORNE,  JOHN  105 

OSCAR   22,  27,  28,  32,    34 

OSORY  30 

OSSIAN    30 

OTHELLO    19 

OTHO   21 

OVERTON,  HENRY  85 

OWENS,  JAMES    411 

OWNERS  AND  TRAINERS 269 

OWNERS'  HANDICAP 115 

OXFORD    114 

OZONE  STAKES  478 

PACEMAKER  256 

PACER,  THE  NARRAGANSETT 16 

PACIFIC   COAST  BLOOD  HORSE  AS- 
SOCIATION      479 

PACIFIC  COAST  JOCKEY  CLUB 58,  167 

158,  177,  479 

PACIFIC  JOCKEY  CLUB 48 

PACOLET  31,  32,    34 

PACTARIA   240 

PACTOLUS    237,  238,  411 

PADISHAH    223 

PADUASOY  239 

PAGE,  JOHN  20 

PAGET.    SYDNEY 399,  411 

PALFIENA  195 

PALFURNI    195 

PALISADE  STAKES  109 

PALLET,  C 405 

PALMETTO    46 

PALO  ALTO   STUD 49,167,177 

PANDEE    169 

PANIQUE    231 

PAPPOOSE   89,  125 

PARACHUTE   39 

PARADE    364 

PARKER,  CHARLES  W 306,  307 

PARKER,  FRANK  L 306,  307,  335 

PARKER,  S.  W 417 

4?7 


I'ARKVILLE  STOCK  FARM 344 

PARKWAY    HANDICAP 116,  297,  331,  478 

PARMER,  W.  0 158 

PAROLE 46,  49,  52,  53,  83,  89,  124,  125,  128 

166,  168,  173,  174,  371,  400 

PAROLINA    265 

PAROS   321 

PARROTT  &  CO 349 

PARSONS,  SCHUYLER  L 475 

PARTNER  20 

PARTNERSHIP   269 

PARVENUE    297 

PASHA    341 

PASSAIC  125,  126 

PASSAIC  STAKES  115 

PASSENGER 87 

PASTIME  STABLE  394 

PAT  DALY  447 

PAT  DONOVAN  395 

PATE,  R.  C 253,  255 

PATIENCE   465 

PAT  MALLOY  97,  98,  168,  479 

PATRICK,   GILBERT  WATSON 370 

PATRIOT  S3 

PATROL  309 

PATSY  DUFFY  78 

PATTERSON,   CHARLES  T 324 

PATTERSON,  THOMAS    336 

PATTERSON,  T.  B 39 

PATTI   246,  247 

PATTI  ROSA   245 

PATTON,   JAMES 302 

PAUL  JONES  86,  163 

PAWNEE   53 

PAW  PAW 125 

PAYNE,  J.  WALTER 31 

PAYNE,  OLIVER  H 144 

PEABODY  HOTEL  HANDICAP 285 

PEACEMAKER    28,  35,  378 

PEARSALL,    E 422 

PEARSALL,   EDWARD 458 

PEDESTRIAN   256 

PEDIGREES  27,  79,    99 

PEEL,  DAVID  173 

PEEP  SIGHT  195 

PEERESS  181 

PEGGY  SO 

PEINE,  JAMES  329 

PELL,  HERBERT  C 475 

PENN,    WILLIAM 418 

PENNSYLVANIA  STUD  FARMS 173 

PEORIA   177 

PEPPER,  JAMES  E 30,  366,  379 

PEPPER  STAKES  110 

PERBLAZE  256 

PERCY-GRAY  LAW 56,  431 

PERFORMANCES,  NOTABLE..26,  42,  59,    79 
PERFORMANCES      OF      THOROUGH- 
BREDS   79,    99 

PERtlAPS  246,  256 

PERICLES    343 

PERKINS,  GEORGE  G 158 

PERKINS,  HOSEA  B 464 

PERKINS,   JAMES 386 

PERU  16S 

PESSARA  76,  245,  255,  282,  374 

PETERS,  EDWARD  325 

PETERS,  WILLIAM  H 422,  428 

PETERSBURG  406 

PETRARCH  107 

PETTICOAT    201 

PETTINGILL,  CHARLES  H 256,  358,  363 

375,  422,'44S 

PEVERIL  OF  THE  PEAK  STAKES 130 

PEYTONA   ■ 35,  66,  68,  275 

PEYTON,  BAILIE  31,  81,  273 

PPL^TON    30,  49,  83.  96,  164 

PHANTASMAGORIA  27 

PHARSALIA  COURSE 84,  86,    88 

PHILIP   303 

PHILLIPS  68 


PHILLIPS,   WILLIAM 397 

PHILURA  246 

PHCBBE  MAYFLOWER  83 

PHCENIX    28 

PHCENIX  HOTEL  STAKES. ...83,  91,  93,    95 

100,  106,  245,  256,  318 

PICAYUNE  STAKES   88 

PICKAWAY  87 

PICKERING,  W.  W 407 

PICKPOCKET  75,    90 

PICOLO    465 

PICTON    62 

PIERCE,  FRANKLIN   136 

PIMLICO  PARK  COURSE 94,  468 

PIMLICO  STAKES  94,  108 

PINCKNEY,  C.  C 451 

PINCUS,  JACOB 39,  301,  333,  345,  346,  348 

PIRATE  OF  PENZANCE 245,  246 

PITTSBURGH    175 

PIZARRO    30,  97,  173 

PLACE'S  WHITE  TURK 13,    21 

PLANET    36,  39,  95,  167,  479 

PLANTAGENET 479 

PLATE  &  CO 332 

PLATINA  98 

PLAUDIT  281 

PLAYTHING  177 

PLENIPOTENTIARY   163 

PLENTY  42S 

PLEONA  170 

PLUNGERS    297,  426 

POCAHONTAS 82,   99,  115,  163 

POCANTICO  STAKES  473 

POINDEXTER.  T.  B 38,    63 

POLK,   LUCIUS  J 31,    96 

POLLY  HOPKINS  27 

POLLY  PERKINS   80 

PONTIAC  74,  109,  129,  301,  440 

POOR  JONATHAN 349 

PORTER,  ALEXANDER 63 

PORTER,   WILLIAM 409 

PORTER,  WILLIAM  T 42.  62,    64 

PORTER'S  SPIRIT 42 

PORTLAND   168,  lo9 

PORTLAND,  DUKE  OF 202 

PORTLAW   247 

PORTUGAL   245 

POST,  JOTHAM 458 

POST-BOY  22,  27,  28.  38,  61,  62,  370 

POST-GUARD  170 

POST  STAKES 80,  83,  85,  92,  93,  100 

POT-8-OS   ......79,    80 

POTOMAC 75,  76,  115,  116,  223,  224,  225,  245 

POWERS,  THOMAS   397 

POWERS,  W.  L 157 

POWHATAN   168 

PREAKNESS 43,  52,  78,  94,  95,  103,  124,  126 

129,  174,  275,  465,  468 

PREAKNESS  STABLE  463 

PREAKNESS  STAKES  231,  331 

PREAKNESS  STUD 108,  152,  174 

PREMIER  399 

PREVIOUS  113 

PRIAM    30,  3S,  87,  119,  127,  163,  169 

PRICE,  CHARLES  F 157,  158 

PRICE,  JOHN  W 15S 

PRICES  OF  THOROUGHBREDS 3S,    51 

53.  79,  SO,  85,  86,  87,  89,  90,  92,  99,  103,  109 

110,  113,  117,  129,  135,  170,  173,  177,  181,  261 

275,  300,   356 
PRICES   OF  YEARLINGS 52,  92,  93,  105 

110,  112,  114,  138,  172,  177,  275 

PRIGG    Ill 

PRIMROSE    196 

PRINCE  ALBERT    377 

PRINCE   CHARLIE 30,  74,  117,  168,  174 

PRINCE   GEORGE    357,  378 

PRINCE   GEORGE   II 131 

PRINCE  LEE  285 

PRINCESS  LORRAINE  247 

PRINCE  OF  WALES  STAKES.. 100,  107,  127 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


PRINCE    ROYAL 74,  76,  223,  224 

PRINCESS  INDIA  350 

PRINCETON    130,  158 

PRIORESS     28,  36,  121,  122,  123,  369 

PRITCHARD,  WILLIAM 439 

PRITCHARD,  WILLIAM   L 175 

PRIX  DU  CADRAN   100 

PRIX  RAINBOW    100 

PROCTOR  KNOTT 74,  76,  407 

PRODIGAL    90 

PRODUCE    STAKES 92,  112 

PROFIT    39 

PROFLIGATE    413 

PROSERPINE    451 

PROSPECT  DRIVING  PARK 471 

PROSPECT  STAKES   HI,  478 

PRUDE    177 

PRUDHOMME  COURSE    38 

PRUSSIAN  ROYAL  STUD 99 

PRYOR    84,  88,  89,  121,  122 

PRYOR,  JOHN  B 354 

PRYOR,  LUKE   354 

PRYOR,  THOMAS   333 

PRYOR,  WILLIAM  354 

PRYOR  &  WATSON 333 

PUBLICATIONS    CONCERNING    THE 

TURF    42,  448 

PULFORD,   BUD   447 

PULSIFER,  DAVID  T 281,  314,  401 

PURDY,  A.   BELMONT 274 

PURDY,  JOPIN   F 90,  133,  274,  370,  451 

PURDY,  LOVELL   458 

PURDY,   SAMUEL 59,  60,  274,  370 

PURDY  &  WITPIERS   274 

PURIFICATION  OF  THE  TURF 55 

PURITAN   355 

PURSER,  EDWARD 342 

PURYEAR,   D 177 

PURYEAR  STAKES   96 

PURYEAR,  THOMAS    38,  45,  67,  313 

PURYEAR  &  WATSON   67 

PUZZLE    435 

QUARTERMASTER    84 

QUARTER    RACING 18,  374,  400 

QUARNDON  PLATE   130 

QUEEN  CITY  JOCKEY  CLUB... 47,  158,  422 

QUEENIE  TROWBRIDGE    249 

QUEEN  lOLA  138 

QUEEN  MAB    20,  249 

QUEEN  MARY   63,    84 

QUEENS  COUNTY  HUNT  CUP 47] 

QUEENS  COUNTY  JOCKEY  CLUB....    57 
157,  478 

QUEEN'S  GOLD  VASE 89 

QUEEN'S  MESSENGER   195 

QUEEN'S   PLATE 102,  123,  308,  369,  377 

QUICKSTEP  STAKES  110 

QUINCEY,  JOSIAH   24,    33 

OUINN,  HUGH   422 

QUITO    74 

QUIZ 91 

QUOTATION    255 

RACE  COURSES   44,451 

RACE  COURSES,  MODERN  MANAGE- 
MENT  OF 133,  144 

RACE  HORSES,  PAST  AND  PRESENT.    99 
RACING  AFTER  TtlE  CIVIL  WAR.. 43,  134 
RACING,  A  MEMORABLE  YEAR  OF..    46 
RACING     ASSOCIATIONS     AND     FA- 
MOUS RACE   COURSES 451 

RACING,   BETTING  ON 295 

RACING  CENTRES,  NEW  YORK 459 

RACING,  CHANGES  IN  STATUS  OF...    43 

RACING    Commission    of    new 

YORK    STATE 56,  57,  58,  146 

RACING  COMMUNITY,  A 355 

RACING,    DESCRIPTION     OF     COLO- 
NIAL     ::...17,  IS,  30 


RACING,  ENGLISH  AND  AMERICAN 

COMPARED    120 

RACING  EVENTS,  FAMOUS 34,  35,    59 

RACING  EVENTS,  MODERN  73 

RACING  FAMILIES 135,  146,  217,  235,  269 

271,  276,  278,  322,  323,  330,  331,  332,  333,  33! 

335,  336,  342,  343,  344,  345,  350,  352,  354,  429 

RACING  FAMILIES,  JOCKEYS  OF....  378 

398,  408,  417 
RACING,     FIRST     HALF     OF     NINE- 
TEENTH  CENTURY   26 

RACING,  GOLDEN  AGE  OF 26 

RACING  IN  ANCIENT  GREECE  AND 

ROME    11 

RACING  IN  CALIFORNIA  4S 

RACING  IN  EARLY  NEW  ENGLAND.    16 

RACING  IN  ENGLAND,   EARLY 12 

RACING  IN   KANSAS 392 

RACING  IN  KENTUCKY,  EARLY 29 

RACING  IN  MISSOURI   352 

RACING  IN  NEW  YORK 35,  38,    39 

RACING    IN     NEW     YORK     BEFORE 

THE  CIVIL  WAR 67 

RACING  IN  NEW  YORK,  COLONIAL.    17 
RACING    IN    NEW    YORK,    DESCRIP- 
TION  OF   EARLY 25 

RACING  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA 45 

RACING,    INTER-STATE 63,    65 

RACING  IN  SOUTH  CAROLINA 270 

RACING  IN  TENNESSEE,  EARLY 31 

RACING  IN  TEXAS 392 

RACING     IN     THE     NORTH     AFTER 

THE  CIVIL  WAR 69 

RACING  IN  THE  SOUTH 26 

RACING  IN  THE  SOUTH  AFTER  THE 

CIVIL  WAR   45 

RACING    IN    THE    SOUTH     BEFORE 

THE  CIVIL  WAR  67 

RACING  IN  THE  SOUTH  CAROLINA 

COLONY    24 

RACING  IN  VIRGINIA  35,    39 

RACING  IN  WASHINGTON... 32,  34.  55,  270 

RACING,  LEGISLATION  UPON 146 

RACING,  LONG  DISTANCE.  ..34,  39,  59,    80 

120,  371 
RACING,     LONG    DISTANCE,    ABAN- 
DONMENT OF   51 

RACING  MANAGEMENT,  OLD  TIME.  133 
RACING,  NINETEENTH  CENTURY...  42 
RACING,  NORTH  VS.  SOUTH..  ..59,  90,  370 

RACING  OFFICIALS    133 

RACING      OFFICIALS,      CONTEMPO- 
RANEOUS     156,  157 

RACING,  REVIVAL  OF 37 

RACING,    REVIVAL    OF   AFTER   THE 

WAR    136,  137,  155 

RACING,     REVIVAL     OF     IN      NEW 

YORK   49 

RACING,  SECTIONAL  RIVALRY  IN...    29 

RACING,  SHORT  DASH 51 

RACING  STAKES   109 

RACING,   WINTER 42-55 

RACELAND    74,  110,  111,  223,  224,  378 

RAHWAY  HANDICAP  109 

RAMAPO    75,  91,  109,  111,  112,  129,  281 

RAMAPO  HANDICAP  478 

RAMAPO  STUD  FARM 281 

RAMBLER    255,  256 

RAMSEY,  JOHN   365 

RANCI-IO  DEL  PASO 49,  52,  117,  167,  1Y6 

177,  181,  183,  209,  211,  213,  214,  356 

RANCOCAS    HANDICAP 73,  97,  101 

RANCOCAS   STABLE.... 109,  278,  301,  371,  43S 
440,  445,  462 

RANCOCAS  STUD    53,  106,  167,  171,  173 

RANDOLPH,  ARCHIBALD   gl 

RANDOLPH,  JOHN 32,  34,  60,  81,  119,  269 

RANDOLPH,  PETER  20 

RANDOLPH,  P.  S.  P 339 

RANDOLPH,    WILLIAM 269 

jiANGER    , 19,  271 


1 


¥ 


THE    AMERICAN     TURF 


W 


Rjvpides  course as 

RAl'TUKE    92,  2'15 

RAKITAN    STAKES 90,  lOS 

RATAI'I^AN    90,  111,  163 

RAX'KNSTEEN    413 

RAWCLIFFE  STUD  COMPANY 167 

KAY.  .H)IIN    377 

RAYON    D'OR 53,  76,  99,  100,  112,  115,  163 

164,  173,  220,  225,  261,  400 

R.    B.   CONNOLLY 465 

REALITY    27,    82 

REALTY   35 

REALIZATION   STAKES.75,  112,  116,  142,  ISl 

424,  474 

REARDON,   MARK   422 

REBER  &  KUTZE  39 

RECKON    246 

RECORDS,  BEST  TIME 77,    78 

RED  BANK  STAKES 97,  116,  224,  237 

RED   BANNER   127 

RED  DICK 45 

RED  ELM  351 

RED-EYE   35 

RED   FOX   315 

RED  MURDOCH   SO 

RED  OX   88 

RED  ROY  31 

RED    S 77 

REDSKIN   78 

RED  SPINNER  198 

REDSTONE    394 

REED,    CHARLES 30,  53,  97,  101,  111,  129 

162,  170,  177,  261,  337,  33S,  360,  440,  461,  472 

REED  &  SPENCER 462 

REEDY,  WILLIAM 413 

REEL    28,  103 

REES,  JAMES   H 157,168 

REESE,  J.   0 114 

REFORM    89,  114 

REFORM  IN  BETTING  METHODS....  421 

REGAN,  FRANK 282,  403,  411,  418 

REGULATOR    84 

REHBERGER,   FRED 157 

REID,  SIMON  W 418 

REIFF,   LESTER 75 

REILLY,  THOMAS  D 157,  429,  478 

REISER,    J 311 

RELENTLESS    170,  173 

RELIEF  STAKES   97 

REMORSELESS    170,  465 

REMSEN,    ROBERT   G 458 

REPETITION    331 

REPORTER    41,    91 

REPRIEVE    246 

REPRISAL    381 

REQUITAL... 75,    76,  114,  115,  166,  169,  172,  261 

281 

RESTRAINT   402 

RETRIBUTION    114 

RETRIEVE    247 

REUBE   65 

REUBENS    93 

REUNION  STAKES   96 

REVENGE    41 

REVENUE    37,  100 

REVENUE,    JR 48 

REVIVAL  OF  RACING 37,134 

REVIVAL    OF    RACING    AFTER   THE 

WAR   136,  137,  155,  460,  470 

REVIVAL      OF      RACING      IN      NEW 

YORK    49 

RIVALRY"  IN  RACING,  SECTIONAL..    29 

REYNOLDS,    HUNT 333 

REY'NOLDS,  THOMAS  L 314 

RHADAMANTHUS....46,  89,  106,  135,  173,  305 

RHODA  B 130 

RHODESIA   357 

RICE,  GEORGE  H 348,  353,  358,  365 

RICE  &  McCORMACK 101 

RICHARDS,  A.  KEENE 30,  36,  46,  82,  103 

165,  166,  168,  274 


RLCHARDSON,  JAMES  B 271 

RICHMOND    74 

RIDDLEWORTH    PLATE 130 

RIDGELY,    CHARLES.... 27,  28,  32,  33,  34,  59 

269,  272 

RIFLEMAN   175 

RIFLER    325 

RIGHT   ROYAL    114,  396 

RILEY    77,  255 

RILEY,   J 321 

RIVERDALE  HANDICAP  223 

RIVERSIDE  STUD   167 

ROBBIN,   D 41 

ROBERT  THE  DEVIL 12S,  163 

ROBESPIERRE    255 

ROBINSON,   FRED 336 

ROBINSON,   JOSEPH 329 

ROBINSON,  J.   P 422 

ROBINS  STAKES   91,104 

ROCHE,  W.  J 346,  397,  401 

ROCKAWAY    STAKES 478 

ROCKINGHAM    80,    81 

RODOLPH    38 

ROGER    24 

ROGERS,  JOHN  359 

ROGERS,  J.  W 314,  330,  351,  363,  443 

ROGERS,  WILLIAM    393 

ROGERTHORPE    89 

ROLLER,  W.   H 399 

ROLLINS,  WALTER  C 237,  282,  366 

ROMAN 128 

ROMAN  CANDLE 89 

ROMANCE  OF  TURF  LIFE 295 

ROMAN  CHIEF  131 

RONDO   283,  293 

ROSCO    339 

ROSE,  ROBERT  L 422 

ROSE  STAKES   478 

ROSEBERY    128 

ROSEBERRY,  LORD    Ii2 

ROSE,  GEORGE  326 

ROSETTE    181 

ROSEVILLE    114 

ROSS  0 307 

ROSS  &  OYSTER  341 

ROSSIFER   30 

ROSSLYN,  LORD   199 

ROTHSCHILD,  BARON    410 

ROUGE  ROSE   197 

ROUND  DANCE   110 

ROUNDSMAN    363 

ROUNDTREE,   WILLIAM 38 

ROUS,   HENRY  JOHN.. 105,  139,  140,  141,  156 

ROUS  MEMORIAL  STAKES 100 

ROUTH'S  CRAB  20,  163 

ROWE,   JAMES    G...144,  172,  2S0,  303,  304,  311 

313.  339,  345,  381,  394,  406,  415 

ROWENA    85 

ROWTON    30 

ROXANA    105,  126 

ROYAL  ARCH    334 

ROYAL  COLLEGE  OF  VETERINARY 

SURGEONS    439 

ROYALIST    31 

ROYAL  MARES  OF  KING  CHARLES..    13 
ROYAL  PATRONS  OF  THE  ENGLISH 

TURF    13 

ROYAL  ROSE  357 

RUBICON    100 

RUCKER,  JOHN   415 

RUCKER,  M.  D 131 

RUDOLPH    366 

RUINART    .' 326 

RUMSEY,   L.    M 158 

RUNIC    93 

RUNNYMEDE 97,    109,  118,  415 

RUNNYMEDE  HANDICAP 231 

RUNNYMEDE  STUD   110,162,168 

RUNYON    51 

RUPERT    168 


RUPPERT,  JACOB,  JR... 50,  144,  237,  300,  33S 
349,  376,  378 

RURIC    169 

RUSHMORE,    LORD    355 

RUSSELL    52,  76,  174 

RUSSWURM,  J.  W 157 

RUTHERFORD 48,   52,  138,  175,  465,  479 

RUTHLESS    166,  170,  173,  370,  465 

RUTLEDGE,  H.  M 451 

RYAN,   W.    H 345 

RYER,  GEORGE  338 


SABIiNE    78 

SACHEM    125 

SACKLOWIE    166 

SACRIFICE   203 

SADAH    166 

SAGASTA   303 

SAGE,  F.  E 353 

SAILOR  PRINCE  173 

ST.  ASAPH  COURSE 55,  437 

ST.    BLAISE 53,  101,  102,  115,  116,  170,  195 

196,  220,  222,  224,  258,  261 

ST.  CHARLES   224 

ST.   CLAIRE   334 

ST.  CLOUD  130,  131,  149 

ST.   DOMINGO    300 

ST.   FLORIAN   224 

ST.  GEORGE  256 

ST.  GILES  30,119 

ST.  JAMES   223 

ST.  JAMES  PALACE  STAKES..  .100,  107,  125 

ST.  JOHN   435 

ST.   LEE   389 

ST.  LEONARD   91,111,148 

ST.  LOUIS  DERBY 356 

ST.  LOUIS  FAIR  ASSOCIATION 158 

ST.  LOUIS  JOCKEY  CLUB 47,  158 

ST.  MARK  351 

ST.  MARTIN  83,  170 

ST.  MAXIM  76 

ST.   PAULINE   227 

ST.   SAVIOUR  90,130 

ST.  SIMON  114,  173 

SALES  OF  STABLES 51,  53,  181,  224,  256 

300.  313 

SALES,  YEARLING  52 

SALINA    46,  52,  117 

SALLIE    CLICQUOT.... 302 

SALLiE  McClelland 477 

SALLUST    322 

SALLY'   HOPE   27,    SO 

SALLY  LEWIS   115 

SALLY  McClelland  52 

SALLY   ROPER   88 

SALLY  WALKER 31,  35,  79,    85 

SALTRAM    22 

SALUDA    375 

SALVADO    301 

SALVATOR...49,  52,  74,  75,  77,  78,  114,  115,  117 
168,  176,  181,  215,  301,  374,  424 

SAMARA    195 

SAM    McKEEVER. 215 

SANBORN,  H.  B 4« 

SAN  CARLO   223 

SANDERS,  CHARLES  411 

SANFORD,  JOHN  381 

SANDIA    129,  130 

SANDOLA    172 

SANFORD  BROTHERS  337 

SANFORD,  MILTON  H....92,  93,  94,  103,  108 
117,  124,  129,  152,  162,  168,  169,  174,  274,  275 
276,  323.  331,  344,  435,  448,  461,  468 

SANFORD,  W.  E 472 

SANTA   ANITA 130 

SANTA  ANITA  RANCH 30,  138,  177 

SANTA   BONITA  RANCH 94 

SANTALENE    255 

SANTA  LUCIA   174 

SANTA  MEGO   321 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


SAPLING  STAKES lOS,  129,  469 

SAPPHIRE  STAKES  223 

SARAGOSSA    308,  309 

SARAH  HALL  249 

SARAH    WASHINGTON 27,  101,  272 

SARATOGA  CUP.... 70,  73,  92,  94,  100,  117,  12S 

331,  370 
SARATOGA  GREEN  STEEPLECHASE..  463 
SARATOGA   RACING  ASSOCIATION..    44 
45,  46,  47,  50,  57,  70,  135,  137,   155,   157,  460 
461,  462,  463,  467 

SARATOGA   STAKES 73,  100,  106,  108,  128 

246,  394 

SARONG    104 

SARPEDON   30,  85 

SASS,  CHARLES  V 157 

SATELLITE    122,  123 

SATSUMA    246,  384 

SAUNTERER   101 

SAVANNAH    CUP 353 

SAVANNAH  JOCKEY  CLUB   40 

SAWYER,  WILLIAM   17 

SAXON   125,  173,  278 

SAXONY    91,  354 

SCARBOROUGH  STAKES   130 

SCARLET    115 

SCATHELOCK    115 

SCHERMERHORN,  F.  AUGUSTUS 475 

SCHERRER,   JOSEPH 382 

SCHIMMEL,  WILLIAM    407 

SCHISM    89 

SCHOPPS,  HENRY  422 

SCHORR,  J.  W.  &  SON 383 

SCHULTE,  WILLIAM  T 157 

SCHUYLKILL  STABLE   446 

SCOTT,  JAMES  P 475 

SCOTT,  WILLIAM   L..50,  51,  53,  100,  112,  173 
313,  375,  376,  394,  400,  414 

SCOTT,  SIR  WALTER 369 

SCOTTISH    CHIEFTAIN 181 

SCRAMBLE  STAKES   37S 

SCROGGAN   BROTHERS 280,  386,  394 

SCULPTOR    356 

SCYTHIAN    168 

SEABRIGHT  STAKES Ill 

SEAGRAM,  JOSEPH  E..308,  309,  328,  343,  377 
.  394,  410 

SEA-GULL   79 

SEAMAN,    FRANK 345,  358,  414 

SEAMAN,  JOHN   350 

SEAMARK    113 

SEASIDE   STAKES Ill,  116,  223 

SEAWALL,  JOSEPH    IS 

SEBASTOPOL   37 

SECLUSION   102 

SECAUCUS  TRACK   140 

SECOND  GT.  CHALLENGE  STAKE....  100 

SECOND  SPECIAL  STAKES 108 

SECTIONAL  RACING  EVENTS 59,    66 

SECTIONAL  RIVALRY  IN  RACING....    29 

SELDEN,  MILES   62,269,451 

SELDEN'S  MARIA 80 

SELECT  STAKES. ...100,  110,  111,  117,  128,  129 

SELIM    20 

SELIMA   19,20,    22 

SELLING    THOROUGHBREDS,    MOD- 
ERN METHODS  259,  263 

SEMARIS    227 

SEMPER  EGO    283,  290 

SEMPER  FELIX  105 

SENATE  STAKES  98 

SENATOR  BLAND 181,  193,  193 

SENATOR  GRADY. . .'. Ill,  127,  179 

SENATOR  MATTS   199 

SENSATION 166,  170 

SENSATION    STABLE 331,  382,  384 

SEPTEMBER  STAKES 117,  237,  474 

SEPTUOR   310,  311,  361 

SEQUEL  STAKES 102,  220,  370 

SERAPHIN    73 

SERIAL  HANDICAP  Ill 


SERVICE    

SERVITOR   

SEVERALS  PLATE  

SEXTET    

SHANNON,  MICHAEL 
SHANNON,  P.  J 


392 

245 

193 

331 

403 

422 

SHANNON,  THOMAS  H 422 

SHARK 21,  23,  27,  31,  38,  166,  271 

SHARPE,  MATTHEW 362 

SHAW,  FRANK   355 

SHAW,  JOHN  W 401 

SHE   223 

SHEEDY,  MICHAEL  402 

SHEEN  PLATE   130 

SHEEPSHEAD  BAY  COURSE... 142,  462,  472 

473,  474 
SHEEPSHEAD  BAY  HANDICAP...  .129,  474 

SHELLY  TUTTLE  319 

SHEPPARD,  WILLIAM   439 

SHERIDAN,  JOHN  J 349 

SHERIDAN,   PHILIP 153 

SHERLOCK,  J.  C 158 

SHERROD    69 

SHIELDS,  C.  M 418 

SHIELDS,  HENRY   392 

SHIELDS,    JAMES 348,  390,  399,  410,  416 

SHIPP,  J.  V 30 

SHOCCO    39,    68 

SHORT  DASH  RACING 51 

SHOWALTER,   W 409 

SHREVE  CUP  3S9 

SHREWSBURY   HANDICAP 108 

SHREWSBURY  STABLE  142 

SHULTS,  J.   H 344,  443 

SHYLOCK    142 

SIDDARTHA 173 

SIDI   HAMMET    30 

SIGHTSEER    195 

SIGLER,  GEORGE  352 

SILVER    127 

SILVER  BEAUX  213 

SILVER  BROOK  STUD   229,  231 

SILVER-EYE 19 

SILVER  FOX  181 

SILVER  KING   53 

SILVER  MAID   169 

SIMMONS,   H 377 

SIMMONS,  R.  W 144,157   473 

SIMON  KENTON  168 

SIMON  MAGUS  173 

SIMONTON,  S 158 

SIMPLE  SIMON    245 

SIMPSON,  J.   C 48 

SIMS,    WILLIAM 75,  129,  375 

SINGERLY  TRACK    446 

SINGERLY,  WILLIAM  M 114 

SINGLETON,  COLONEL  27 

SINK,  WILLIAM  B 347,392 

SINK,  WILLIAM  B.,  JR..... 381 

SIOUX    53 

SIR  ARCHY....20,  21,  26,  27,  30,  31,  35,  37,    59 
81,  82,  95,  100,  163 

SIR   CHARLES 59,80,86,    95 

SIR  DICK  302 

SIR  DIXON 109,  116 

SIREN  STAKES  474 

SIR  EXCESS   Ill,  131 

SIR  FRANCIS- 51 

SIR  HAL 34,    35 

SIR  HARRY  22,    34 

SIR  HENRY.... 34,  35,  37,  59,  60,  61,  68,  79,    91 
274,  275,  370 

SIR  JOHN   31,  78,  272,  476 

SIR  LESLIE  30 

SIR  LUVELL   79 

SIR  MODRED    176,  177 

SIR  SOLOMON    35 

SIR  VASSAR  411 

SIR   WALTER 75,  76,  79,  HI,  138,  282,  297 

322,  374 
SIR  WILLIAM 35 

500 


SKEDADDLE 31,  168 

SKIDD/,  FRANCIS   463 

SKINNER,  JOHN  F 42 

SKIRMISHER   89 

SKY  BLUE  334 

SKYLARK  lOr 

SLACK,,  J.   B : 412 

SLASHER  39 

SLEEPER    336 

SLEEPY  DICK  78 

SLIM    61 

SLIPALONG    78 

SLOAN,    DAVID    335 

SLOAN,  JAMES  F.   (TOD) 372,  373 

SLOW  AND  EASY 79 

SLOW  DANCE   214 

SLY  DANCE   163 

SMALLWOOD,  J.  P 393 

SMILEY,  JAMES   17 

SMITH,   B.   H 158 

SMITH,   CHARLES    366 

SMITH,  CHRIS 372 

SMITH,    D 389 

SMITH,  E.  F 405 

SMITH,  E.  L 422 

SMITH,   GEORGE  E 295,  296,  297,  298,  299 

333,  373,  382,  402,  418 

SMITH,  JAMES    104 

SMITH,  J.  W 195 

SMITH,  KIRBY  29,  455 

SMITH,  O'BRIEN   451 

SMITH,  RICHMOND   394 

SMITH,  VICTOR  C 144 

SMITH,  WILLIAM  C 297,  333 

SMITH,  E.  L  &  J.  T 412 

SMOCK,  JAMES 269 

SMUGGLER   440 

SMYTHE,  J.  W 360 

SNAPDRAGON  34,  451 

SNEDEKER,  E.  V 45,  117,  340,  461,  472 

SNELL,  L.  H 422 

SNOW,  WILLIAM   422 

SOBRANJE    245 

SOCIETY  AND  THE  TURF 451,  466,  473 

474,  475 

SOLFERINO    41 

SOMNAMBULIST   ....; 100 

SONG  AND  DANCE  75 

SONGER,  ALBERT   396 

SOPHRONIA    246 

SOPRANO    148 

SOUTH  CAROLINA  JOCKEY  CLUB...  140 

271,  451,  452,  458 
SOUTH  CAROLINA  RACE  COURSES.  451 

SOUTH  CAROLINA  RACING 24,  270 

SOUTHDOWN  PLATE 130 

SOUTHERN  HOTEL  STAKES 98 

SOUTHERN  RACING  45,  67,  478 

SOUTHERN  STABLES,  EARLY 271 

SOUTHERN  STATES,  RACING  IN 26 

SOUVENIR    Ill 

SOUVERAINE    130 

SOVEREIGN    29,  36,  37,  86,  169,  271 

SPANKER    20 

SPARK 20 

SPARLING   313 

SPECIALISM   IN  TRAINING 319,  327 

SPECIAL  STAKES  100 

SPECULATION ......90,  341 

SPECULUM    109,  337 

SPEED      AND      ENDURANCE      COM- 
PARED    51,  120 

SPEED   STAKES    474 

SPEEDWELL    90,  376 

SPELLMAN,  JOHN  336 

SPENCER,  ALBERT 461 

SPENCER,  HENRY  381 

SPENCER  HANDICAP  463 

SPENDTHRIFT.... 52,   89,  90,  108,  109,  110,  117 

128,  276 
SPIERS,  W.  J 319,  398 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


SPILETTA    166 

SriNAWAY   110,  166,  278,  473 

SPINDRIFT    STAKES 108,  116,  474 

SPLENDID    SO 

SPIRIT  OF  THE  TIMES,  THE 42 

SPOKANE   77 

SPORT    320 

SPOTTISWOODE,  ALEXANDER 19,  269 

SPREAD    EAGLE 22,31,    88 

SPRECKLES,  ADOLPH  B 177,  384,  479 

SPRIGG,    SAMUEL 269,  452 

SPRINGBOK 48,  78,  94,  104,  106,  138,  li5 

SPRINGBOK    STAKES 255 

SPRINGFIELD    308 

SPRINGFIELD,    WOODFORD 461 

SPRINGHURST   STABLE 398 

SPRING   STAKES 181,  373,  474 

SQUANDER    407 

STABLES  OF  THE  NORTH 275,  276 

STABLES  OF  THE  SOUTH,  EARLY...  271 
STABLES,   SALES  OF 51,  53,  181,  224,  256 

300,  313 

STABLES,  SUCCESSFUL   256 

STAKES  AND  ENTRIES,  1876-7-8 47 

STAKES,    MODERN 73 

.STAKES,  VALUE  OF 48,75,    76 

STALLCUP,  WILLIAM   327 

STALLIONS  IN  AMERICA,  ENGLISH.  163 
STALLIONS     IN     THE     NORTH,     FA- 
MOUS      166 

STALWART   170 

STAMPS    168,  174 

STANDARD  STAKES   109,112 

STAND  PLATE  130 

STANFORD,    LELAND...49,  161,  175,  177,  405 

STANLEY  PLATE   130 

STANTON,  C.  W 411 

STAPLES,  ISAAC   , 253 

STAR  DAVIS   ! 31 

STARK,  BELLEFIELD  451 

STARK,  WILLIAM   B 454 

STARKE    28,  103,  122,  123,  369 

STARLIGHT    404 

STAR    RUBY 176,  302 

START   124 

STARTER,   THE 422,  448 

STATELY    171,  172 

STATE  POST  STAKES 65,  67,  84,    87 

STATUS    OF    RACING,    CHANGES    IN 

THE    43 

STEDEKER,  HENRY' 422 

STEEDS,  EDWARD  A 343 

STEEPLECHASE,    HUNT   AND    PONY 

RACING  ASSOCIATION   ...• 265 

STEEPLECHASE    RIDING.. 320,  327,  336,  337 

339,  346,  355,  366,  388,  410,  411,  412,  413,  414 

415,  430 

STEPHENSON,  M.  F 351,  375,  418 

STERLING    20,  113,  114,  195 

STERLING    SWEEPSTAKES 269 

STERN,   FRANK   333 

STEVENS,  JOHN  C....27,  28,  32,  36,  37,  59,  61 

62,  SO,  133,  142,  274,  275,  371,  457 

STEVENS    STAKES 108,  HI,  112,  223,  469 

STEWARDS'  CUP  89 

STEWART,  JOSEPH 329 

STEWART,  WILLIAM  A 39,  271 

STIRRUP   CUP 473 

STOCKBRIDGE  BIENNIAL  STAKES..  102 

STOCKBRIDGE   CUP 105,  128 

STOCKHOLDER    86 

STOCKTON    90,  231 

STOCKTON,  ROB'T  F...27,  29,  36,  37,  80,  270 
STOCKTON   STAKES....  108,  HI,  112,  176,  223 

469 

STOCKWELL    82,  163,  195 

STOCKWOOD   107,  304 

STOCK  YARD   STAKES 415 

STOLEN  igSSES    114 

STONE,  CHARLES   453 

STONECROP    172 


STONEHENGE    170,  172 

STONEMASON    309 

STONENELL  112,  129,  171 

STONENELLIE    237,  239 

STONEWALL  STUD    169 

STOOPS,   WILLIAM    311,414 

STORM,   SAMUEL   G 447 

STORM   KING    352,409 

STORM   QUEEN    352 

STRACHINO    30 

STRAIN  &  CO 361 

STRATHMEATH    245,  247 

STRATHMORE    245,  247 

STRATTON  NURSERY  HANDICAP....  102 

STRAUS,  NATHAN  408 

STREET,  S.  W.. 361 

STRIDEAWAY    118,  358 

STUART,  CHARLES    269 

STUART,  JAMES    313 

STUART,  LOUIS    313,  407 

STUD  FARM,  COST  OF  A  MODERN...  179 
STUD    FARM,    DESCRIPTION    OF    A 
■     MODERN 179,  218,  221,  229 

243 

STUD  FARMS,  CALIFORNIA 48,  175 

STUD  FARMS,  KENTUCKY 167,  217,  243 

253 

STUD  FARMS,  LONG  ISLAND 218 

STUD  FARMS,  MONTANA  179 

STUD  FARMS,  NEW  JERSEY... 170,  229,  235 

249 

STUD  FARMS,  NEW  YORK 174 

STUD  FARMS,  PENNSYLVANIA 173 

STUD   FARMS,   TENNESSEE 169 

STURGIS,  FRANK  K 144,  145,  149,  150 

STYLITES    . .' 30 

SUBSCRIPTION  STAKES   130 

SUBURBAN    HANDICAP... 69,  73,  74,  75,  109 

110,  HI,  114,  115,  117,  129,  139,  142,  168,  181 

183,  245,  256,  281,  316,  318,  351,  374,  376,  394 

395,  438,  473,  474 

SUE   DORRITY    110 

SUE  KITTIE  343,  380 

SUE  RYDER   95,  107 

SUE  WASHINGTON 35,  67,  68,  69,  372 

SUISUN    324 

SULLIVAN,  T.    G 422 

SULLIVAN,  TIMOTHY  D 404 

SULTAN    163 

SULTANA   46,  114,  135,  465 

SUMMERFIELD,    SAMUEL 422 

SUMMER  HANDICAP   128 

SUMNER  &  CO 413 

SUMTER,  THOMAS   271 

SUNBURST    46 

SUNNY  SLOPE  341,  478 

SUNSHINE 41 

SUN    UP 405 

SUPPER  STAKES  96,  468 

SUPREMACY    OF    THE    NORTHERN 

TURF    AG,    49 

SURF  STAKES 97,  110,  221,  473,  474 

SURGEON    401 

SURNAME   462 

SURPLUS    127 

SURPRISE    460 

SUSAN  ANN   91,105 

SUSAN  BEANE  115,  116 

SUSIE   S : 78 

SUSQUEHANNA    115 

SUSSEX 35 

SUSSEX  STAKES  100 

SWATTS,  LEO   422 

SWAYNE  &  LA  TROVE 345 

SWEEPER 20 

SWEETBRIAR   96 

SWEET  HOME  261 

SWEET  LIPS   106 

SWEET  SOUND    350 

SWIFT,  BENJAMIN  369 

SWIFT  STAKES   108,117,474 


SWIGERT,   DANIEL 103,  104,  107,  162,  168 

304,  438 

SW(JRD    DANCE 214 

SYCAMORE  RANCH   281 

SYLPH    168 

SYMPATHY    4S0 

SYRACUSE    336 

SYRINX    237 

TAGUS   131 

TAILER,  WILLIAM  H 475 

TALLY,  JAMES   39 

TALLY  HO   35,    37 

TAMMANY.. .75,  127,  179,  181,  185,  193,  195,  376 

TAMMANY  HALL  II 183 

TAMOR    204 

TARAL,   FRED    374 

TARBOUCHE 173 

TARGET    .■ 166 

TAR  RIVER  35,  39,    68 

TARTARIN    383 

TASKER,  COL.  B 19,20,    22 

TASMANIA    274 

TAYLOE,    JOHN 19,20,23,26,27,28,    32 

33,  34,  80,  81,  269,  271,  272,  452 

TAYLOR,    ALEC 331 

TAYLOR,    ANTHONY 275,  301,  415 

TAYLOR,  ARTHUR  59,  62,  63 

TAYLOR,  FRANK   339 

TAYLOR,    J 3^0 

TAYLOR,  WILSON  S 362 

TAYLOR,  ZACHARY  273 

TEA-LEAF    364 

TEARDROP    72 

TEA-TRAY 76,  100,  110,  IIS,  174,  428 

TEBO,   ROBERT  P 422,427 

TELEGRAM    103 

TELEMACHUS    168 

TEMPE    195,  202 

TEMPEAN    202 

TEMPLAR    414 

TEN  BOOKER    246 

TEN   BROECK 30,  46,  47,  49,  66,  71,  72,    73 

78,  83,  94,  96,  106,  276,  279 

TEN  BROECK  COURSE  38 

TEN  BROECK,  RICHARD.. 28,  38,  40,  66,    68 

S3,  84,  85,  86,  88,  121,  122,  123,  124,  129,  130 

131,   276,   277,  278,  333,   369,   370 

TENNESSEE   131 

TENNESSEE     BREEDERS'     ASSOCIA- 
TION     157,  158 

TENNESSEE  DERBY   255 

TENNESSEE  STAKES   97,  107,  246 

TENNESSEE  STUD  FARMS 169 

TENNESSEE  TURF,  THE 31,  33,  353 

TENNY 52,  74,  76,  100,  115,  117,  174,  231,  281 

314,  424 
TENTH  GREAT  CHALLENGE  STAKE.  113 

TERPSICHORE  II 130 

TERRA    COTTA 74,  76,  169,  255 

TERROR 337 

TERRY,  JOHN  T 362 

TEXAS  RACING   392 

THACKERAY   107 

THAD    STEVENS 48,  78,  479 

THE  APPLE    172 

THE  BANSHEE   479 

THE  BARD   76,  323 

THE  BARONESS  349,  401 

THE  BAT  193 

THE  BULLY  393 

THE    BUTTERFLIES 76,  113,  116,  118,  281 

THE  COLONEL  87 

THE   COMMONER 75,  108,  318,  394,  409 

THE  COON  138,  322 

THE  FOP 261 

THE  FRIAR  75,  116,  118,  478 

THE  HUGUENOT 231,  381 

THE   ILL-USED 30,  109,  115,  116,  164,  196 

207,  220,  223 
THE  LOCUSTS  108 


501 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


THE  MAID  OF  OAKS 27 

THE   MEADOWS 30 

THE  NEW  SOUTH 406 

THE  NIPPER  S3 

THE  PEPPER  189,366 

THE  PLANTER  321 

THE  PROMISED  LAND  89 

THERESA  193 

THE  ROSE  413 

THE  QUEEN  87,  271 

THE  SHERIFF  246 

THESPIAN  STAKES  104,106 

THE  TASK  202 

THE  WINNER  75,  297,  318 

THISTLE  STAKES   231,  474 

THOMAS,  B.  G 50,  S3,  112,  162 

THOMPSON,   ANDREW 361,  375,  416 

THOMPSON,  C.  H 422 

THOMPSON,  F 106 

THOMPSON.  ISAAC  S 422,  448 

THOMPSON,  JAMES  461 

THOMPSON,  J.  COLEY 418 

THOMPSON,  LEWIS  S 171,  281 

THOMPSON,  NATHANIEL  A 88 

THOMPSON,  WILLIAM  P...50,  114,  143,  144 
171,  172,  281,  394,  435 

THOMPSON,  WILLIAM  P.,  JR 171,  281 

THOMPSON,  L.  S.  &  W.  P 381,  443 

THORA....92,    96,  97,  HI,  126,  170,  243,  342,  424 

THORA  STAKES  110 

THORMANBY    123,  197 

THORNE  HILL  342 

THORNHILL  78 

THORNTON  STAKES 302 

THOROUGHBRED,  ORIGIN  OF  THE.    11 
THOROUGHBREDS,    AMERICAN,    ON 

THE  ENGLISH  TURF 84,  88,    94 

THOROUGHBREDS,   BROKEN  DOWN 

IN  RACING  61 

THOROUGHBREDS,  CONTEMPORAN- 
EOUS      109 

THOROUGHBRJEDS,  DEATHS  OF 31 

THOROUGHBREDS,    EARLY    IMPOR- 
TATIONS  OF 18 

THOROUGHBREDS,   EARLY   NATIVE 

AMERICAN 26,  27,  28,    29 

THOROUGHBREDS,  ENGLISH... 81,  82,    84 

87,  89,  99,  113,  114 
THOROUGHBREDS,     ENGLISH     AND 

AMERICAN  COMPARED  120 

THOROUGHBREDS,   GRAVES  OF... 30,    31 
THOROUGHBREDS,    GREAT    AMERI- 
CAN      79 

THOROUGHBREDS,  IMPORTED 28,  49 

82,  83,  87,  89,  92,  97,  99,  101,  104,  105,  106,  107 
163,  164,  173,  176,  193,  196,  220,  271,  459 

THOROUGHBREDS,  MODERN  99 

THOROUGHBREDS,  MODERN  METH- 
ODS OF  SELLING  259,  263 

THOROUGHBREDS,      ORIGIN      AND 
EARLY  HISTORY  OF  ENGLISH...    11 
12,  13,  14 
THOROUGHBREDS,  PEDIGREES  OF..    99 
THOROUGHBREDS,  PERFORMANCES 

.  OF    79,    99 

THOROUGHBREDS,  PRICES  OF.... 38,  51 
53,  79,  80,  85,  86,  87,  89,  90,  92,  99,  103,  109 
110,  113,  117,  129,  135,  170,  173,  177,  181  261 
275,  300,  356 

THOROUGHBRED    WINNINGS 100,  101 

108,  109,  111,  112,  115,  116,  117 

THREE  CHEERS    175,  313,  342 

THREE  YEAR  OLD  SWEEPSTAKES...    83 

THROGGS   NECK    39,    41 

THUNDER    460 

THUNDERCLAP    451 

THUNDERSTORM    171 

TIDAL  STAKES... 93,  97,  108,  111,  117,  364,  473 

TILLO    394 

TILLOTSEN,  JOHN   C 61 

TILLOTSON,  ROBERT    61 


TIME  RECORDS,  BEST   77,  476,  479 

TIME  RECORD,  FOUR  MILES... 66,  72,  479 
TIME,  LONG  DISTANCE  RACES.. 34,  35,  479 

TIME  RECORDS,   NOTABLE 46,  59,  479 

TIME  TEST  STAKES    223 

TIMMONS,  W.  H 339,  377,  398 

TIMOLEON   35,    95 

TINGE    358,  405 

TINKLER   409 

TIPSTAFF    408 

TIPTON,  EDWARD  A 158 

TITAN  STAKES  117 

TOBACCO   STAKES 96,  335 

TOBOGGAN  SLIDE  HANDICAP...  .224,  378 

476,  47S 

TOBY    20 

TODHUNTER,  PARKER  E 30 

TOLER   39,    68 

TOLER,  HENRY  K 38 

TOMATO    110 

TOM   BOWLING 30,  46,  98,  104,  243,  465 

TOMBOY    171 

TOM  HAYES   78,  476 

TOM  JONES 20 

TOM   OCHILTREE 46,  52,  83,  171,  278,  465 

TOM    PIPER 275 

TOMPKINS,  G.  R 412 

TONSON    31 

TOO    QUICK 245 

TOPAZ    93,  169 

TOPGALLANT    31,  34,  113,  269 

TORCHLIGHT    109,  364 

TORMENTOR   77,  476 

TORNADO    ; 311 

TORONTO  CHIEF  276 

TORONTO   CUP 363 

TORPIE,   W.  J 422 

TORSO    100,  174,  176 

TOUCHSTONE    163 

TOUCQUES   53 

TOURAINE   303 

TOURNAMENT    75,  118 

TRACEY  &  LEVY 372 

TRACK   OFFICIALS 422,  444,  445,  446,  448 

TRACK  MANAGEMENT 435,  436,  446 

TRACKS      ABANDONED       IN       NEW 

YORK  36 

TRACY,  BENJAMIN  F 144 

TRADUCER   176 

TRAGEDIAN    309 

TRAINERS    237,  243,  253,  269 

TRAINING,  SPECIALISM  IN 319,  327 

TRANBY    119 

TRANSPORT    27 

TRAVERS    STAKES 73,  90,  95,  96,  103,  104 

110,  114,  115,  135,  370,  463 
TRAVERS,  WILLIAM  R 90,  135,  136,  274 

278,  279,  435,  460,  461,  462,  464 

TREAT,  GEORGE  175 

TREMONT  52,  118,  168,  169,  406 

TREMONT   STAKES HI,  129,  223,  373,  478 

TRENTON  STAKES  116,  224 

TRIFLE    27,  62,  61,  80,  85,  98,    371 

TRILL   172 

TRILLO    231 

TRIOLET  172 

TRISTAN 78,  125,  128,  163,  231,  234,  47B 

TROMBONE    152 

TROTTING  HORSE,  THE.... 16,  229,  324,  327 

330,  339,  344,  351 
TROTTING  HORSES,  ORIGIN  OF... 22,    23 

TROUBADOR    74,  168,  245,  438 

TROVATORE   41 

TROWBRIDGE,   SAMUEL..  .248,  249,  250,  251 

252 

TROY  STAKES   102 

TRUE  BLUE  48,  274 

TRUSTEE 28,  29,  30,  82,  83,  459 

TRUMPATOR   35,    80 

TRUXTON    31 

TRY-ALL    19 


TUCKAHOE    27,  35,  269 

TUCKER,  ROBERT  302 

TULLA  BLACKBURN    428 

TULLAHOMA    169,  181 

TURCO    231 

TURF  AFFAIRS,  MANAGEMENT  OF..    54 

TURF,  ALLUREMENTS  OF  THE 354 

TURF,  AMERICAN,      ENGLISH      DIS- 
REGARD   OF IZl 

TURF,  AMERICAN,    ENGLISH    JOCK- 
EY'S   ON 371,  407,  408,  410,  418 

TURF,  AMERICAN,    ENGLISH    OPIN- 
IONS   OF 119 

TURF,  AMERICAN,    IRISH    JOCKEYS 

ON    388,  403,  411,  413,  415 

TURF  AND  FIELD  CLUB 149,  436 

TURF  AND  THE  CHURCH 33 

TURF  AND  THE  CIVIL  WAR 40 

TURF  AN  INSTITUTION,  THE 53 

TURF,  BUSINESS  MEN  ON  THE... 229,  318 

TURF,  BUSINESS  SIDE  OF a 

TURF,  CANADIAN    308,  328 

TURF  CLUB,  THE    227 

TURF,  DECADENT    PERIOD 36 

TURF  DEVELOPMENT,   MODERN 4S2 

TURF,  EARLY      AMERICAN      CHAM- 
PIONS        79 

TURF,  EARLY  DAYS  OF  AMERICAN.    32 

TURF  EXPANSION    421 

TURF,  GAMBLING  IN   CONNECTION 

WITH  THE   54 

T.URF  GOVERNMENT 144,   148 

TURF  HANDICAP    474 

TURF  INTERESTS,  MAGNITUDE  OF.    42 
TURF  IN  THE  NORTH,  SUPREMACY 

OF   46 

TURF  LEGISLATION   55 

TURF  LIFE,  ROMANCE  OF 295 

TURF  LITERATURE  152 

TURFMEN,      AMERICAN      IN      ENG- 
LAND     119,  148 

TURFMEN,  AMERICAN  IN  EUROPE..  119 

TURFMEN,  CALIFORNIA  49,  326,  342 

TURFMEN,  CANADIAN   344,353 

TURFMEN,    CONTEMPORANEOUS 

AMERICAN    280 

TURFMEN,  ENGLISH,  IN  AMERICA..  259 

320,  323,  331,  336,  339,  354 
TURFMEN,  FAMOUS  AMERICAN... 32,    33 
36,  38,  39,  46,  50,  59,  60,  61,  62,  63,  133,  144 
161,  217,  229,  235,  243,  249,  253,  259,  263,  2^ 
274,  451,  453,  458,  460,  461,  464,  469,  471,  479 

TURFMEN,  SOUTHERN   IS 

TURFMEN,  TENNESSEE  31,    33 

TURFMEN,  UNPROFESSIONAL  283 

TURF,  OUTLOOK  FOR 479 

TURF,  PRESENT  CONDITION  OF 479 

TURF  PUBLICATIONS  42,  448 

TURF,  PURIFICATION  OF  THE 55 

TURF,  SOCIETY  AND  THE 451,  466,  473 

474,  475 

TURF  STAKES   100,106 

TURF,  SUPPORTERS  OF  THE 421 

TURF,  THE  CALIFORNIA 94,  176 

TURF,  THE  ENGLISH  105,119 

TURF,    THE     ENGLISH,    AMERICAN 

HORSES  ON  U2 

TURF,      THE      ENGLISH,      FOUNDA- 
TIONS OF   13 

TURF,  THE  IRISH  355 

TURF,  THE  KENTUCKY 29,  155,  386 

TURF,  THE  MONTANA  183 

TURF,  THE  SOUTHWEST 392 

TURF,  THE  TENNESSEE  353 

TURK  II 231 

TURNBULL,  WILLIAM   4G1 

TURNEY  BROTHERS   383,394 

TUXEDO   130 

TWEED,  WILLIAM  M 49 

TWIN  CITY  HANDICAP 474 


502 


THE    AMERICAN    TURF 


TWO  THOUSAND  GUINEAS,  THE 99 

100,  102,  IDS,  114,  127,  473 
TWO  YEAR  OLD  CLASS,  RISE  OF....    51 

TYl'HUON    II 77,  113,  237,  283,  286,  407 

TYRANT   176,  446 

TYRB A    302 

TYRO  STAKES  469 

TYRSHENA   302 

UGLY  271 

ULLMAN,  ALEXANDER  422 

ULLMAN,  JOSEPH  F 110,  422 

ULRICA    110,  135 

ULYSSES    22 

UMPIRE    122,  123,  36.9 

UNCAS    53,  IDS,  124,  125,  172,  237 

UNCLE  BOB   169 

UNCLE  JESS   176 

UNDINE    28 

UNION    COURSE 59,  60,  61,  62,  66,  68,    79 

80,  81,  370,  371,  457 

UNION   PARK  90 

UNION  STOCK  YARD'S  PURSE 98 

U.     S.     COLLEGE     OF    VETERINARY 

SURGEONS    441 

UNITED  STATES  HOTEL  STAKES....  108 

378,  406 

UNIVERSAL  HANDICAP  474 

UPROAR    172 

URANIA   108,  256 

UTICA   129 

UTICA  HANDICAP  107 


VAGABOND    76 

VAGRANT    46,  77,  128 

VALENTINE,  JOHN  H 401 

VALENTINE,  WILLIAM   404 

VALLEY  BROOK  FARM   135 

VALUABLE  STAKES  75,    76 

VAN  ANTWERP   283 

VAN  BUREN   372 

VANDAL    30,  44,  84,  103,  169 

VANDALITE    46 

VANDERBILT,  CORNELIUS 138,  464 

VANDERBILT,   FREDERICK  W 263 

VANDERBILT,  WILLIAM  K....144,  263,  265 
471,  473,  475 

VANDERDONK,  ADRIAN 15 

VANDERVEER,  GERRIT  79 

VANDYKE   306 

VANITY   27 

VAN  KEUREN,  EUGENE 398 

VAN  KEUREN,   WILLIAM 343,  398 

VAN  LEER,  ISAAC  275 

VAN  NESS,   FRANK   114,382,384 

VAN  NESS,  J.  C 422 

VAN  NEST  STAKES  115,  478 

VAN  RANST,  CORNELIUS  W.23,  59,  79,  269 

VAN  TIENHOVEN,  CORNELIUS 15 

VAUXHALL   31 

VEITCH,  SILAS  410 

VELOCIPEDE   163 

VELVET  336 

VENDIG,  JOSEPH  H 422,  425 

VENETIA    173 

VENTILATOR    170,  171,  473 

VENTURE    404 

VERA   246 

VERELL,  JAMES   269 

VERNAL    STAKES 231,  474 

VERONA   103 

VERSAILLES    bo 

VESPUCIUS    274 

VETERINARIAN,  A  NATURAL 442 

VETERINARIAN,  THE  SUCCESSFUL.  439 
440,  441,  442,  443 

VETERINARY  SCIENCE   422 

VETERINARY  SCIENCE,  DEVELOP- 
MENT OF  IN  THE  UNITED 
STATES    , 443 


VETERINARY    SCIENCE,   ECONOMIC 

VALUE  OF  443 

VETERINARY    SCIENCE,    PROGRESS 

OF  441 

VIATOR   46 

VICEROY    171 

VICTORINE    113,  261 

VICTORIUS    308 

VICTORY   168,  224 

VICTRIX   407 

VIGIL  46,  53,  169,  465 

VILEY,    B 169 

VILEY,   WARREN    96 

VILEY,  WILLA  64 

VINCENT,  WILLIAM  404 

VINTAGE  TIME   169 

VIOLA    261 

VIRAGO    23,  112 

VIRGIL    30,  44,  103,  107 

VIRGIN    212 

VIRGINIA  RACE  COURSES 451 

VIRGINIA   RACING 35,    39 

VIRGINIA  TAYLOR   80 

VIRGINIUS    138,  465 

VISITORS'   PLATE 130 

VOLLEY    ...■ 76,  409 

VOLTIGEUR    104,  127,  140 

VOLTURNO    139 

VOLUNTEER   US,  440 

VOLUNTEER    HANDICAP 115,  474 

VOSBURGH,  W.   S 141,  144,  145,  152,  157 

VOTER    378 

VULTURE  451 


WADE  HAMPTON 87 

WADSWORTH    400 

WADSWORTH,  J.  W : 475 

WAGNER    35,  41,  63,  64,  65,    86 

WAGNER,   SAMUEL  C 387 

WAITZFELDER,   S.    L 4/2 

WALBAUM,    G 313,  395,  422 

WALCOTT   317 

WALCOTT,  A.   F 50,  144,  282,  313,  314,  438 

WALCOTT  &  CAMPBELL 374 

WALDEN,  GEORGE  G 333 

WALDEN,  JAMES  F 333,  362 

WALDEN,   JETER 333,  338,  379,  417 

WALDEN,  M.  A 48 

WALDEN,   R.   WYNDHAM....45,  53,  277,  301 
333,  356,  400,  406,  461 

WALDMAN,  N.  P 422 

WALDO,  DAVID   393,395 

WALKER,  J.    R 32S 

WALKER  CUP 327,  415 

WALL,  ARTHUR   422 

WALL,  EDWARD   364 

WALLACE,  JOHN  H 19 

WALLACE,  WILLIAM  M 318,  353,  409 

WALLACK,  LESTER   469 

WALLENSTEIN    105,  125,  126,  479 

WALLER,  ASHER  409 

WALNUT  HILLS  FARM 30,  105 

WALTERS,  CHARLES    422 

WALTERS,  J.   C 422 

WALTON,  F.  T 313,  358 

WANDERER   52,  72,  174,  353 

WAPSHIRE,  ALFRED  H 403 

WAR  DANCE    30,  43,  90,  103.  HO,  116 

WARD,  SAM    134 

WARD,  W.   P 365 

WARD,  ZEB    .41- 

WARE,  FRANCIS  M 262,  263,  264,  265,  266 

WARFIELD    473 

WAR  LIKE    364 

WARLOCK   84 

WARMINSTER  175 

WARREN,  TABOR  306 

WARREN  NURSERY   STAKES 130 

WARREN  STEAMSHIP  CO 440 

WARRENTON    ,,...,, 381,  414 


603 


WARRENTON  COURSE   38 

WARRINGTON  354 

WAR  SONG   90,  115 

WARWICK  CUP   84,  122,  123,  369 

WASHINGTON  COURSE  (S.  C.)..38,  59,    67 

68,  271,  451 

WASHINGTON,   GEORGE 17,  32,  174,  270 

WASHINGTON  HANDICAP 363 

WASHINGTON  JOCKEY  CLUB 157 

WASHINGTON,  LAWRENCE   269 

WASHINGTON   STABLE   320 

WASHINGTON  PARK  COURSE 479 

WASHINGTON  PARK  JOCKEY  CLUB.    56 

138,  158,  479 

WASHINGTON  RACE  COURSES 452 

WASHINGTON,   RACING  IN 270 

WASHINGTON,    WILLIAM.. 23,  269,  270,  451 

WASTEFUL   303 

WATERFORD    175 

WATERS,  R.   E 443 

WATSON   465 

WATSON,   JAMES 435,  448,  460 

WATSON,  JOHN  203 

WATTSON  &  CO 314 

WAVERLY    30,  105 

WAYNE,  ANTHONY   455 

WAYNE  HOTEL  STAKES  377 

WAYWARD    351 

WEATHERBIT    105 

WEBB,   GEORGE   417 

WEBB,  W.   SEWARD 144 

WEEKS,  W.   E 330 

WEHRHAHN,   HENRY   350 

WEIL,  BENJAMIN   366 

WEIR,  FRANK  321 

WELCH,  ARISTIDES 30,  89,  126,  128,  174 

400,  463 

WELCH,  H 48 

WELCH,   STEPHEN   64 

WELDON,   D.   E 460 

WELDON,  J.  W 41,    45 


158 
84 


346 
102 


WELLS,  ROLLA 

WELLS,  THOMAS  A 

WELLS,  T.  J 

WELSH,  JOHN  J 

WELTER  CUP  HANDICAP 

WERNBERG    77,  297 

WEST,   P 414 

WEST  AUSTRALIAN 102,  127 

WESTBROOKE  STABLE    371 

WESTBROOKE   STUD 167,  278,463 

WESTCHESTER   39,  131 

WESTCHESTER  COUNTY,  N.  Y....459,  475 

WESTCHESTER  CUP 73,  94,  96,  108,  115 

142,  275,  331,  353,  370,  465 
WESTCHESTER         HIGH         WEIGHT 

HANDICAP    285 

WESTCHESTER  POLO  CLUB  CUP 471 

WESTCHESTER      RACING     ASSOCIA- 
TION   57,  149,  150,  157,  478 

WEST  END  HOTEL  STAKES 95,  97,  469 

WESTERN  JOCKEYS    382 

WESTERN  TURF  183 

WESTERN  TURF  ASSOCIATION 432 

WESTERN  TURF  CONGRESS 448 

WESTMINSTER,  DUKE  OF 113,  172,  197 

198,  199,  200 

WESTMORE,  STEPHEN  M 66 

WEST  SIDE  RACING  ASSOCIATION..  158 

WEST  &  McGRANE   372 

WETMORE,   GEO.   PEABODY.  ..144,  263,  475 

WHALE    39 

WHEATLY,    CHAS 137,  141,  460,  462,  463 

WHEELER  HANDICAP   114 

WHEELER   T 255 

WHEELOCK,  GEORGE  A 422,  423 

WPIEELOCK  &  HARRIS 423 

WHEEL  OF  FORTUNE 173 

WHISPER    31,  113 

WHITE,   ARTI-IUR.... 314,  398 

WHITE,  7OKN   364,418 


THE     AMERICAN     TURF 


WHITE,  JOHN  H 460 

WHITE  EAGLE  87 

WHITE  JACKET  243 

WHITE  LABEL  237 

WHITE   PLAINS   HANDICAP 364 

WHITNEY,  WILLIAM  C 144,  355,  441 

WHITTAKER  &  BERWICK 364 

WHITTEN    BROTHERS 3S3 

WICKHAM,  JOHN  81 

WIENER,  M.  R 441 

WIGSTON  PLATE   130 

WILDAIR    20,  31,  163 

WILDIDLE    4S,  103,  170,  312 

WILD  THORN   410 

WILKES'  SPIRIT    42 

WILKES'   WONDER 31 

WILLHITE,  WALTER   401 

WILLIAMS,  EDWARD  E 447 

WILLIAMS,  HOWARD    353 

WILLIAMS,  JAMES   T 92,361 

WILLIAMS,  ROBERT   (TINY) 394 

WILLIAMS,  SEYMORE 442 

WILLIAMS,  THOMAS  H.,  JR 157,  479 

WILLIE  BURKE    106 

WILLIE   D 78 

WILSON,  JOHN   451 

WILSON,  J.   W 157 

WILSON,    R 343 

WIMMER,  PETER  386 

WINCHESTER  BIENNIAL  STAKES...  102 

WINDEMERE  PLATE   130 

WINNERS,  ENGLISH  80 

WINNING    MOUNTS.... 374,  383,  385,  387,  389 

393,  397,  404,  405 

WINNING  SIRES,  NOTED 246 

WINNINGS,   AMERICAN   HORSES   IN 

ENGLAND    122,  123 

WINNINGS  FROM  RACING 169,  170,  171 

181,  220,  223,  231,  237,  249,  300,  311,  312,  313 

324,   336 
WINNINGS  OF  A  BOOKMAKER... 423,  424 

430 
WINNINGS  OF  JOCKEYS 369 


WINNINGS  OF  THOROUGHBREDS...  100 

101,  108,  109,  111,  112,  115,  116,  117 
WINNINGS,    VALUABLE... 80,  81,  83,  84,    S6 
91,  93,  94,  95,  97,  98,  100,     101,  108,  109,  111 
112,  115,  116,  117,  133,  148,  272,  275 

WINONA    398,  406 

WINTER  RACING  42,    55 

WINTERS,   HENRY    360 

WINTERS,    THEODORE 30,  175,  313,  356 

408,  448 

WINTHROP,  E.  L.,  JR 265 

WINTHROP,   JOHN 15 

WINTONIAN    195 

WILLIS,  BIRD  27 

WISHARD    129 

WISHARD,  ENOCH   280 

WITHERS,  DAVID  D 50,  90,  112,  114,  133 

134,  137,  138,  161,  170,  171,  172,  179,  213,  214 
235,  237,  274,  334,  335,  337,  408,  414,  435,  433 
445,  448,  461,  468,  469,  472 

WITHERS,   REUBEN 133,  235 

WITHERS  COURSE  476 

WITHERS   STAKES 100,  106,  108,  110,  113 

115,  176,  181,  221,  246,  381,  446,  478 

WIZARD    123 

WOLF,    B 422 

WOLF  HILL  STABLE 341 

WONDER    32 

WOOD,  WILLIAM  269 

WOODBINE    225,  256,  465 

WOOD  BIRD   429 

WOODBURN    122,  123,  175 

WOODBURN  STAKES   128 

WOODBURN   STUD 52,  82,  90,  93,  94,  95 

96,  98,  104,  167,  168,  282 

WOODCOTE  STAKES  89 

WOOD  DITTON  STAKES  131 

WOODEN,  BOB   60 

WOODLANDS    245 

WOODLAWN   COURSE   44,    69 

WOODLAWN    HANDICAP 478 

WOODPECKER    80,    86 

WOOD   PIGEON    338 


WOODS,  FRANK  M 422' 

WOODBINE    227 

WOOD   VIOLET    181,192,193,196 

WORLD'S  FAIR  DERBY 25G 

WORTH    429 

WRAGRAM    41 

WRIGHT,  GEOliGE  100 

WYANDOTTE    172 

WYCHE,  WILLIAM 39,  60,  303,  360 

WYNN,   WILLIAM 60,  62,  269 

YALE   131 

YARDLEY  STUD  114 

YEARLING  SALES   52 

YEARLINGS,  PRICES  OF 32,  92,  93,  105 

110,  112,  114,  138,  172,  177,  273 

YORICK    272 

YORKSHIRE   30,  90,  169 

YORKSHIRE  WAGNER   37 

YORKVILLE  BELLE 51,  HI,  170 

YO  TAMBIEN  256 

YOUNG,   MILTON.... 30,  157,  162,  242,  243,  244 

245,  246,  247 

YOUNG,  N.  B 39,458 

YOUNG  ARION  51 

YOUNG  AMERICA  STAKES 9S,  100,  102 

YOUNG  LOTTERY  27 

ZANONE    253 

ZANONI    39 

ZELA    273 

ZEPHRUS   223 

ZEPHYR  STAKES   Ill 

ZERLINA    86 

ZETLAND,  LORD  140 

ZETLAND  STAKES  104,123 

ZOBAIR    90 

ZOEST,  COUNT   127 

ZORILLA    30 

ZUT   99 


504 


f 


